The owners of a growing pet services business recently completed construction on a new headquarters building in Scotts Hill, merging two locations into one.

Pawville owners Phil Miller and his wife, Amanda Miller, founded their company by converting a 5,000-square-foot pet store in Citrus County, Florida, into a pet boarding and grooming facility they opened in 2007.

After moving to North Carolina, the couple opened a Pawville in Surf City in 2012, and their business has grown since then to seven locations in North Carolina and South Carolina, with two more in the works.

Miller said he attributes Pawville's success to a number of factors, including putting an emphasis on meeting the needs of discerning pet owners.

"We try to create the best client experience," Phil Miller said.

He said he's also used what he learned while earning an MBA from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, which he said included "understanding the accounting principles the business principles that are needed to speak intelligently with lenders, investors and stakeholders."

The journey toward the Scotts Hill headquarters began with the acquisition of two pet facilities in close proximity to each other at the north end of Wilmington, Phil Miller said.

"In January of 2020, we acquired Porters Neck Pawville (Formerly Trulie Dogs owned by Treesie and Stan Paradis). Given its location in a shopping center, it didn't fit the prototypical Pawville acquisition, but it had a solid retail and grooming operation," he explained in an email. "We purchased it with the intent to find a larger location in the area and merge the two.

"That opportunity presented itself in June of 2021 when we acquired Scotts Hill Pawville (Formerly Pups Play & Stay, owned by Thomas Donatone), which had a solid daycare and boarding operation. Unfortunately, it was in need of a remodel so we weren't able to merge the two right away."

Construction is now complete, he said, and they have moved out of the Porters Neck location to officially consolidate the two under one roof at Scotts Hill Pawville, 10354 U.S. 17.

"Our construction project allowed us to upgrade the boarding and daycare facilities to the Pawville standard while doubling capacity," Phil Miller said. "We now have a large lobby where we can continue selling retail items and our groomers have a modern, updated space that enhances the quality of their work experience. We’re excited to also offer dog training at this location."

The Millers opened Midtown Pawville last year at 3532 Carolina Beach Road, with a 10,500-square-foot facility.

Pawville landed on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. two years in a row, with the business ranking No. 3,602 after recording 143% growth in three years.

Wilmington-area residents aren't the only ones who pamper furry family members. The size of the global pet services industry is expected to reach $50 billion by 2030, according to a 2021 report by ResearchAndMarkets.com.

"The average client standard for services for their pet has elevated over the last 10 years and they’re willing to spend more than ever before to get those higher levels of service or products that they demand for their pet," Phil Miller said. "They’re just increasingly becoming a part of the family. They’re one of the children."