Office to field: Miller Bros. leverages Trimble tech for seamless connectivity

With a deep commitment to integrity, safety and innovation, family-owned Miller Bros. Const., Inc. specializes in highway and civil site-work. The company's origins trace back to 1945, when brothers Dale and Floyd Miller started a small, Northwest Ohio-based excavating firm. Today, it operates under third generation family leadership and is licensed in 12 states.

Critical to their success is their investment in construction technology, including machine control, GNSS survey equipment and office to field connected site data management software. By implementing construction tech, Miller Bros. has significantly reduced working time while increasing accuracy. This technology edge equips them to meet demanding schedules, consistently keeping projects on-time and on-budget.

The connected workflow

For survey manager Mike Damschroder, who has been instrumental in the growth of technology adoption at Miller Bros., their process is fully integrated in tech. "Our company utilizes Trimble technology through almost every phase of the project," he explains.

The workflow begins in the office, where the team uses Trimble Business Center (TBC) to perform precise takeoffs and build detailed 3D models for their machine control systems. Once construction starts, the company deploys a comprehensive suite of Trimble machine control depending on the job, ranging from the Trimble GCS900 grade control system to Trimble Earthworks grade control platform and Trimble Roadworks paving control platform.

Trimble WorksManager software— at the center of it all

The true backbone of their connected operation is Trimble WorksManager software, which enables time-saving remote design transfer. WorksManager enables the team to instantly send design updates directly from the office to the machines in the field, ensuring operators are always working with the latest design without reliance on a USB.

Damschroder stresses the software's vital role: “From day one, WorksManager is on the machine. When we buy a machine, we are going to put GNSS on that machine and put it on WorksManager.” The company is currently running 150 WorksManager enabled devices on multiple jobsites, at any given time.

This office-to-field connectivity minimizes downtime and eliminates errors caused by outdated data. A major benefit is the elimination of wasteful travel time for file updates and troubleshooting. 

Damschroder notes, “You might drive eight hours in a day for five minutes of uploading designs to a machine. Now, we send it out [from the office] and can stay where we are at, and be productive.”

Additionally, every member of their site staff has access to Trimble Siteworks software and the newest generation of GNSS receivers to verify that the projects are on-grade. The combination of powerful modeling in Trimble Business Center (TBC), rapid deployment via WorksManager, and precise field verification enables Miller Bros. to deliver an exceptional, high-quality product to their clients every time.