VGM Group Inc. founder and CEO Van G. Miller died Sunday, Oct. 18, at his home, apparently as a result of a heart attack.
Miller founded the VGM Group Inc. in 1986 with a focus on helping community-based, independent HME providers drive quality home healthcare.
Miller passed the day after the youngest of his three sons, Christopher, was wed on Saturday, Oct. 17. He also leaves behind Vance, Dax and five grandchildren, as well as Chris Livingston, his significant other of 24 years.
At 67, he had been a key figure in the HME industry, and received numerous awards for business achievement. He was also a philanthropist who focused his giving on local agencies and projects.
VGM named Jim Walsh as chairman of the board, and he will also serve as interim CEO until the full board of directors has the chance to meet in person next month. Jim has been a long-time business partner of Miller and most recently was both president and general counsel of VGM Group Inc.
Focused, Employee-Driven Management
Miller founded VGM and Associates on Sept. 3, 1986; with a focus on community-based, independent HME providers serving as the main drivers of quality home health care. The original buying group for independent home medical equipment providers grew to be member service organization offering a diverse company of business units. VGM is known for its wide range of services that include group purchasing, insurance, education, marketing, insurance contracting, advocacy and analysis.
VGM also has a significant business presence in management of post-acute healthcare, golf, restaurants, orthotics and prosthetics and physical therapy. VGM employs 850 people, the majority of whom work at its headquarters in Waterloo, Iowa, but with significant offices in Dade City, Florida, Atlanta, Kansas City, Phoenix and Toronto.
Known for his easy-going personality, Miller still made phone calls to his 850-plus associates on their birthdays and work anniversaries, delivered caramel apples to everyone at Halloween and was a prominent figure in the booth at VGM’s trade shows. Despite his success, he considered himself to be “one of the associates” and practiced an open door policy in the office.
“I try to stay out of everybody’s way,” Miller recently said. “I look for opportunities for growth, and help make sure communication is company-wide. My ultimate responsibility is to make a decision when there is no clear-cut consensus. The most important thing I do is make sure that the values and camaraderie with our associates stay intact — like they were in the beginning.”
Life Before VGM
Miller was born on July 23, 1948, to Blaine and Verda Bricker Miller. His parents were well-known Orange Township farmers. His first job was selling Watkins products to farm wives out of the trunk of his Ford Mustang, and later he sold pre-need cemetery lots and markets and combine insurance. He also did a tour of duty as an U.S. Army medic in Germany.
Miller has been described as having a vision that often exceeded that of his bosses, and he always noted that he’d been fired three times before starting VGM. Miller twice headed companies that made Inc. Magazine’s list of the 500 fastest growing U.S. companies, was recognized by the American Association for Homecare as a Champion of Homecare.
In 2009, Miller was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa Hall of Fame. In 2014, he was named one of the Upper Midwest EY (Ernst and Young) Entrepreneurs of the Year. This year, the Des Moines Register named VGM the Top Workplace in Iowa among large companies.
In recent years Miller had set in place accommodations for his succession. In 2008, Miller and minority shareholders James E. Walsh Jr., and John Deery Jr., sold 100 percent of the stock of the company to its employees through an employee stock option plan (ESOP). The board of directors will meet today to affirm succession plans.
“Van thought of those who work for the company first, and his community second. His consummate skill in managing talent and making hard decisions was evident to all who know him,” Walsh said. “He frequently acknowledged that his associates are the ones who built the enterprise and that they should benefit from its success through the ESOP.”
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to AAH Stand Up for Homecare.
Visitation is Friday from 3 to 8 p.m. at Parrott and Wood Funeral Service, Waterloo; and funeral is tentatively set Saturday at 11 a.m. at Walnut Ridge Baptist Church, Waterloo.