10 MiMfg Magazine January / February 2022
INDUSTRY
Member Spotlight
Branching Out Into a Growing Industry
Member since November 2021 • Employs 168 Michigan workers • Learn more at millc . com
The Miller family has been in the manufacturing and integration business for nearly 40 years . Today , Miller Industries is the largest manufacturing facility in Fenton and Co-Principals Matt and Chad Miller are proud to bring quality employment opportunities to their growing community . The brothers learned the importance of ensuring their company is a family valued organization from their father , Tom Miller .
Miller is comprised of four divisions that range from custom steel fabrication to air handling units and modular systems as well as a manufacturer representative division which offers specialty applied , engineered products exclusively for the HVAC industry .
Michael Groh , Miller ’ s Vice President of Mission Critical , sees unlimited growth potential for their newest division , MiFarmPod ™ . The concept began in 2017 when , Groh says , “ We realized that , having worked for many years in the paint finishing industry where temperature and humidity are key to a great car finish , we were perfectly suited for manufacturing modular grow facilities .”
Their team already had all the product design and engineering experience needed to create a consistent , repeatable environment by regulating temperature , humidity , air movement , CO2 and filtration . So they began developing MiFarmPod , which creates the ideal atmosphere for indoor growing ecosystems .
The 60-by-30-foot pods are built in their facility , prepared for shipping , and installed on site , providing 2,400-square-feet of canopy in a single enclosure . “ It ’ s truly a turnkey solution ,” says Groh . The result is a completely sustainable “ greenhouse ” that can produce healthy cannabis or other crops regardless of the outdoor climate . But unlike greenhouses , the pods don ’ t rely on sunlight .
“ They create a virtual sunup and sundown , the lights continue to stay on at night to take advantage of off-peak power ,” Groh says . “ It ’ s a completely controlled environment , built with positive air pressure and web-based controls for monitoring .”
The MiFarmPod project is an example of Miller Industries ’ ability to adapt and look toward the future .
The pods are accessed by using a keycard , and personnel must first pass through a vestibule with an interlock door where the system blows off any contaminants before the growing area can be accessed . Miller ’ s proprietary air distribution and filtration system is patent pending , and it increases plant safety and product purity by removing sources of contamination throughout the growth cycle .
Even with the current supply chain issues , and the price of steel fluctuating daily , Groh says they can build , ship and install a complete MiFarmPod in a fraction of the time it would take to build a comparable solution with conventional construction . “ It ’ s all about speed to the market ,” he says . The units are completely state-of-the-art and come complete with security cameras , rolling racks and trays .
Outdoor growing operations are limited by weather and normally only see one harvest a year . Greenhouses can be operational year-round , but the lighting needs to be controlled and plants are often lost to pathogens and bugs among other issues . The modular MiFarmPods regulate light ( intensity , spectrum , duration and intervals ), nutrient concentration and nutrient pH ( acidity ).
Being a legacy company with over 40 years in business , the MiFarmPod project is yet another example of Miller ’ s ability to adapt and look toward the future . Groh says they ’ re working on their 2.0 design now and are excited to continue to grow in this area while also supporting farms and food cultivation . 6