Family Owned Since 1984
Roy Miller (Founder) started his excavation career in 1977 with a local construction company in Emporia, but even before that he was no stranger to running equipment. Having worked with large machinery in his youth, Roy was a natural at the controls. It did not take long before people knew if you needed an equipment operator in Emporia you asked for Roy. With the construction of Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant in the late 70’s Emporia began to see rapid growth and development, and Roy saw his opportunity to go out on his own. On April 9th, 1984, Roy did just that, and Roy Miller Backhoe, LLC was created.
Starting with only a backhoe, dump truck, and a trencher, Roy got to work. Specializing at the time in underground utilities, foundations, and in ground pools for new and existing homes and businesses, he had his hand in shaping multiple projects across the Emporia community. With the help of his wife, Annette, running the books, Roy was mostly a single man operation for the first 27 years of business. Building a name for quality, reliable work, Roy Miller Backhoe continued to grow its reputation as the most desired excavation contractor in Emporia.
In August of 2011, their son, Jesse, joined the family business. Jesse worked alongside his dad for the next 11 years, helping to grow the business into what it is today with multiple pieces of excavation and transportation equipment in its fleet. Jesse took over ownership of the business in January 2023 with the dream to carry on and expand the family business, and hopes to someday see his son, Beau, carry on that same legacy.