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Grown Together, Family Style

Agriculture Kings and Brothers Basil and Roger Mills Have Been on the Same Track Since Childhood

Carmel Magazine - Winter 2007
By Brett Wilbur

In December 1941, when Roger Mills was 6 years old, and Basil Mills was 11, the two brothers spent 10 days on their own in their Missouri apartment.

"We bached it," Roger says, grinning. "It's hard to understand now, but times were completely different. We never locked our doors."

With their mother in the hospital after giving birth to their youngest sister, their two older sisters staying in Minnesota with their grandmother, and their father away in the navy, the enterprising brothers not only took care of themselves, but solidified a lifelong bond between them.

"We become very close," Basil says. "I like to joke that I took care of him then, and he takes care of me now."

Today Basil is president and Roger is executive vice president of Mills Family Farms, the Salinas based agricultural company Basil started almost 50 years ago. The two are also partners in many development projects, including Monterra, a 1,750-acres luxurious residential community in Monterey adjacent to Clint Eastwood's Tehama development. One thousand acres of Tehama's land came from a sale from the Mills brothers to Eastwood in the 1990s.

The brothers work together, serve on multiple nonprofit boards together, help raise millions of dollars for charity together, and have homes in the same communities. Roger owns a home in Monterra, but prefers to spend most nights in Salinas at his home in Markham Ranch close to the Mills Family Farms office. The Monterra home serves as a frequent venue for nonprofit fundraising events. The 11-bedroom home also proves convenient when Roger's seven grandchildren want to spend the night.

But what is most apparent in talking to the Mills brothers is a genuine caring for their fellow man and a down-to-earth attitude. Despite their obvious business successes, they talk most fondly of childhood memories like sledding, listening to Cubs games on the radio, and of family closeness developed through five children sharing one bedroom apartments with their parents in towns across the Midwest.

"We were greatly blessed." Basil says. "Our mother was such a positive person. There was no TV then, and for entertainment she would ask us questions from quizzes in the back of magazines. We all did extremely well in school." As children, the Mills family endured multiple moves brought on by a father who always thought "the grass was greener" in a new town.

"Our dad was an itinerant newspaper man," Basil says. "We moved almost every two years."

"He was an eternal optimist," Roger adds, "He kept switching jobs and we'd move if he found something that paid $10 a week more. We didn't know any better. We just assumed everybody moved all the time."

In 1953, Basil finally found a permanent home base in California shortly after serving in the army during the Korean War. While living in Phoenix, he met Walter S. Markham, a produce broker, who owned the 638-acre cattle ranch in Salinas known as Markham Ranch. "He hired me on the spot," Basil says. "He said report to Salinas in 10 days. At that time I'd lived in 20 cities in eight states and two countries. I prayed to the Lord, and said, ‘This is where I'd like to stay and settle down and raise a family.' I was blessed..."

Basil married, eventually had four children, and after only several years in Salinas, was encouraged by others in the agricultural business to start his own marketing company, which soon evolved into a packing and shipping company.

"So many people helped me," Basil says. "We wrote our mission statement in gratitude for all the people that had helped."

After finishing his time in the army and graduating from college, Roger, who originally planned on being a CPA, joined the company in 1960.

"Roger became our first employee," Basil smiles.

In the 1970s, Roger branched out into the real estate business, eventually partnering with Basil on projects such as Corral de Tierra Oaks, Eden Industrial Park in Salinas, Monterra, and most currently, a development in King City.

Both brothers are active in the local community and value hard work and sharing success with others, "We incorporate giving back to the community in a number of ways." Basil says. "We serve on nonprofit boards and make financial contributions as we are able, and at every Monday morning meeting we go over donation requests. We average eight to 18 weekly." Between the two of them, the Mills brothers have donated time and resources to organizations including the Salvation Army Salinas Corps., Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County. United Way Monterey County, the Community Foundation for Monterey County, the National Steinbeck Center, and programs to encourage healthy eating and exercise. "I eat 10-15 servings of fruits and vegetables myself every day," Basil says.

With all their business and community commitments, both men spend a lot of time at the office.

"Roger is a very hard worker." Basil says. "He keeps the company together"

But the hard work is more than a commitment to a family business in an industry that Basil describes as "always challenging" and subject to change; the brothers don't know any other way of being.

"My first job was when I was 10 years old," Basil says. "I was selling magazines [to save up] for a bicycle. I had four part time jobs through high school. Except for a few days between moves I've never been without a job since."

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