You don’t have to be the biggest to be the best, says Mark Miller, owner/operator of Miller Mats. His Pittsburgh-based mat-processing company is marking its 30th anniversary this year with a customer list that includes sports stadiums, universities, hospitals…even a nuclear equipment plant. What’s his secret? Bonds of trust between the company and its clients, and the commitment of Miller and his 11-member team to provide them with quality service.

“This is a business built on trust,” Miller says. “Plain and simple. We have no contracts with our customers,” noting that all business is conducted on a “handshake” basis ...