{"id":251434,"date":"2026-08-12T15:36:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T19:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=251434"},"modified":"2026-08-12T15:36:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T19:36:19","slug":"ceo-adam-dejulius-enjoys-the-fast-pace-of-running-miller-foods-a-fourth-generation-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2026\/08\/ceo-adam-dejulius-enjoys-the-fast-pace-of-running-miller-foods-a-fourth-generation-company\/","title":{"rendered":"CEO Adam DeJulius Enjoys the Fast Pace of Running Miller Foods, a Fourth-Generation Company"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adam DeJulius \u201909, MBA \u201820 has only been CEO and President of Miller Foods<\/a> for eight months, but it is a job he\u2019s been preparing for his entire life.<\/p>\n

Miller Foods is a family-owned, fourth-generation business in Avon, Conn., founded in 1950 by his great-grandparents, fondly known as Oma and Pa. DeJulius was immersed in the business from an early age, working alongside his family carving turkeys during the family\u2019s annual pre-Thanksgiving turkey sale.<\/p>\n

Today the business is focused on its flagship natural pet nutrition business, Oma\u2019s Pride<\/a>, while ushering in the next era of growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a fourth-generation leader, I see myself as both a steward and a builder,\u2019\u2019 said DeJulius, a two-time Husky. \u201cMy responsibility isn\u2019t simply to preserve what my family created, but to build upon it while maintaining the values that have guided us for more than 75 years. At the same time, we\u2019re embracing new ideas, investing in people, and pursuing thoughtful, sustainable growth.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

DeJulius will be honored with a \u201840 Under Forty\u2019 award from the Hartford Business Journal<\/em><\/a> at a ceremony in September. The ceremony honors early career leaders who are making an impact in business and their community. DeJulius, who earned his bachelor\u2019s degree in business and technology, with honors, in 2009 and a UConn MBA in 2020, is one of three UConn School of Business alumni to be recognized at the event.<\/p>\n

Working in Varied Industries Gave DeJulius New Perspective<\/h2>\n

DeJulius started his career in insurance and management consulting, seeking the knowledge and skills to become a strong leader. In 2019, he returned to Miller Foods, bringing valuable business experience, a broad perspective, and a new vision for the company\u2019s future. <\/p>\n

He enjoys the diversity of responsibility, fast pace, and diversity of his role.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery decision we make ultimately affects our employees, our customers, and their families,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cThat\u2019s a responsibility I don\u2019t take lightly.\u2019\u2019 <\/p>\n

Even the difficult decisions, such as discontinuing a product that customers have come to rely on, are approached with empathy. \u201cSometimes the right business decision is also the hardest personal decision,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cWe care deeply about our customers, so those conversations matter.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

In partnership with Connecticut Foodshare, the company\u2019s philanthropic non-profit organization, Miller Farms Cares, has provided nearly 300,000 meals to families since 2020. <\/p>\n

Advice for Students: Surround Yourself with Rising Stars<\/h2>\n

In hindsight, DeJulius believes that one of his best career decisions was to explore other fields before returning to Miller Foods.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easy to spend a great deal of time trying to map out the perfect career,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cBut experience comes from doing. Every role teaches you something, if you\u2019re willing to learn. The years I spent outside our family business gave me perspectives I couldn\u2019t have gained any other way.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Students and young alumni should seek mentors and colleagues who inspire and challenge them, he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cSurround yourself with people who have high standards, who are curious, and who make everyone around them better,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cLearn from them; contribute whenever you can. Your career is shaped far more by those relationships than by chasing titles.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

DeJulius, 39, works alongside his brother, Nick, who oversees operations. Together they\u2019ve built a partnership rooted in mutual respect, trust, and complementary strengths.<\/p>\n

\u201cNick\u2019s attention to detail, operational expertise, and commitment to excellence make him an exceptional partner,\u2019\u2019 said DeJulius, whose mother Capri led the company for a decade. \u201cWe each bring different strengths to the table, but we share the same values and the same commitment to doing what\u2019s right. I genuinely believe the business is stronger because we work together.\u2019\u2019 <\/p>\n

Completing the UConn MBA program helped DeJulius sharpen his financial knowledge and strengthen his ability to think strategically. It also helped him develop the discipline required to lead a growing business.<\/p>\n

\u201cBalancing graduate school, work, and family wasn\u2019t easy, but it shaped the leader I am today,\u2019\u2019 he said. <\/p>\n

DeJulius\u2019s wife Kate DeJulius is also a UConn alum, earning a 6th Year Certificate in Educational Leadership at UConn in 2019. She is an assistant principal at Webster Hill Elementary School in West Hartford. The couple, who met as Newington High School students, balance their demanding jobs with raising children Gio, 4, and Luciana, 2. <\/p>\n

The couple often share leadership ideas, and are both committed to helping others grow, developing strong teams, and creating environments where people can excel. \u201cI couldn\u2019t do what I do without her partnership,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DeJulius started his career in insurance and management consulting, seeking the knowledge and skills to become a strong leader. In 2019, he returned to Miller Foods, bringing valuable business experience, a broad perspective, and a new vision for the company\u2019s future. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":251435,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1862],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2105],"class_list":["post-251434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-busn"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 18:11:19","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/121"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251434"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":251436,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251434\/revisions\/251436"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/251435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251434"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=251434"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=251434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}