Miller and Company.

Not for Sale...at any price.

The bottom line is you can't buy a commitment. You can't procure vendor loyalty or a process for cooperative continuous improvement. At Miller and Company, SBS partnership is priceless. And invaluable.

SBS--Strategic Business Support--is a new relationship that provides the highest level of service in the industry and focuses all of Miller's internal resources on its clients' continuous improvement. In return, customers make a commitment to Call Miller First. They make a commitment to a mutually beneficial partnership where they receive complete support from Miller and Company.

Partnering Presents New Opportunities

Partnerships are the future in successful business relationships...they are the '90s answer to more traditional customer service orientations. Miller's innovation is not a simple alteration in an existing relationship. The SBS partnership is the dedication to servicing the customer. Coupled with this dedication is the true innovation--SBS presents tangible benefits that are not only customer-focused, they have no discriminatory limitations based on foundry size. In essence, these benefits provide tailored support when and where each SBS partner finds his individual needs.

"We've established the SBS Partnership based on the integrity that should remain inherent in all true partnerships," explained Peter Goodwin, Miller and Company president. "Our goal was to alter the vendor-customer relationship by openly establishing a mutually beneficial partnership based on a commitment."

Identifying Solutions To Match Customer Needs

During a corporatewide restructuring, Miller evaluated its internal resources against its customers' needs and formulated a partnership approach to customer support and service based on fulfilling these needs. The results? A portfolio of tangible benefits that provide real solutions for committed SBS partners.

Far and away, regardless of the size of each individual foundry, immediate, responsive customer support was paramount. Today, Miller has an established Market Center. This centralized Market Center is designed to provide timely, accurate assistance with product information, best value pricing and guaranteed product delivery. The Center is staffed with product-trained sales coordinators who work in tandem with their sales force to provide SBS customers with the most complete service possible.

"The Market Center is at the heart of our partnership structure," explained Goodwin. "From this focal point, we've structured the tangible benefits to target our SBS partners' most driving needs."

Added Goodwin, "The challenges in today's business environment present added pressures when facing customer issues. We felt it was time to address these needs by working together. The more we can contribute to the improvement process, the better the customer-vendor relationship...the partnership."

To best serve customer partners, the company provides ongoing product education to all internal team members. The education process is also extended to SBS partners--each partner receives a subscription to From the Market Center. A monthly publication, this newsletter features product insights, economic trends and other valuable market trends and news. In addition, partners receive a subscription to Tech Talk, a publication featuring information on metallurgy as well as new developments and scrap reduction subjects. Other, more specific technical assistance is available to partners by calling 1-800-TECHLINE. And, of course, neither the publications nor the technical assistance are for sale at any price.

The invaluable benefits supporting the SBS partnership expand on a customer's level of commitment. Within the structure of the SBS program, is a higher partnership level called SBS Plus. Members at this level are encouraged to take advantage of the multiple SBS benefits, and, in addition, are offered new business advantages.

SBS Plus Partners have access to the Fly-Away Team. This team of professionals is backed by an impressive level of combined industry expertise and experience. If a customer experiences a new problem in the casting process and Miller can't help with a telephone conference, they'll be there within 48 hours. In addition to the on-site technical support, SBS Plus members are urged to take advantage of Miller's on-site training program.

A Partnership for Progress

"Since its adaptation last year, the response to SBS has been overwhelming," said Goodwin. "The partnership is not limited by customer size--a customer is a customer. Today, our goal is to not only continue enhancing our tangible benefits based on customer needs, it's also to increase the added-value awareness of a successful, working partnership. We're in an age of business where price is only one part of the equation."

The SBS relationship is a partnership for progress--a win-win structure focused on delivering the highest level of service in the industry and finding solutions to meet specific customer needs. And you guessed it...it's not for sale at any price.

Miller and Company, 6400 Shafer Ct. #500, Rosemont, Illinois, 60018; 708/696-2400, 800/621-1667; fax [phone].