Mission Moment: Bob Miller Celebrates 35 Years at Alphapointe

The No. 1 song on the pop music charts in 1986 was Dionne Warwick’s classic “That’s What Friends Are For.”

It’s quite fitting that the song coincides with the year that Bob Miller started his career at Alphapointe. This week marks Miller’s 35-year anniversary of working at Alphapointe. And, in those 35 years, his co-workers are among what he treasures the most.

“I really like being around the people here at Alphapointe,” Miller said. “I’ve made a lot of life-long friends.”

Miller hasn’t just made a number of friends. He’s also made loads of items. So many, in fact, that he’s not even sure how to estimate. Thousands?

“Yeah,” Miller said.

Tens of thousands?

“Hmm… yeah, probably.”

During his 35-year career, Miller has worked in several different Alphapointe departments. In 1986, he started in the Office Products Division, where he made pens and markers. Since then, he’s manufactured dozens of other items. Eventually, he shifted to the Plastics Division, where he currently assembles boxes that contain import items made at Alphapointe for the Department of Defense.

Miller’s career at Alphapointe began after he struggled to find a “good fit” when he was in his early 20s. Miller lost his vision at the age of six after contracted a bad case of Tonsillitis. While sick, he underwent a period of time where he didn’t receive enough oxygen and he developed Retinitis Pigmentosa, which resulted in his vision loss.

Following receiving orientation and mobility training in 1986, Miller’s counselor suggested Alphapointe as a possible destination. And, Miller’s been at Alphapointe ever since. During those 35 years, he got married, raised a daughter and he’s now a proud grandfather. To Miller, those wonderful developments in his life can be traced back to the decision he made to join the Alphapointe team.

“Working at Alphapointe gave me something important to do,” Miller said. “Before coming to Alphapointe, I never really knew what I should do with my career. I had tried several different types of trainings and worked for several different businesses, but Alphapointe was the first place where everything really came together.”

To paraphrase Dionne Warwick, “That’s what friends – like Alphapointe – are for.”