Putting diverse experience to work for area customers

SEELEY LAKE – From painting to commercial fishing, plumbing to electrical, and construction to excavating, Seeley Lake resident John Mills is putting his diverse experience to work in the area. He started General Building Repairs Handyman Services last spring in the Swan Valley. After moving to Seeley Lake last fall, he is expanding his services to Seeley Lake, Potomac and Ovando with customer satisfaction as his number one priority.

Mills' father was a painter. He learned most of his painting and staining skills from him as a youth. He now has his own prep and painting equipment, including an airless paint sprayer and guns. He prefers outdoor jobs because he loves the outdoors, but can do interior work as long as there is not a lot of furniture to work around. He also learned how to caulk and chink so he can do that as well.

When he was six years old, Mills father took him fishing in the ocean. As a young teen, Mills started charter fishing out of Newport, Oregon. He spent around five years charter fishing in the summers and fell in love with it. He also met a good friend, who was a deck hand with him.

When his friend got into plumbing, Mills would help him whenever he needed a hand. They plumbed motels and homes on Long Beach peninsula.

"He taught me a lot about plumbing," Mills said. "I know what I can do and know my limits."

Mills also helped his brother-in-law who is an electrician on and off while living in Oregon, was a resaw operator for Hampton Lumber Mill in Willamina, Oregon for eight years, ran heavy equipment for an excavating business for three years and did many home improvement projects including building decks and installing flooring.

"I done a little bit of everything and jumped around," Mills said. "I've never been a person that can do one thing and stay in one place. I wanted to learn everything."

Mills moved from Oregon to Great Falls, Montana where he lived for 10 years. In the summers he was a charter boat captain out of Whalers Cove in Juneau, Alaska.

"It was a new experience fishing up there for 10 years," Mills said. "Then when the whole COVID thing hit everything shut down and we couldn't go back. The whole island was shut down."

Ready to move on from charter fishing, the pandemic was a good excuse to shift gears. A co-worker from the lodge in Alaska invited him to move to the Swan Valley. She knew Mills' experience, told him that there were people in Condon that always needed help so there would be plenty of work to keep him busy. He decided to move to the area.

Mills already had the tools he needed to start a handyman business. He became licensed and bonded and opened General Building Repairs in May 2021.

"She started telling her friends and they started telling their friends and before I knew it I was busy all summer," Mills said.

General Building Repairs specializes in painting and staining, exterior and interior. Other services include: caulking and chinking; building decks; fencing; flooring; setting doors and cabinets; installing sinks, bathtubs, toilets and other household fixtures; and miscellaneous home maintenance repairs. While he is not a licensed electrician or plumber, he will work on things to the extent he is able. Mills said about the only thing he will not do is sheetrock or roofing.

Mills typically charges by the hour, however, larger projects will typically be bid by the job. He is happy to provide bids to customers at no cost.

"I can do a little bit of everything," Mills said. "It satisfies me to please someone that likes my work."

For more information or to make an appointment email Mills at captainjcmills@hotmail.com or call 406-899-3641