Miller Media Centre - Background Info

Origins

Founded by James Miller and his brothers John and Lawrence as James Miller & Partners Limited in 1934. James was Lord Provost of Edinburgh between 1951 and 1954, during which time he was knighted. In 1964 he became Lord Mayor of London. He remained Chairman until 1970 and continued as a Director until 1973. John Miller was primarily involved in the Civil Engineering, Construction and Mining side of the business until his retirement in 1976. Sir James' son, also James, joined the company in 1958, and the Board in 1960, becoming Chairman in 1970 on his father's resignation. James' younger brother Roger also joined the company in 1960, joining the Board in 1965 and becoming Chairman and Managing Director of Miller Homes from 1970 until retirement in 1991.

Keith Miller, John's son, was appointed as Chief Executive of the Group in 1994, having previously been Managing Director of Miller Mining and Miller Developments.

Homes
Before the Second World War, Miller Homes primarily operated in the East of Scotland, capitalising on the housing boom at that time, and acquired substantial areas of land, the last of which is only now being developed. The company expanded into the west of Scotland, then in England after the war, initially rebuilding war-damaged properties. By the 1950s, Miller Homes was actively involved in new build schemes and has built over 60,000 homes throughout the UK in over 70 years.

Construction
James Miller and Partners became involved in all types of construction during the 1930s and the war years. The post-War years saw an increase in demand for housing, initially of the pre-fab variety, which led to the expansion of company operations in England. During the 1950s and 60s, the company was involved in all manner of construction projects - housing; schools; hospitals; civic, commercial and industrial properties, for some very prestigious clients.

The industry went through a period of major growth in the 1970s and 80s, significant aspects being the development of design and construction through System Building, and the emergence of Management Contracting. The company also became involved in oil-related projects in Shetland which led to a number of successful overseas contracts e.g. the Middle East, Gibraltar, Botswana, Malaysia, Russia and the Falklands.

Today the construction division undertakes building and service contracts within many sectors including health, leisure, industrial, retail, commercial and education. It adopts a non-standard approach to contracting which involves partnering, negotiation, design and build, and design, manage and construct. The business is very active in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arena in education and secondary health care sectors.

Developments
The Group's commercial developments began in the 1930s with the construction of 'corner shops' and 'entertainment centres' (cinema complexes). After the War, many Miller estates featured small shopping developments, and as car use grew the company expanded into the petrol filling station market. Towards the end of the 1960s, Miller Developments became involved in warehouse schemes and office block developments.

A 10-year period saw considerable expansion and the company was involved in all types of commercial developments across the UK. During the late 1980s, Development's London office was running at full capacity as it strove to meet the demands of the business boom in the South-East. At the same time major developments were going ahead in Scotland's Central Belt.

Today, Miller Developments develops property and buildings for tenants and owner-occupiers in the retail, leisure, office and industrial sectors throughout the UK and in Europe. The division specialises in joint ventures with the public sector, other developers and landowners. It is also responsible for managing an extensive investment portfolio of commercial and retail properties.

Community Involvement
Although records from the company's early period are somewhat incomplete, it is clear that it was involved in community life from the outset. Sir James Miller was elected to the Edinburgh Town Council in 1936, becoming City Treasurer in 1947 and Lord Provost between 1951-54. One of the earliest examples of the company's community involvement was the provision of funds to construct the 'Malcolm Miller' sail training ship in Aberdeen.

The company has also been active in arts sponsorship. In one instance, the best artists from each of Scotland's four main art colleges were provided with a year's accommodation in Paris and financial assistance to continue their education. The second Edinburgh Science Festival was undergoing financial difficulties until the company intervened, allowing the event to take place annually ever since and the inclusion of opera in the Edinburgh Festival of 1988 was due to Miller's sponsorship of 'Nixon in China'.

Miller's sponsorship has extended to sport – Warrington Wolves R.U.F.C and Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian and St Johnstone FCs have all benefited from company sponsorship and Miller was founder sponsor of the Bells Scottish Open Golf Championship. Olympic and World Champion skater Robin Cousins has been a beneficiary, along with Olympic yachtswoman Shirley Robertson.

The Sir James Miller Edinburgh Trust assists a wide range of charities throughout the UK and the company regularly donates to local initiatives in education and social work.