BEHIND THE BUSINESS
Powered by the American Dream When Alton and E.B. Milliken founded Shallotte Electric in 1971, they couldn’t envision the changes that would occur in Brunswick County or that a third generation of family members would be helping the business thrive 50 years later. BY MELISSA SLAVEN WARREN
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The lifecycle of a built-from-scratch business changes a lot over the span of three decades. Products change, one-time employees start their own businesses, locations are added, and grandkids take over the family business. All of this and more was the case for Alton and E.B. Milliken of Shallotte Electric. The couple built the successful
| PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA GLANTZ
Four generations of the Milliken family: front row, Shelby, E.B., Alton and Asbury; back row, Justin, Al and Jamie
brand from the ground up, and when they eventually retired in 1998, they left it in the good hands of the third generation of family ownership. Justin Milliken, vice president and grandson to Alton and E.B., says, “This story is still all about my grandparents.” Their journey begins in 1971. After Alton became Fall 2021
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