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Feature Friday – Steve Miller

The Army veteran turned tools pro

I’ve always wanted to do something different. I wanted to see the world and what it had to offer. That’s how I ended up in the U.S. Army. I served on active duty for about 12 years wifeand then spent time in the Reserves for a total of 22 years. And I can honestly say, it was one of the best experiences of my life.

After the Army, I decided to go to school for nursing. I was an EMT at the time and woke up one morning and realized that the medical field just wasn’t for me. I was on the hunt again.

My mom told me about Stuller because she used to work for Matt Stuller’s father. I remember when I was little, she would try and teach me while mixing investment for teeth molds. If I’d known I would have ended up at Stuller, I would have paid more attention!

I applied for a job in traditional manufacturing. It took me a while to get hired. I didn’t want my mom “putting in a good word” for me. I wanted to do it all on my own. And in 1995, I joined the Stuller family.

I worked in traditional manufacturing for a bit and after a presentation one day, a VP walked up to me and told me that he liked what I had done, that they were bringing a tools division to Stuller, and asked if I wanted to be a part of it. Of course, I was excited. I knew a little about tools since we used some in manufacturing, but a lot was new.

I’ve been working with Andy “the Tool Guy” since the beginning. He would bring me tools to test. And in 2004, we started the Stuller Tools Tech Line.

Today, I’m a part of the Tools Tech Team. We help customers with every sort of issue you can imagine. If they purchase a tool, and don’t quite know how to use it, they’ll call us. We’ll also give customers tips and tricks on how to get the most out of their tool purchases. I truly believe we have the best customer service around. We always go an extra 100 miles to make sure the customer is comfortable with their new purchase and that theyjck understand how to use the item. The job is challenging, but I enjoy every minute. Even after being with Stuller for more than 20 years, I still learn something new almost every day.

Of course, my favorite part of the job is helping our customers. A few years ago, a customer called and wanted two bands engraved with Hebrew. The jeweler was told it couldn’t be done. I knew I could help. I had him order the bands, I picked them up, and walked them to our engraving department and had what he wanted done. He was so thankful and that was well worth the trouble.

I stay inspired by teaching the newer team members. From sales associates, to marketers, to the jewelers that call in, I keep them up-to-date will all the new ways of doing things.

horseWhen I’m not at Stuller, I enjoy time with my family and my horses. I’ve been married to my wonderful wife for 16 years and we have one son. I have eight horses. I’ve been around them since I was about three years old. My favorite is Little Momma. I’m also a pretty competitive Fantasy Football player and the New Orleans Saints are my home team.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR