Miller-Valentine remains strong, top executive says
Miller-Valentine Group has seen plenty of changes in the past two years, spinning off its affordable housing division, pulling out of the downtown Arcade development project and watching as a new brokerage firm, Apex Commercial Group, was created with two of its former partners.
And most recently, the U.S. Department of Justice has sued the company, alleging that some of the multi-family residences the business has built did not satisfy federal requirements related to residents with physical handicaps.
But Dave Dickerson, Day
company to the next generainvolved in the $90 miltion of leadership and oppor- lion Festo U.S. expansion tunities,” he said. in Mason, an expansion
The Dayton-based conexpected to create 350 new ton construction sales and struction company plans to jobs. development president for become the anchor tenant Said Dickerson: “Our core Miller-Valentine, said that at 409 E. Monument Ave., business was and is constructhrough all of the changes, about a half mile from its tion.” the company is returning current headquarters at Mitch Heaton, immediate to its roots as a commer- 137 N. Main St., the Barclay past president of the I-70/75 cial construction business. building. Development Association
“We’re getting back to our The 10-story Barclay build- and a Dayton Development core business, which is thirding will be converted into a Coalition executive, says it party construction and develboutique hotel by Lawyers makes sense for companies opment,” Dickerson said in Developer of Columbus and to divest themselves of supwhat was a company execFirst Hospitality of Chicago. plementary activities and utive’s first extended interMil l er-Va l entine’s 48 focus on their true strengths. view since the Justice Departemployees will move to their “In this world, you have ment filed charges last week. new offices in October after to be a specialist,” he said.
Dickerson declined to comrenovations are complete Heaton said he is not worment on the federal lawsuit. on the second floor of the ried about Miller-Valentine’s But he said it would be wrong building. future. to look at recent changes Dickerson said the com“They make a difference and misconstrue them pany remains strong and to us, and I think they play as Miller-Valentine somebusy, working on the new a valuable role for the whole how becoming smaller or Pratt Industries $311 mil- community,” Heaton said. weaker, he said. The com- lion, 700,000-square-foot The brokerage and leasing pany remains a sizable orga- paper mill in Wapakoneta, business that went to Apex nization, he maintains. the 96,000-plus-square-foot — a business that continues
“We sort of lost the meshome for Staco Energy Prod- to work with Miller-Valensage in the last couple of ucts in Miamisburg, the Proj- tine — was just a small piece years because we were doing ects Unlimited headquar- of MVG’s overall business, a lot of different things,” ters expansion in Vandalia he said. he said. and more. “We are very strong and
The company Wednesday Late last month, Miller-Valreally like where we are posiannounced a new downtown entine filed a building per- tioned in the Midwest,” Dick
on headquarters, which mit application for a $24 milerson said. should serve as a clear sig- lion Pratt corrugated box nal that Miller Valentine is manufacturing facility at here to stay, Dickerson said. 402 Leon Pratt Drive in Aug
“This whole thing is about laize County. focus and about taking the The company is also email