CHARLESTON, S.C. – James McMillan, formerly the Lead Precast Designer of Knight’s Companies Precast Division, was recently promoted to the position of Precast Account Manager.
McMillan started at the local concrete company as a plant supervisor in 2020. He worked in this role for four months before shifting to the company’s Precast division. Prior to Knight’s, he already had experience working for his family’s own precast business in South Africa.
Knight’s Companies Vice President of Precast Blake Fulton stated “James has been working extremely hard for six years to make our Precast the best in the Southeast. James is always looking for ways to improve and grow his skillset, which makes him an invaluable addition to our team.”
Originally from South Africa, McMillan moved with his family to the Charleston area when his wife’s job had an opening that required relocation. Arriving in March 2020, he found his work permit delayed for seven months. Once he was able to work at the end of this period, he started at Knight’s.
In his new role as Account Manager, McMillan will be responsible for growing existing customer relationships and expanding precast sales in the Lowcountry.
He attended the University of South Africa in Cape Town and graduated with a degree in Business Administration.
Switching over from South African precast to American precast was a simple change, although McMillan’s family specialized in above-ground construction materials rather than the in-ground ones found all across America.
“My family made bricks, blocks – anything concrete that goes into a house – that’s what we manufactured,” he said. “So, when I first started at Knight’s, I spent several months down at the precast plant getting a better understanding of the product, because this type of precast is all underground like storm drains and sewer systems.”
Moving from one family-run business to another made perfect sense to McMillan, and he soon found himself learning the precast estimating process at Knight’s. When a position opened in the company’s drafting department, he applied and started work as a designer.
He was promoted to Lead Precast Designer in 2022, which afforded him a service area covering all of the Lowcountry up into Myrtle Beach. Through this role, McMillan formed relationships with customers, project managers and sales representatives.
“Understanding the cost of things in the world of precast made the shift to Account Manager that much simpler,” he added. “That helps me know how much of each material is needed for each project whether it’s wood, steel, concrete strength.”
McMillan believes working in the precast industry is a great career choice for anyone looking for a dependable job. Crediting for its continuous growth, he said this mirrors the numerous growth opportunities available for employees in addition to offering a variety of specialized roles that afford job security as well.
When he’s not at work, McMillan enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, watching and playing rugby and traveling around the globe, particularly national parks.
For anyone looking for precast services, he can be reached at jmcmillan@knightscompanies.com. For those interested in a precast career, visit knightscompanies.com.