Veteran Barn Painter Puts Down His Brush After 50-Year Career
Published: Friday, September 29, 2023
Mike Miller is nearing the end of a 50-year career as a barn painter.
With one more job yet to do this fall, Miller says he plans to retire when the final stroke of paint has been applied.
At age 70, the Goshen resident said his balance and agility aren't what they used to be, plus there is the high cost of maintaining his bucket truck.
Since the news of his impending retirement has spread, Miller has fielded dozens of calls from people wanting him to paint "one more job." He very politely tells them no.
Miller comes from a long line of painters. His great-grandfather and grandfather both painted houses, and his father, Max, specialized in painting barns. After Mike joined his father in business in 1972, they painted approximately 80% of the wooden barns in Elkhart County during that decade.
"Over the course of 50 years, 80% (of the business) has been agricultural," he said. "We do a lot of work for farmers."
Many wooden barns have disappeared over the years, so most of Miller's current business comes from painting barn roofs, grain bins and steel structures. However, he said he still paints about three wooden barns per year. The oldest barn he painted was built in 1877. Located near Syracuse, the barn has since been taken down by a storm.
Another notable barn bearing his handiwork is the heritage barn at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds. Miller said he has painted that barn at least twice.
At first, he and his father did "about everything," including painting houses and roofs. They also spruced up many of the retail shops in Goshen and nearby communities.
"One summer, we painted just about every building in downtown Milford," he said.
Then one day, a farmer approached his father and asked if he would paint his barn. Max agreed, and that launched the two men on a new path. They did good work, and their popularity spread through word-of-mouth advertising.
"It paid good money for those days," Mike said, "but it's evolved so much."
For example, he has seen a dramatic increase in the price of his No. 1 material.
"Last year, the price of paint almost doubled," he said. "I had a larger increase in paint prices than what we've ever had if I combine the previous 20 years all together. That's how bad it was."
Pointing to a can of paint in his shop, Miller said, years ago, he paid $15 per gallon for it but now pays $50 per gallon, even at his discounted rate. Retail customers pay $140 per gallon.
Miller said another change relates to how he does his job.
In the early days, he and his father relied on ladders to get up and down. Now, Miller utilizes a bucket truck.
When painting a wooden barn, his first job would be to scrape off the loose paint before applying a new coat. However, today he uses a high-pressure washer to take off the old paint.
By the early 1990s, about the same time Miller took over the business from his father, farmers started using metal siding on their barns. If there were any livestock housed inside those buildings, the owners quickly discovered that the structures were prone to rust and that the color of the metal quickly faded.
That's when Miller started painting metal structures. He also took on several corporate accounts, which often involved painting large warehouses and structures.
"The one thing I've always prided myself on with my commercial business was, I've never, ever, took a job and told someone that I would have it done and not had it done when I said it would be done," he stated.
Like many of his farmer-clients, Miller works in a profession that is heavily dependent on the weather. When he's working high in the air, even a slight breeze can cause his spray gun to overshoot the target.
"The weather is such a big part of this business," he said. "The wind is the biggest enemy, wind and rain."
He can count at least a couple times over the course of his career when he had to repaint a structure due to an unexpected rain event that washed away a fresh coat of paint.
"Back in those days, paint wasn't so expensive, but today ... paint is expensive."
Miller's job is part educational, as some customers come to him mistakenly believing that adding new paint will fix a leak in the roof. In such situations, he reminds them that he is a painter and not a roofing contractor.
But painting a barn does help preserve it for future use. Miller said wood, without paint, tends to dry out and become porous in the summer. When it rains, the wood absorbs the moisture, promoting rot. Painting helps prevent that problem.
Painting barns is a careful process.
"You only get one chance to do it right," he said. "And if you do it wrong, you'll pay for it for the next 20 or 30 years, because you'll never be able to fix it."
Overall, Miller said he has a loyal base of customers who have provided him with steady work over the years. Many call him to say they have work that needs to be done, and they ask to be put on his rolling list of jobs—without asking for an estimate.
"I love working for people like that because they trust me, they know I'm honest, and they know I do a really good job," he said.
Miller's job is seasonal, running from May to September. That means he and his workers, usually numbering about two, often labor under hot, humid conditions.
"I've been fortunate to have good help," he said. "Every one of my sons (James and Steven) has painted. In fact, my helper for the last two years is the fourth generation—my grandson (Logan)."
One of the hazards of his profession is working under intense summer heat.
"If you're painting white and the sun is shining, the reflection of that white paint back at your face is excruciatingly bad when it comes to sunburn," he said. "White's the worst because it reflects the fastest."
Painting barns, grain bins and steel structures is a young man's business. When he was much younger, Miller said he would work all day and then play fast-pitch softball at night—sometimes playing double headers. But at age 70, he feels the aches and pains more quickly.
Another reason he decided to retire this year is due to the high cost of maintaining his bucket truck.
"It's a piece of equipment that costs a fortune," he said. "The maintenance on it and trying to keep it running is absolutely ridiculous."
Miller said he has had a good career, and although he enjoys what he does, he feels that now is a good time to step away. At age 70, he said his age is starting to catch up to him. Plus, there is the headache of finding reliable workers.
"I have had the luxury to work with my father, both of my sons, and, for the last two summers, my grandson," he said. "That's pretty cool. Will my grandson take this business? He'd love to, but he is 18 years old. It's a lot to bite off. Not only do you have to worry about the maintenance and equipment, but you've got to be able to get help. It's really tough to get help—somebody who will show up every day."
In retirement, Miller and his wife Pamela will enjoy a more relaxed pace, especially during the summers. He said he plans to devote more time and attention to his No. 1 hobby, gardening. His goal is to have a well-maintained garden.
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