Bill Mills, founder of 2M Company in Billings, and longtime philanthropist recently received recognition from United States Senator, Steve Daines, that was read into the Congressional Record. The tribute commemorated Mills’ amazing career in Montana’s water industry, national water leadership and for his worldwide impact through clean, safe water.

Mills has been one of the top water policy leaders in Montana and after 57 years of working in the water industry, he is officially retiring. He founded his water pumping company 2M Co in 1977 and ever since he has been working with water well contractors and pump installers to provide water through “legendary service” to homes, businesses, farms, and ranches across the Western United States.  

An excerpt from Senator Daines’ tribute reads, “Please join me in congratulating Bill on a remarkable career that has positively impacted hundreds of employees, thousands of water industry professionals and helped provide millions of people with clean water around the world.”

Mills’ passion for providing water went far beyond the American borders. In 2006, Mills collaborated with missionary friend, Tom Eggum, to create a division that focuses on clean water in Eggum’s nonprofit, Hope 4 Kids International. That year Water 4 Kids International was established to bring clean, safe water to developing countries around the world.  Since then, Water 4 Kids has positively impacted over 3,000,000 people in Uganda, Nepal, India, Kenya, Rwanda, the Philippines and many more regions. Water 4 Kids is on track to drill it’s 1000th well by the end of the year.

Water 4 Kids International hosts Walk 4 Water events across the nation to raise funds for the communities in need.

Walk 4 Water is a one-day event where participants traverse a four-mile walking trail, which represents the average distance traveled by young children and women to collect water in nations where it is not easily accessible.

Hope 4 Kids International is committed to helping children around the world that are suffering from extreme poverty through Dignity, Health, Joy, and Love. Besides drilling water wells, Hope 4 Kids restores hope to poverty-stricken villages through community development projects and educating thousands of orphaned and vulnerable children to escape the grips of extreme poverty.

“Bill is a great friend, partner and philanthropist and we are so grateful to have his leadership in making Water 4 Kids International as it is today,” said Tom Eggum, founder of Hope 4 Kids International. “Bill was critical in the creation of Water 4 Kids International and has been supporting the mission ever since. We are excited to host Bill and his daughter next month in Uganda so he can see the tremendous impact he has made first-hand through his resources and direction.”

Mills was a founding partner of 2M Company, a water well wholesale supplier in 1978, with the basic premise that “the customer always comes first”. The company remains headquartered in Billings, but today serves most of western United States in tandem with Western Hydro. 2M has 15 locations in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Texas, New Mexico, Oregon, including four locations in Montana. Western Hydro has 12 locations in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada and Utah.

Company wide, 2M and Western Hydro employ 237 full time people.

To learn more about Water 4 Kids International visit www.w4ki.org and to learn more about Hope 4 Kids International visit www.h4ki.org.