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Miller Group founder Leo McArthur dies | Owen Sound Sun Times
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2016/01/12/miller-group-founder-leo-mcarthur-dies
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2/17/2016
Miller Group founder Leo McArthur dies
By Scott Dunn, Sun Times, Owen Sound
Thursday, January 14, 2016 9:52:00 EST PM
Miller Group president and CEO Leo McArthur, standing far left, is given a standing ovation after delivering a speech during
the grand opening ceremonies of the new Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre in this October 2012 file photo. Mr.
McArthur died Monday.
Owen Sound-born Leo McArthur, who rose to prominence as president, CEO and chairman of the board of the multifaceted
Miller Group, died Monday after a long illness.
Funeral details remained to be set Tuesday afternoon, but the family intends Mr. McArthur to be brought to Owen Sound next
Wednesday for people to pay their respects, after services are held in the Greater Toronto area, son Blair McArthur said.
From a humble upbringing in Owen Sound, Mr. McArthur oversaw a group of companies, including roads, waste management
and transportation businesses and which employs more than 4,000 people.
He was proudest of his family, Blair McArthur, a senior vice president in the company, said Tuesday by telephone. And even in
business, it wasn't its size which he prized most.
“His legacy is not building a big business but it's about touching so many different people in so many different ways. And it
wasn't just with his employees. Leo was a major contributor to the local communities where we lived and worked.”
For example, in Owen Sound he and the family-owned company contributed at least $1 million (the exact amount was
undisclosed) to the new Owen Sound YMCA and community recreation centre, which was named in honour of Leo and Helen
McArthur's daughter, Julie McArthur, who died in 2007.
Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy said Mr. McArthur was “one of the if not the most successful businessmen to ever have come
out of the city. As big as his businesses kept getting, his hometown was still Owen Sound and it was still pretty important to
him.”

Miller Group founder Leo McArthur dies | Owen Sound Sun Times
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2016/01/12/miller-group-founder-leo-mcarthur-dies
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2/17/2016
Former Owen Sound Mayor Ruth Lovell Stanners, who worked with and was friends with Mr. McArthur, said “no matter how
successful he was, he never forgot his Owen Sound roots. And I found him to be one of the best ambassadors for this city. He
was an example of perseverance and hard work.”
Said a longtime friend and Miller Group lawyer, Richard Grant: “Leo was one of a kind. He was a force of nature. He belongs to
the ranks of the pre-eminent Canadian entrepreneurs. What Leo did with Miller was increase the size of the enterprise probably
by a factor of 40 or 50.”
It's now one of the largest, privately owned waste management companies in Canada.
Leo McArthur in the late 1990s brought Miller into a consortium with three European companies to build the Fredericton to
Moncton Highway. It's part of the Trans-Canada Highway and was the first major Canadian public-private initiative by the New
Brunswick government.
Now Miller maintains that highway, as it does British Columbia's Sea to Sky Highway, which Miller rebuilt in time for the
Vancouver Winter Olympics. The Miller Group is currently part of a consortium bidding to build a new bridge at the Windsor
border.
Mr. McArthur was a “fiercely private man,” his son said, and for that reason, Blair McArthur declined to discuss whats claimed
his father's life.
He was born to Mary and Archibald McArthur, of 585 15th St. E., land donated for part of St. Mary's High School. His dad
owned a lumber mill in Owen Sound and died in an industrial accident when young Leo was nine years old.
“It was a very loving family but very poor,” his son said. Mr. McArthur was one of eight siblings – three girls and five boys –
William (Timber), Johnny (JF), Ed, Joseph (Jay Dee), Bernice, Theresa, Leo and Louise. All but Louise have died.
Mr. McArthur grew up in Owen Sound in an entrepreneurial family. His brothers -- J.D. had McArthur Tire and the Owen Sound
Greys, Johnny had McArthur Construction and Timber McArthur and his brother-in-law Al Reilly's home decorating business.
Mr. McArthur was the youngest brother.
When a high school official told Mr. McArthur he should drop out of school and get his licence to drive a truck, his brothers were
determined that he get an education. They pulled him out and enrolled him in St. Michael’s, a private, Catholic all-boy's school
in Toronto, his son said.
Mr. McArthur's integrity, hard work and loyalty helped him to succeed, his son said. “He was an incredible entrepreneur who
was actually able to make the transformation from an entrepreneur to running a successful business. It's a very unique
combination of skills.”
“He was the first guy at work, he'd turn the lights on and he was the last guy leaving the building at night, he shut the lights out.
Regardless of whether he was the owner, he treated everybody the same. It was his ability to respect people, respect his
employees, respect his customers and to communicate with them.”
It was common for Mr. McArthur to walk around the shop floor, talking with the mechanics and others there to get the pulse of
what was going on before starting his own work day. He knew most of the 4,000 employees' names and often the names of
their families, his son said.
So proud was he of the Miller Group's image that he kept a billfold full of $20 bills in his car and when he noticed a clean, wellkept
company vehicle, he would reward the driver with a twenty, his son said.
Mr. McArthur, who lived in King City, Ont., is survived by his wife of almost 57 years, Helen, and their children, daughter
Shawneen and son Blair and their families. He also leaves four grandchildren.
While Owen Sound funeral arrangements await confirmation, visitation will take place in Richmond Hill at The Sheraton
Parkway Hotel, 9005 Leslie St., Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. A funeral mass will follow Monday at 11 a.m. at St.
Clare of Assisi Catholic Church, 150 St. Francis Ave. in Woodbridge. A reception will be held after mass.

McArthur seized business opportunity | Owen Sound Sun Times
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2016/01/12/mcarthur-seized-business-opportunity
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2/17/2016
McArthur seized business opportunity
By Scott Dunn, Sun Times, Owen Sound
Tuesday, January 12, 2016 5:53:10 EST PM
Miller Group Owen Sound offices in Owen Sound. (file photo)
The genesis of the Miller Group today traces back to the 1960s and a young Leo McArthur's recognition of a business
opportunity.
Mr. McArthur, who died Monday, was accepted out of university into Imperial Oil's executive trainee program in the 1960s, said
Richard Grant, a Miller Group lawyer and longtime friend, who described Mr. McArthur's career path.
Mr. McArthur did a “stint” selling asphalt cement, the glue which holds asphalt pavement together, to road construction
companies.
That cement was a low value product to Imperial, which was looking for a way to “get rid” of it.
Mr. McArthur met John Carrick, an engineer at Imperial, and both “had entrepreneurial DNA. And the story goes that at some
point in the '60s the two of them were sitting by the side of a road in Northern Ontario, watching one of their customers do a
paving job and they decided they could take on Imperial Oil in selling asphalt cement.”
In 1970, they and a couple of others started McAsphalt Industries Inc. ('M' for McArthur, 'C' for Carrick). They bought surplus
storage tanks from Imperial Oil and put them on property rented from Miller Paving, then a road building company separate
from McAsphalt Industries.
Grant said the company put up a quonset hut and hand-wrote their names on the company's only business card. “And they
literally would wear suits one day to make sales calls and coveralls the next day to manage the tankers and train cars of asphalt
cement coming into the storage facility,” Grant said.
Imperial was supportive but the incumbent seller of asphalt cement told them they'd go broke. That company later went under,
Mr. McArthur would add when telling this story, Grant said.

McArthur seized business opportunity | Owen Sound Sun Times
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2016/01/12/mcarthur-seized-business-opportunity
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2/17/2016
After Miller Paving partner Don Miller died, Mr. McArthur and his partners purchased Miller Paving, which by then was a major
customer of its asphalt cement and a critical company to integrate into McAsphalt's growing enterprise, in 1976.
Grant said aging financier and Miller Paving partner Nelson Davies “took a shine” to McArthur, who asked him for the
opportunity to put the money together to buy the company, which Davies told him was already tentatively sold. But he gave Mr.
McArthur one week to raise the money.
Mr. McArthur then ran Miller Paving and partner John Carrick ran McAsphalt Industries. Carrick died about seven years ago
and McAsphalt is run by his sons, John Jr. and Kelly. The two families remain the sole owners of Miller and McAsphalt and they
remain “extremely close,” Grant said.
Grant said Mr. McArthur increased the size of the enterprise “probably by a factor of 40 or 50” and has established the company
as one of the “significant players” in public-private partnership with large government projects in Canada.
He expanded Miller operations in the '80s through to the 2000s, often when many established family-established road building
firms sold their operations to him, trusting him and appreciating his respect for their individual business cultures, Grant said.
Those incorporated businesses adopted the Miller colours but kept the founding family names.
The company includes waste management services which are provided in Owen Sound and other neighbouring communities,
road building, construction materials and provision of city transit services, including Owen Sound's.

LEO McARTHUR Obituary: LEO McARTHUR’s Obituary by the Toronto Star.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary-print.aspx?n=leo-anthony-mcarthur&pi...
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LEO ANTHONY McARTHUR
LEO ANTHONY McARTHUR Passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family January
11, 2016 after a difficult illness against which he fought tenaciously and courageously. Survived
by his wife Helen, of 56 years, son Blair (Brenda), daughter Shawneen, grandchildren Dylan,
Rachael, Connor and Kylan and sister Louise. Predeceased by his daughter Julie and his
siblings William, Johnny, Ed, Joseph, Bernice and Theresa. Leo will be forever associated with
Miller Paving and McAsphalt Industries. Leo's story is not widely known outside the road building
industry as he was a very private man and because he and his partner, the late John Carrick, did
not believe in public ownership. The Miller and McAsphalt companies remain as they began, family-owned enterprises.
Leo was a giant in the industry and he was among the first rank of the Canadian entrepreneurs of his generation. His
beginnings were modest. The youngest of eight children of Archibald and Mary McArthur of Owen Sound, Leo at nine
years old lost his father to a work accident. With the strong support of his mother, his siblings and the church, he was
educated at St. Michael's College in Toronto and the University of Windsor. He began his career as a management
trainee with Imperial Oil, where he met his future partner, John Carrick. Like all entrepreneurs, he and John were soon
convinced they could do it better and in 1970 left promising careers at Imperial to bet what little they had and all they
could borrow on their new business, McAsphalt industries. McAsphalt began on a shoestring as a supplier of asphalt
cement to the road building industry in competition with Imperial and other major oil companies. In 1976 Leo and John
purchased Miller Paving Limited. Leo took on management of Miller and with it a business new to both himself and his
partner. Over the next forty years, Leo vastly increased Miller's size and reach. Miller and McAsphalt operate across
Canada and out of Atlanta, Georgia in the Southeastern United States. Leo's career was characterized by hard work,
rock solid integrity and above all a passionate commitment to all of Miller's employees. Nothing was more important to
Leo than family and his employees were indeed an integral part of the McArthur family. Community was a cardinal Leo
McArthur value; he believed in sharing his success with the communities in which he carried on business. Among
countless initiatives he supported, Leo would probably point first to the Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre in
Owen Sound, a gift in memory of his daughter. Leo was equally proud of his long support of the York Regional Police.
His many contributions include his roles as a founder and then as a consistent force behind the annual Police
Appreciation Dinner and as a major sponsor of the YRP Community Safety Village. He especially enjoyed attending
Village events involving the programs for school children. Leo was deeply involved in the affairs of his industry and
served as the President of the Ontario Road Builders' Association and as a longtime board member of the Canadian
Construction Association, along with numerous other Board appointments. "Leo and John Carrick will be preparing for a
tour of the celestial highway system. Their transportation will be a 1975 CJ5 Jeep Renegade, Levi Blue Jeans Special
Edition. They will be fueled by crackers, peanut butter, Myers Dark Rum, Coke and White Owl cigars. Improvements to
that highway system will be forthcoming". Those wishing to pay their respects to the family are all welcome at: The
Sheraton Parkway Hotel, 9005 Leslie Street in Richmond Hill (Highway 7 and 404 area) on Saturday, January 16th and
Sunday, January 17th from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, January 18th at 11:00 a.m. at St.
Clare of Assisi Catholic Church, 150 St. Francis Avenue in Woodbridge, Ontario. Visitation and Funeral Mass will also
take place in Owen Sound. Visitation will be on Wednesday, January 20th at the Julie McArthur Recreation Centre, 700
10th Street, from 2:00 to 4:00 and from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be on Thursday, January 21st at 11:00
a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 554 15th Street East. Donations in lieu of flowers; Sandgate Women's Shelter,
Belinda's Place and the Residential Hospice of Grey Bruce Inc. Arrangements entrusted to Marshall Funeral Home in
Richmond Hill.
Funeral Home
Marshall Funeral Home
10366 Yonge Street Richmond Hill, ON L4C 3B8
(905) 884-1062
Published in the Toronto Star from Jan. 14 to Jan. 16, 2016

Leo McArthur, Miller Group CEO, mourned by community leaders, family
http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/6234566-leo-mcarthur-miller-group-ceo-mourned-...
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2/17/2016
Leo McArthur, Miller Group CEO, mourned by community leaders, family
Markham Economist & Sun | Jan 15, 2016
Community leaders were expressing their sadness this week over the death of
businessman and philanthropist Leo McArthur.
The president and CEO of the Miller Group died Monday.
Mr. McArthur co-founded McAsphalt Industries (alongside John Carrick) in
1970 — a firm that continues to flourish in 2016.
Headquartered in Markham, the Miller Group was founded in 1953 and now
has 80 branches and subsidiaries across Canada, employing more than 4,500
employees, and also has a highly successful U.S. operation.
“Markham has been a significant beneficiary of Mr. McArthur’s leadership,
passion and generosity,” Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti said. “The positive
impact of his legacy will be enjoyed by generations to come. On behalf of the
City of Markham, I extend our deepest condolences to his wife Helen, son
Blair, daughter Shawneen, the entire McArthur family and to all employees of the Miller Group.”
“I am saddened to hear of the passing of Mr. McArthur. He was an influential ambassador in our community who will be
greatly missed”, Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Justin Altmann said.
Mr. McArthur’s business success was coupled with his passion for helping to build the community. He was a generous
contributor to the Markham Stouffville Hospital during a critical period of time in its expansion, and to a number of other
community causes such as the United Way, Habitat for Humanity and the York Region Community Safety Village.
He also donated more than $1 million towards the construction of a new community centre in his hometown of Owen Sound
in memory of his late daughter, Julie.
Mr. McArthur was one of the first business people to be recognized by the Character Community Foundation of York Region.
Under his leadership, the Miller Group was named as a winner of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies program and
GTA’s Top Employers for four years in a row.
In 2015 the Miller Group was presented with the Markham Board of Trade Business Employer of Excellence award.
The youngest of eight children of Archibald and Mary McArthur of Owen Sound, Leo at nine years old lost his father to a work
accident.
With the support of his mother, siblings and church, he was educated at St. Michael’s College in Toronto and the University of
Windsor.
He began his career as a management trainee with Imperial Oil, where he met his future business partner, John Carrick with
whom he eventually headed out into the world of entrepreneurship.
Mr. McArthur’s many contributions include his roles as a founder and then as a consistent force behind the annual Police
Appreciation Dinner and as a major sponsor of the YRP Community Safety Village. He especially enjoyed attending Village
events involving programs for school children.
Mr. McArthur’s obituary contains these lines: “Leo and John Carrick will be preparing for a tour of the celestial highway
system. Their transportation will be a 1975 CJ5 Jeep Renegade, Levi Blue Jeans Special Edition. They will be fueled by
crackers, peanut butter, Myers Dark Rum, Coke and White Owl cigars. Improvements to that highway system will be
forthcoming”.

City of Markham - Mayor Frank Scarpitti extends Condolences on the passing of Leo Mc...
https://www.markham.ca/wps/portal/Markham/AboutMarkham/NewsRoom/NewsReleases...
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2/17/2016
Mayor Frank Scarpitti extends Condolences on the passing of Leo
McArthur, President and CEO, Miller Group
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Markham Loses a Great Business Leader and Patron
Markham ~Tuesday, January 12, 2016 ~ It is with profound sadness that we have learned that Markham, and
indeed Canada, lost a great businessman, philanthropist and community builder. Leo McArthur, President and
CEO of the Miller Group passed away on Monday evening, January 11, 2016.
Prior to becoming the Miller Group's President/CEO, he co­founded McAsphalt Industries (alongside John
Carrick) in 1970 ­­ a firm that continues to flourish in 2016. Headquartered in Markham, the Miller Group was
founded in 1953 and now has 80 branches and subsidiaries across Canada, employing over 4500 employees,
and also has a highly successful US operation.
Mr. McArthur’s business success was coupled with his passion for helping to build the community. He was a
generous contributor to the Markham Stouffville Hospital during a critical period of time in its expansion, and
to a number of other community causes such as the United Way, Habitat for Humanity and the York Region
Community Safety Village. He also donated over $1.0 million towards the construction of a new community
centre in his hometown of Owen Sound in memory of his late daughter Julie.
Leo was one of the first business people to be recognized by the Character Community Foundation of York
Region. Under his leadership, the Miller Group was named as a winner of Canada's 50 Best Managed
Companies program and GTA's Top Employers for 8 years in a row. In 2015 the Miller Group was presented
with the Markham Board of Trade Business Employer of Excellence award.
In business through the Miller Group, and personally through philanthropy, Leo McArthur was committed to
excellence and to making a difference through the lives of others. His support of many great community
organizations confirms his belief in the health, safety and well being of communities.
Markham has been a significant beneficiary of Leo McArthur’s leadership, passion and generosity. The positive
impact of his legacy will be enjoyed by generations to come. On behalf of the City of Markham, I extend our
deepest condolences to his wife Helen, son Blair, daughter Shawneen, the entire McArthur family and to all
employees of the Miller Group.
In honour of Leo McArthur the flags have been lowered at the Markham Civic Centre and our works yard on
Miller Avenue.

News Centre
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Popular City Businessman Dies
Tuesday, January 12, 2016 9:30 PM by Matt Villeneuve
Owen Sound mourns the loss of Leo McArthur, a businessman and philanthropist.
There is audio for this story.
click to open MP3 version
or click the play button to listen now.
(Owen Sound) -
The City of Owen Sound is in mourning after reports a popular businessman, Leo McArthur, died
on Monday.
As you may remember, in 2012 Leo donated an estimated $1-million to help construct the Julie
McArthur Regional Rec. Centre in Victoria Park.
The $39-million complex is named for his daughter Julie, who died suddenly in 2007.
Prior to becoming the Miller Group's President/CEO, Leo co-founded McAsphalt Industries,
alongside John Carrick, in 1970 -- a firm that continues to flourish in 2016.
He's considered to be the Scenic City's most successful businessman.
Outside of the business realm, Leo was an active community leader, fundraising for local police
organizations, the York Region Community Safety Village, hospitals, the United Way, Habitat for
Humanity, plus others.
Although Leo lived in King City, he maintained a home in Owen Sound, too.
Mayor Ian Boddy tells Bayshore Broadcasting News "Mr. McArthur was a good-natured and
charitable individual," who contributed to his birthplace.
Leo, his wife Helen and their three children initially owned a home on the St. Mary's Hill.
Boddy says his loss is a major tragedy for Owen Sound -- and he extends his condolences to the
entire McArthur family.
http://www.bayshorebroadcasting.ca/news_item.php?NewsID=81086
2/22/2016