The Herald-Zeitung

With a down economy shuttering many businesses, one local company that installs, in part, roll-up doors, is pushing forward with its long-term expansion goals.

Moreover, Miner Holding Company, a fast-growing materials handling firm based in New Braunfels, is planning to keeps its roots right where they are.

“New Braunfels has been the bedrock for our growth from San Antonio to Austin,” said Phil Miner, founder and chairman of the facilities maintenance company. “It’s a great community — provides a great quality of life — and is well located.”

In 1994, Miner, a local resident who moved from Houston with his family more than a quarter century ago, started his dream with just three employees.

“We have since become an internationally recognized leader in delivering worry-free service for facilities maintenance professionals who operate complex equipment,” he said. “We solve problems and eliminate high downtime costs through 24/7/365 repair service, as well as offering planned maintenance programs, safety audits and training and regulatory compliance support.”

Through its numerous programs, Miner has built up a client list of more than 8,000 national and international businesses.

The company employs 15 people locally and 120 people throughout its main markets of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and Florida.

It also utilizes a network of 150 regular subcontractors and several thousand service professionals.

The business, which reported total revenues of more than $50 million in 2007, has two main divisions under the umbrella Miner Holding Company.

Its service company is Miner Fleet Management Group, and its distribution business is The Miner Corporation.

Miner Fleet is responsible for national and international business, while Miner Corp. looks after local and regional customers.

Some of the products the company sells, services and supports include roll-up doors, trash compactors, balers, as well as material handling equipment such as fork trucks and pallet jacks.

“What we do is facilitate the flow of materials in and out of large stores and warehouse,” Miner said. “Our neighborhood is the back of the building. That’s where we play.”

Currently, the Miner companies are doing major business with 291 of the Fortune 500 companies and its customer base includes such giants as USAA, FedEx and Lowes.

“We have plans to be a force in the nation’s 25 major markets, right now, however, our operating companies essentially are based around Texas, Arizona and Florida,” said Miner. “They take care of the day-to-day customer service aspect of our business. Here in New Braunfels, we provide a lot of back office support such as Human Resources, business development and finance.”

Miner Holding Company is determined to keep its roots in New Braunfels in spite of its growth, said the chairman who enjoys off-shore fishing when he is not trawling for new business acquisitions.

As one of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation, Miner’s executives say they are poised to make the firm the dominant facilities maintenance company in North America.

In the past decade, Miner has acquired or created six subsidiary companies, and officials said, the company is bracing for extended growth over the next several years.

“Currently, we are working on eight acquisition deals,” Miner said. “Even with the current economic slowdown, we are confident in the company’s continued expansion and investment.”

In February, Miner Corp. was ranked No. 32 of the top 50 private companies in San Antonio.

Miner Fleet and another subsidiary, Miner Houston, also made the 2008 Aggie 100 list of the world’s fastest-growing businesses owned or led by a Texas A&M alumnus. (Miner graduated in 1981 from the College of Engineering at Texas A&M in College Station.)

In addition, in 2006, Miner Fleet — in its first year of eligibility — made Inc. Magazine’s list of America’s 5,000 Fastest Growing Private Companies at No. 210.

Asked why his company has been successful, when others have failed, Miner points to what he calls his “North Star.”

“In every Miner office, you’ll find our four core values posted. We hire around these values: practice the golden rule — treat others how you would like to be treated; live by the code of honor — don’t lie, cheat or steal; always do what is in our customer’s best interests; and be candid and professional in our business relationships,” he said.

“These are the building blocks and a big reason why we are able to maintain consistency and create strong, loyal and long-term repeat customer relationships.”

For more information, visit www.minercorp.com.