MillerMahlon Miller, age 83, of Bremen, Indiana, died last week and funeral services were this past weekend.
Aside from being an ordained minister he worked at Holiday Ramber and in 1968, he co-founded Newmar, where he stayed for 35 years.
“Having lived in Nappanee all my life, I knew it was home to many skilled and dedicated men and women,” Miller said, quoted on the company’s website. “Fortunately for me, many of them ended up becoming Newmar employees.”
Miller founded the company with Marvin Newcomer, who had been his sales manager at Holiday Rambler. Their shared goal was to build and sell the best-quality RVs the world had ever seen, the website said, a mission that began with the 1971 Kountry Aire fifth-wheel travel trailer.
“We never designed RVs according to what we thought was best. We built the RVs our dealers asked for, based on what our shared customers were asking for from them,” Miller said.
Newmar was purchased by Winnebago in 2019. President and CEO Michael Happe on Friday issued this statement marking Miller’s passing.
“On behalf of my colleagues at Winnebago Industries, and especially the team at Newmar, we mourn the passing of Mahlon Miller,” Happe wrote. “Mahlon was a devoted family man, a pioneering business leader, community advocate, and icon in the RV industry. His work impacted the lives of so many and his reputation for excellence and craftsmanship is unrivalled.
“Along with so many others in the industry, we are grateful for Mahlon’s entrepreneurial spirit, passion for innovation, and obsession with building high-quality motor coaches. Our team works every day to carry on his legacy in every product we build.
“Our deepest condolences and prayers are with the Miller family during this difficult time.”
To read the full obituary, click here.
For more on the history of Newmar click here.
