This content is sponsored by EagleBank.
It all started with a family-run filling station in Beltsville, Maryland.
Today, Miller Automotive Services is still family-run, but it comprises both a bustling fleet services and commercial fueling business as well as a growing industrial property management company in Prince George鈥檚 County.
From the start, when brothers Carl and Mark Miller realized that there was a need for full-service fleet services easily accessible from Interstate 95, it became clear that a local banking partner was a critical need.
They wanted to create something uncommon in the area and acquiring the right property would require a bank loan, said Carl Miller during 草莓传媒鈥檚 Small Business September 2025.
The purchase of an 7.7-acre property that could support a large fueling depot, repair shop and fleet storage 鈥渨as our first foray into commercial banking,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat was over 20 years ago, and we鈥檝e been working with EagleBank ever since.鈥�
Building a relationship that adapts
views partnering with EagleBank as a smart business strategy because of the Washington, D.C., regional bank鈥檚 commitment to community vitality.
鈥淲ith the larger banks,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a name and a number. But is invested in the community. They鈥檙e financing restaurants and small businesses right here in our community.鈥�
That proved fundamentally important as the Miller family has expanded into industrial property management in and around the Beltsville location of Miller Automotive Services.
鈥淚 never hear the word 鈥榥o鈥� or, 鈥業鈥檝e got to think about it.鈥� It is straightforward because we have a track record,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey do their due diligence too, but you can鈥檛 go running down that road and commit funds without knowing that your bank or your lender is there to help you.鈥�
For EagleBank鈥檚 part, it鈥檚 all part of its 鈥淩elationships FIRST鈥� philosophy 鈥� being flexible, being involved, being responsive, being strong, said Scott Reading, the vice president, commercial and industrial banking relationship manager at who works closely with Miller.
鈥淲e love to be in the community, out doing things and being a part of it and giving back,鈥� Reading said.
Agility matters when making deals happen
As Miller Automotive Services has continued to buy and provide industrial property to businesses in PG county, knowledge and speed have been key success factors in the diversification of the business.
Good properties rarely sit on the market for long, Miller said. 鈥淲hen something does come up, you have to move quickly,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can make a phone call and say, 鈥楬ere鈥檚 what we鈥檙e looking at,鈥� and get an immediate answer.鈥�
EagleBank not only financed the original purchase of the site where Miller Automotive Services is located but also the entire buildout, which includes a fleet repair facility and a commercial fuel depot that features high-speed diesel pumps along with gas and diesel exhaust fluid.
Additionally, as an extension of the Millers’ business plan, via their CAMARK commercial real estate companies, EagleBank has continued to provide funding for various commercial property acquisitions that have further allowed the Millers to 鈥渞epeat success鈥� and in doing so build an impressive industrial real estate portfolio, Reading said
But it鈥檚 not just about each deal, both Miller and Reading said. The pair typically chat at length at least twice a month. That personal connection, in good times and when timelines get tight, cements a bond that outlasts any single transaction, Reading said.
鈥淥ne of the most fun things about my job is getting behind the scenes at the business 鈥� getting in the warehouse, getting my hands dirty, seeing the actual space, learning about what makes you successful,鈥� he said.
Trust creates loyalty in banking partnership
Miller鈥檚 intimate knowledge of the Beltsville鈥檚 real estate market is matched by EagleBank鈥檚 commitment to local entrepreneurs. Jessica Macias Vasquez, vice president, business banking relationship manager at , put it succinctly: 鈥淥ur goal is to be a trusted partner, someone who understands your business, advocates for your needs and supports your long-term goals with the right banking tools and resources.鈥�
The pairing has created long-term loyalty on both sides, Miller said.
鈥淭hey stayed with us, and that鈥檚 one of the reasons why we鈥檝e been so loyal over time. They believed in what our dream was. They believed in what we were going for, and then it happened, and it keeps happening over and over again.鈥�
To learn more about how EagleBank partners with small business, . And to discover more insights for entrepreneurs, startups and SMBs shared during 草莓传媒鈥檚 Small Business September,聽click here.
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