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Cover Feature

Derek & Sherrie Mills
Tri-Copy Office Equipment, Inc.

Zach Mills

Derek, Sherrie, and Zach Mills “We were all in,” said Derek. “There As Tri-Copy grew, so did Zach. He
Derek and Sherrie Mills started Tri- was no option to do anything except learned to crawl and walk parallel to the
Copy Office Equipment in 1999 – just to work. We had three children, home company’s growth. In addition to his early
two months before welcoming their third mortgage, two car payments, and a six- role announcing the daily arrival of the
child, Zach. From day one, Tri-Copy was a month old company with a baby.” UPS driver, young Zach was a bit of a
family effort. Sherrie, a former teacher, left The Mills credit divine guidance. “God tough boss. “Many times, as a little kid, I
education to work alongside Derek. Baby had a hand in it all the way from the fired the receptionist,” he laughed. “We
were good friends but if she made me
Zach came to work with them daily. very beginning.”
mad, I would fake fire her … and then ask
her to come back.”
Zach, now Business Operations
Manager, holds a business degree and
is preparing to take over the company
eventually. “He’s got the degree in general
business,” noted Derek “But he’s also been
in the business since childhood.”
Sherrie acknowledges working with
family comes with challenges. “When it’s
an employee, you tend to be more patient
but when it’s family, you’re quicker to jump
at each other.” But Zach added, there are
more positives than negatives, including
spending time with one another.
Derek said he and Sherrie have moved
from parenting to mentoring, calling it “a
special privilege.”
“It is a fulfilling experience for us to be
actively involved in our succession plan
The Mills Family
with Zach,” Derek said.

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