The man who changed the world of industrial fabric welding with his vision and knowledge—Al Miller, founder of Miller Weldmaster (Navarre, Ohio)—passed away April 26 at his home surrounded by family. Miller leaves behind a legacy of building Miller Weldmaster into a global presence in more than 100 countries since he founded the company in 1972.
Miller built the first welding machine in his garage, according to an April 29 press release from the company. He worked hand-in-hand with customers developing and testing welding machines until they met the customer’s needs.
The release noted that Miller once said, “Customers should always be a driving force.” His passion, creativeness and knowledge of different industries helped in forming Miller Weldmaster into all industrial fabric welding solutions. He retired in 2000.
Miller, born in 1928 in Massillon, Ohio, served in both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army. He was a licensed fixed-wing aircraft pilot, and was honored as a Distinguished Citizen in 1998 and as a Lifetime Member of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI).
Miller Weldmaster has created an online tribute to Al Miller.