Reflections on a summer at Milhaus

Callous. Irresponsible. Scum. Careless. Insensitive. Enemy.

These are all words that I have heard used in reference to real estate developers. Opinions to the point of even “the scum of the earth.” While it is true, there are developers out there that have absolutely one thing on their mind: no matter what the cost, do whatever takes to make money. While making money is the foundation to any successful project, it is not the only factor that plays a part in its success.

As I finish up the last days of my internship, it is easily apparent to me that Milhaus does not fit the stereotypical developer. Don’t get me wrong, the principals of Milhaus are true “go-getters.” Any potential deal that comes across the table is looked at with an attitude of “how can we make this work?” But financials are not the only thing that comes into play.

My experiences with several of their projects made it very clear to me that Milhaus not only thinks, “what can this development do for us,” but “how will this development impact those around it.” Conscientious of those affected by the development, each project seemed to have an underlying goal of strengthening or revitalizing its surrounding neighborhood. This is something that I truly admire.

In my opinion, the most successful development is not the one that makes the most money, but the one that has the greatest positive impact on a community. A community easily forgets a development’s profit, but the effect it had on those around it will be long remembered.

Milhaus’ commitment to providing quality multi-family environments will not be forgotten, certainly not by me. The tools and experience that I have gained this summer are truly invaluable. I can only hope to someday reach the same aptitude for success that I see this company achieving.

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Jacob Dietrich is a Senior at Ball State University majoring in Urban Planning and Development. He recently completed his internship with Milhaus Development and returned to Muncie with new ideas for a better world.