Greg ’ s wife , to work at the diner he owned in Hill City . Since the Mill was open year-round and the diner wasn ’ t , Aleah would work summers at the diner and then worked at the Mill with Greg for the winters .
Greg and Aleah ran the Mill together that way and it proved to be a fruitful time . They made small changes together , developed specials and devoted time to the Mill ’ s social media presence . Out of that time , a passion for the Mill was born in them both that continues — and has only deepened and grown — to this day .
Aleah explained how she and Greg would go to Steve and Michele ’ s at the end of their workday . It was a great time to share with them how their day had gone , what had happened , challenges and obstacles they had faced and more . In turn , Steve and Michele took that daily opportunity to share with Aleah and Greg how to make things run smoother the next day , how to learn from mistakes and more .
“ There were a lot of tears during those sessions , but so much personal and business growth resulted ,” Aleah said . “ Now Greg and I try to visit with them as often as we can for those same sessions , although it ’ s not as frequent these days .”
In 2016 , Greg and Aleah started to make plans to one day own the Mill . Steve poured himself into his son and Aleah , truly mentoring them every step of the way . Steve had been an independent business owner for a quarter of a century at that point , so the mentoring he was able to offer Greg and Aleah was invaluable .
“ You know the saying about blood , sweat and tears ?” Aleah said . “ Yeah , it ’ s very true . That ’ s how it was for us at the Mill . But those earlier days really helped to develop our character in young adulthood . We learned a lot of lessons and celebrated accomplishments . None of it , however , would have been possible without Steve and Michele guiding us and teaching us everything they had learned .”
Greg and Aleah had hit their stride , if you will , and then covid hit . Unsure of the future and with myriad challenges to overcome , Greg and Aleah discovered the value of community . It was also at that time they became the official owners .
“ We began to understand supporting local business in a whole new way ,” Greg said . “ And this community really supported us through that time .”
“ We developed a much deeper understanding of what mom & pop businesses go through ,” Aleah said . “ And out of that came a much deeper appreciation for other small businesses .”
Those early days of covid when Greg and Aleah were experiencing community support on a new level also developed in them both a heart for their community .
“ They supported us ,” Aleah said , “ and now we want to do everything we can to support them .”
Greg and Aleah are now raising their two boys — Westen , 2 , and Waylen , 8 months — in Custer and hope and pray their children will learn work ethic , business knowledge and that ever-important love for community .
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