Winner of the 2008 Prairie Family Business of the Year Award Presentation

L to R: Jessica Hardt (HR Director), Betty Beukelman (RD Supervisor), MeLisa Elijah (Commercial and Conventional), Mary Jo Minor (President), Harvey Mills, Midge Mills, Dave Miller (Maintenance Supervisor), Wendy Peterson (Chief Financial Officer), Harold Beukelman (Retired Maintenance Department).

Harvey Mills, an eighteen year old from Bushnell, SD, came back from World War II to start college at South Dakota State College to pursue a degree in Agricultural Engineering. While attending school Harvey wanted to build a place to work on building boats, a favorite pastime of his. Before even finishing the “boat shop”, someone wanted the “house” he was building. Realizing the great demand in the post-war boom, he turned the shop into a home and sold it. He and a small crew continued to build and sell five houses before graduating in 1950. Harvey began H.E. Mills Construction Company shortly thereafter.

In 1971, Harvey developed a mobile home park on the west edge of Brookings. Harvey also built the first condominiums in the state, as well as numerous apartment buildings to help his crew to stay busy in the winter. The management responsibilities grew as the first of five buildings of Village Square Apartments was completed in 1976.

Harvey also jumped into the Rural Development and built the very first congregate housing property in South Dakota. As the construction business and the management responsibilities grew, two of Harvey’s four children joined the family business. John became president of Mills Constructions and Mary Jo led the management department. 

Typical of successful family businesses, values were consciously passed down. Grandpa Mills always said, “Money is only a tool”, and “if you can work with people you can do anything.” Having a strong Christian faith Harvey was quoted as saying, “Christian family structure-it’s the only hope for the future of our society.” He still believes this wholeheartedly at 81 years of age; and his entire family, down to his great-grandchildren, know his love for his family and his gratitude to God for providing all of it.

Harvey understood the importance of being pro-active in succession planning and began the process of family meetings in 1990. Over the years, the family had to struggle with ownership issues of the various business divisions. This included the painful process of valuations and buyouts in 2006 of the construction business.

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