All In on Safety

Steve Miller’s ambitions of becoming a high school biology teacher and coach hit a major snag after discovering he didn’t enjoy or excel in his college biology courses.

Fortunately, a couple of his fraternity brothers at the University of Central Missouri suggested he check out the college’s safety management program. “I'd never even heard of the program at the time,” he says, “so I just took a couple of classes to try it out…and I haven't looked back.”

When it came time to choose an area of emphasis, Miller decided on construction. “Growing up on a farm and being around equipment all my life, construction piqued my interest the most,” he says.

With a safety management degree in hand, Miller signed on with McCarthy as a safety coordinator in 2000. “My interview process consisted of going to lunch with (recently retired McCarthy Senior Vice President of Safety) Kevin Maitland,” he recalls. “We shot the breeze for a while, and then he asked me when I could start.” 

For his first assignment, Miller served as onsite safety coordinator on the south campus expansion at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. “A lot of long-term McCarthy field people were involved in that project, so it was a great learning opportunity,” he says.

After taking a three-year career detour to Kansas City—his wife’s hometown—Miller returned to St. Louis in 2004 and rejoined McCarthy as safety manager.

“When I came back, our industrial group was just starting to take off and I began working as the onsite safety manager on many of those projects,” he says. His early project experiences included the region’s Chrysler, Ford and General Motors plants; the Ameren Venice power station; and deployment to other parts of the U.S.—from a General Motors plant in Arlington, Texas, to a Toyota plant expansion in Princeton, Indiana. 

During Miller’s tenure as safety director of the company’s Industrial business unit from 2007 to 2017, Miller gained a first-hand perspective of the meticulous safety requirements and intricacies of those specialized projects.

“Industrial owners have rigorous safety programs and expectations, and they tend to be very hands-on with the safety process,” he says, noting that industrial assignments often involve heavy cranes and equipment, confined spaces, lockout/tagout work and maneuvering through hazardous environments.

In 2017, Miller broadened his focus by stepping into a new role as safety director of McCarthy’s 28-state Central region.“It was a lateral move, but involved overseeing a lot more people and projects,” he notes. 

Scouting for Talent

Working as a safety professional for more than two decades has also equipped Miller with a keen eye for spotting safety talent.

“If someone has an outgoing personality and good communication skills, we'll teach them the safety knowledge through our onboarding processes and mentoring programs,” he says. “At the end of the day, it's all about building relationships with the men and women who turn wrenches, swing hammers and dig ditches.” 

Since ascending to the position of regional vice president of safety in 2021, Miller has sharpened his focus on business planning, people development and collaborating with fellow leaders on the region’s strategic priorities. 

In reflecting on his McCarthy career, Miller attributes his longevity to the company’s unique culture and unwavering commitment to safety. “All of us have opportunities to go elsewhere, but the people, the culture and the ESOP are the things that really keep me here,” he says. “Some of my best friends are people who have worked here through the years.”

From Farm to Field

Miller hails from Edina, Missouri, a small town located east of Kirksville in the northeast corner of the state. 

Growing up on a farm with his parents and older sister, he spent a large chunk of his childhood tending to crops and animals. “Like most kids who grow up on a farm, I never had a real job until I went away to college,” Miller says. “Farming is just what we did.” 

His mom served as postmaster at the local post office and his dad taught high school band while tending to the family farm. Miller regrets that he didn’t inherit his dad’s musical genes. “I blew on a trumpet in junior high, but I think they quickly realized I wasn’t musically inclined,” he laughs. “Now, I would love nothing more than to be able to bust a guitar out or sit down and play a piano.” 

Instead, Miller gravitated toward sports. In high school, he played third base and pitched on the baseball team as well as playing running back and linebacker on the football team. He also played college baseball for a year.

These days, most of his recreational interests revolve around sports and nature. “I've always played sports of some sort and enjoyed outdoor activity — whether it was competitive men's softball, the Sunday night co-ed softball league, or bass fishing tournaments,” he says. “I’ve just got to keep playing.”