Larry H. Miller
April 26, 1944 - February 20, 2009 |
Larry H. Miller, owner of the Utah Jazz died from complications due to type 2 diabetes Friday, at home, surrounded by his family. He was 64.
Miller,was born in Salt Lake City in 1944. He grew up in the Capitol Hill area and went on to become one of Utah’s most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Miller was the owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, whose primary business is a network of automobile dealerships spanning the Rocky Mountain West. His career in the automotive industry grew from roots in the parts business in both Salt Lake City and Denver before he purchased his first dealership in 1979. Miller entered the sports industry with his purchase of the Utah Jazz in 1985. In 1993, he added to his Sports & Entertainment Group of Companies with the purchase of a Salt Lake independent television station, KJZZ-TV. In 1999, he entered the movie theater and restaurant business, developing the Jordan Commons complex in Sandy, Utah; and in 2001, he agreed to manage the Gateway Theatre complex in downtown Salt Lake City. Miller added to his theater business in the fall of 2004 when he took over the movie complex at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah, and then again with the opening of the Megaplex 13 at the Junction in Ogden, Utah, in the summer of 2007. In March 2003, Miller opened the Zions Bank Basketball Center, a basketball training and practice facility located in Salt Lake City. The main feature of the Center is two full-size NBA courts, totaling 22,200 square feet of court. His commitment to sports in Utah also led him to purchase the Salt Lake Bees (then the Salt Lake Stingers) in February of 2005. The Bees are the AAA-affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Under his leadership, the team quickly rose to the top of the Pacific Coast League, both in standings and overall franchise success. The Bees and Angels recently extended their affiliation through 2012. In April 2005, Miller broke ground on one of his most ambitious projects yet – Miller Motorsports Park (MMP). Located 30 minutes west of Salt Lake City in Tooele County, Utah, MMP is the nation’s longest and widest road-course style racetrack in the United States. Miller’s most visible contribution to Salt Lake City is his privately owned EnergySolutions Arena, which under his supervision, was completed in 1991 in a then-record 15 months and 24 days. He has received awards from Sports Illustrated, and the American Import Auto Dealers Association for his work in the automobile industry. In 1992, Miller was honored by the International Softball Congress when he was inducted into the ISC Hall of Fame as one of the top pitchers in the country. He has also been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Utah, Weber State University, Salt Lake Community College and Utah Valley State College. He was named Utah’s 1997 Master Entrepreneur of the Year and has received numerous other honors from business, civic and non-profit organizations. Source: Utah Jazz
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