New Name Reflects Mills' Family Orientation       

By Todd Foltz, Western Editor
The Packer

Salinas, Calif.–More than 45 years and a second generation into its existence, Mills Inc. is changing its name to make sure its customers and consumers know that vegetable growing is all in the family.

Beginning Jan. 1, the company became known as Mills Family Farms.

Basically, this lets people know what it is we do," said Dave Mills, vice president of sales and production and a son of co-founder Basil Mills. "We're proud of our family farming organization, and we want that message to reach the end-user."

This is the second time in the company's history that it has tweaked its name. When brothers Basil and Roger Mills founded the company in 1958 it was called Mills Distributing Co.

About 12 years ago, with the idea of showing the company was more than just a distributor, the company changed to Mills Inc.

"We've discussed a name change over the last couple of years," Dave Mills said. "We had the family farming idea in mind when we changed the name 12 years ago, but we felt we missed the target. There was a disconnect with the name and what the product is and the family farming organization that produces it."

The new name makes the connection perfectly, said Jim Mills, vice president of sales and marketing and Dave Mills' brother.

"The new name, Mills Family Farms, takes us back to our roots," Jim Mills said. "We feel we have something very unique in a world where the family institution is threatened. Our family is one who has worked hard together, keeping family values intact, to build a heritage for our children and grandchildren."

In addition to its commodity program, Mills has established itself in the value-added business in recent years with its Wholeaves® brand of whole leaf products for foodservice.

In December 2001, Mills' line of romaine crowns, romaine hearts, green leaf crowns and red leaf crowns won the National Board of the American Tasting Institute's highest award for taste in the foodservice whole leaf lettuce category.

In the past couple of years, Mills has devoted more time and energy to foodservice and catering trade shows to get exposure for the product.

"We discovered as our Wholeaves® grew in popularity and Jim and I were on the road promoting it that people didn't understand what Mills Distributing was," Dave Mills said. "This name really shows the care and effort we put into the product."

In January, foodservice buyers will see the Wholeaves® products appear under the Mills Family Farms name, Dave Mills said.

On the commodity side, Mills' brands such as Boss, Classy, Sassy and King of Hearts will stay the same. But the company also plans to re-establish its Mills Bros. brand soon, Dave Mills said.

Mills also launched a redesigned Web site to support the name change and give buyers and consumers information about the company. The site is www.millsfamilyfarms.com.

An important part of the family tradition reflected in the name change is the service that Mills and its employees give not only to the agricultural industry but to the community as well, Dave Mills said.

Several Mills family members serve as active members or board members in organizations such as the Rotary Club, Boy Scouts of America, Ag Against Hunger, The National Steinbeck Center, The American Cancer Society Relay for Life and the Hide and Seek foundation.

Basil Mills was one of many in the Salinas produce industry who helped make the 4-month-old agricultural museum addition to the Steinbeck Center a reality. In 2002 he received the Irvine-based Western Growers Association's Award of Honor.

Dave Mills said the new name was good way to start the new year.