President, Dutch Miller Automotive
Facebook: Chris Miller
Twitter: Chris Miller @dumbhandle
You might know Chris Miller. He stars in Dutch Miller Kia’s infamous commercials that have been generating conversation in Southern West Virginia since they started. But it’s time you really met Chris Miller.
The commercials and everything else about him are a result of Miller’s hard work, ambition, business acumen and self-proclaimed strong-willed nature. Born and raised in Huntington, he is the third generation of Millers to work in car sales, but his initial plan was to break away from the family business. “I wanted to be a ninja growing up. There was really no other logical option.”
“My mom, Carol, was my best buddy growing up. I also drove her crazy,” he says, adding that his mother had to work hard to deal with him, including reading books like “How to Raise a Strong-Willed Child.”
“When I was 3, I was playing in the dirt and came across a chunk of glass the size of a softball. I thought I’d found a diamond. I took it home and presented it to my mother as a gift, and I was so proud! Being the strong-willed boy that I was, when I was mad, I would threaten to take her diamond away, and she would laugh and laugh.”
At the ripe old age of 10, Miller started his professional life so he could earn money to buy a pair of Air Jordans. “When my dad found out they cost $125, he told me to get a job,” he remembers. Miller spent three years waking up at 5:30 a.m. to deliver newspapers. “I did eventually buy those shoes,” he says. “I also learned about the value of money and savings. I opened up my first Roth IRA with that money, and I learned about hard work, discipline, responsibility and how to read people. You’d be surprised how many people try to stiff a 10-year-old kid trying to collect money for newspaper subscriptions.”
When he was 18, Miller felt he wasn’t ready to go to college so he left the U.S. for Brazil on a Rotary Youth Exchange scholarship. “I submerged myself into a culture, learned to take care of myself, learned a language and developed lifelong relationships.”
Now, Miller has set out on a different kind of adventure. In 2003, he eloped to New York with his now-wife, Cassie, and it’s not difficult to trigger Miller to sing his family’s praises. “I’m addicted to my wife. I seriously outkicked my coverage with her. We have been blessed with three fantastic children, and she is an amazing mother.”
Then there’s work: Dutch Miller is one of the most successful Kia dealerships in the country. In 2008, the Barboursville store was hemorrhaging money amidst a national recession, and Miller stood up and took the position to take over the business. “I was younger and hungry and wanted a chance to do something no one else could.” He started by building a fantastic team.
“A business is only as good as the people you surround yourself with,” says Miller. “The most important ingredient to success is the human element. I have been incredibly fortunate to work with some of the best people in the industry.” That includes his father. “My dad’s goal was to teach me to be a good businessman and steward of the community. Everything my dad did for me was a lesson that manifested itself later in life.”
In stewardship, Miller supports the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, Facing Hunger Foodbank, Golden Girls and Dress for Success River Cities, among others. He also serves on the Civil Service Commission and the board for the Huntington Symphony Orchestra, but his perspective on service is humble. “Community service comes from actions, not lists. I believe we all have a social and moral obligation to give back and make our world a better place. When a community’s strong, it’s better for everyone. Being a bystander is not an option.”
What is your favorite…?
Color – Blue
Foods – Raw almond butter, bacon, chicken wings, bison meat, sweet potatoes and my wife’s black bean soup
Cartoon Character – Eric Cartman
Ice Cream – All of it
Animal – Bengal tiger
Book – “Antifragile”
App – Lumosity, The Wall Street Journal, theCHIVE
Midnight Snack – Almond butter
TV Show – “Game of Thrones,” “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” “True Detective” and “Vice”
Movie – “The Last of the Mohicans”
Smell – Bacon
Car – A Kia Optima. Seriously.
Pet – Our dogs Oscar, a Great Dane, and Daisy, a Golden Retriever
Place – Snuggled up on the couch with my wife and children
Written by Amy Arnett
Photography by Tracy Toler on location at I-79 Technology Park
9 Comments
Chris is also an outstanding nephew.and family member. Recently he and Cassie were on a business trip.They took time to visit with Chris’s cousin Marin. Cassie expressed how much she enjoyed watching Chris and Marin sharing lots of stories and love. I love being Chri’s Aunt Suz. I am so grateful that he so generously shares his love and his family
^^^ my aunt is incredibly biased. She is also the best aunti suz ever in history
I will say first that I will not take my Kia anywhere else to be serviced. I bought my car at the Kia dealership in Muncie, Indiana, where I currently live and received very poor service. I insisted on driving it back to my hometown to be checked and was received so well. If your dealership is any direct reflection of the type of person you are, you must be outstanding!
I have a ton of respect for Chris, he supports the community and is a great example of what can happen with hard work and determination! Congrats buddy.
I would like to express my appreciation for the uplifting humorous commercials that Dutch Miller Kia has produced. It seems as though the commercials are aired just at the right time when I need a smile. I can’t help but imagining Chris being a Newscaster (representing a sales pitch) for Kia) who is turning a massive hurricane weather report over to his reporter out in the field who is reporting the massive sales kia is offering by horizontally hanging mid-air with triple digit winds whipping him as he desperately holds on to a pole of a street lamp.
We need a Dutch Vitale commercial for March Madness
My Dad knew Dutch Miller I remember coming with my dad and met your grandfather. My Dad is Lyle Hutchinson. In 60’s he worked at first city auto sells. He was head mechanic. His boss Andy Fowler considered my dad skill and decision most important. He told my dad about the Datsun that he wanted to bring over here He brought 4. Datsun cars ???? and asked my dad to check them over good and what my dad said would be decision to bring more. I believe they were $1900. So u know the rest of story. They were so successful and later became nissans. All my family love your commercials! I’m going to end this by saying. May 2021be a safer place to live and virus will end but we all have to work on it. Sincerely Clarice Hutchinson Romans
I need your help. I bought a Hyundai Elantra about two years ago. It is a good car, runs so smooth,easy on gas. I saw Big Joe on tv having big used car sale. I went to look to try to cut back on my expenses. He put me in a chevy suv, I liked it after I drove it and wanted to trade my car in for the Chevy. A salesman came back quickly and said we can’t get you approved BUT he handed me keys to new Chevy and said I can put you in this. It drove nicely. And before I knew it, I was driving home in new car that cost me $200more a month that the Elantra. Interest was almost 10%. I did go back a few days later and told the salesman and the lady who did paper work that I made a mistake and would love to have my Hyundai back. It was all my fault and no one there. I made an impulsive decision. It usually took me a long time to make any decision especially something expensive. But after my 35 year old son passed away I started making impulsive decisions which made my life harder than it was. My daughter wanted me to sell my house where her brother was sick so much. I found an apt quickly that I loved. I have been on my own almost 25yrs. So now I still have mortgage payment with Ins and taxes etc. also my apt with utilities and now a more expensive car than I had. I’m a retired nurse from VAMC. I know people will read this and probably think I made stupid decision or laugh about me texting this. It doesn’t bother me. And yes I’m going to ask if you could help me. Another payment came out of my checking for dec. there has been no money paid on new Chevy trax. It has been parked behind my apt complex on adams av. Can you help me undo the mistake I made? I’m thanking you in advance for you taking time to read this. Sincerely Clarice Romans
Clarice,
This is a profile written about Chris Miller in West Virginia Executive magazine. You will need to contact Dutch Miller directly for this matter.