AVALON, N.J.—John Millar, owner and founder of Avalon Carpet Tile & Flooring, one of the largest floor covering retailers in the country, died March 16 from complications following open heart surgery. He was 70.

Born in Philadelphia, Millar founded Avalon in 1958. The company has since grown to become the nation’s 6th largest floor covering retailer with 14 locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware and has over 350 employees.

Millar was a visionary in the industry, always striving for a higher standard of excellence. Among the many national awards he received, the Karastan Dealer of the Year and Mohawk Dealer of the Year were his most recent accolades. The awards singled out the company for its extraordinary customer service, employee training and leadership within the industry and community.

“John Millar was an extremely motivated and driven entrepreneur who created some of the most successful flooring stores in the country and was one of the finest gentlemen in our industry,” said Kim Holm, president of Residential Business for Mannington Mills. “He was a valued, longtime business partner and a close friend. All of us at Mannington will truly miss him, and our thoughts and prayers are with John’s family and the associates at Avalon.”

As Manny Llerena, vice president of retail sales for Mohawk Industries said, “John was an industry peer, a long-time member of our Mohawk Floorscapes Advisory Board and, most importantly, a close friend. I consider John one of the most knowledgeable retail floor covering minds who clearly understood all sides of the business; the retailers, the manufacturers and, most importantly, the consumers.

“John was known as a tough negotiator,” he added, “however, when he asked for something it brought about sales results. This was clearly evident with the amazing success he had in bringing Avalon to becoming the premier retailer with close to $100 million in sales annually.
“Outside of work, John was a giant amongst men. He was the first to take on a charitable cause. He would always have time to listen to anyone wanting his help for the betterment of others. And you always knew that John Millar was prepared to help you personally if the need would arise. His employees loved him and respected him. I will miss John Millar a lot. I will think of him often. And I will strive to be a better person because of him.”

During the 1970s and 1980s, Millar developed another branch of the company (Avalon Commercial Corp.) and also started a marble and granite fabricating company (Avalon Marble). These companies performed work in nearly all the Atlantic City casinos, as well the Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia and the official residence of the New Jersey Governor (Drumthwacket).
While floor covering was always at the core, Millar also created a vibrant real estate development business in Cape May and Atlantic County. He was responsible for the several admired developments such as Fisher Woods, Fisher Greens as well as single-family homes in Avalon.

Giving back to the community was equally important to him. He was a trustee of the Stockton College Foundation and was instrumental in developing the “Workplace Giving Program” at Avalon Carpet Tile & Flooring, where he would match employee contributions to organizations such as Make A Wish Foundation, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.

In addition to his wife, Mary, Millar is survived by his son, John Jr. of New York, and two sisters, Mary Rieser of Avalon and Margaret Zeiss of Cape May Court House. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his three brothers, William, Robert and Thomas Millar.

Memorials may be made to the Wetlands Institute, 1075 Stone Harbor Boulevard, Stone Harbor, NJ 08247, or the American Heart Association, South Jersey Chapter, 1 Union Street, Suite 301, Robbinsville, NJ 08691. Condolences may be sent to www.radzieta.com.