'The Maverick CEO:' New book charts the life and times of Biomet founder Dane Miller

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com

Dane Miller's first job - baling hay - paid him 50 cents an hour.

That's a long way from what the founder and director of Biomet makes today, but Dr. Miller wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His rise to prominence in the orthopedic business through hard work and perseverance is chronicled in his new biography "The Maverick CEO: Dane Miller and The Story of Biomet" by Patrick Kavanaugh.

Miller plans a special book signing at noon Saturday at The Boathouse Restaurant, Winona Lake. There will be about 1,000 copies on hand for purchase, or they can be ordered online at www.Biometemerge.com Cost is $24.95 per book. Readers also will be able to purchase the book at local bookstores, online at amazon.com or at Biomet.[[In-content Ad]]In Miller's biography, featuring cover artwork by Winona Lake artist Robert Hudson, readers find out a lot of personal information about Miller and his family.

He was born Feb. 7, 1946, in Ohio, to Ersie Emery and Ruth Shumaker Miller. Both his parents were educators, and Dane was one of four children. He and his wife, Mary Louise Schilke, met when they were in the eighth and ninth grades. After graduating high school in 1964, Dane started attending college at the General Motors Institute. On Feb. 22, 1966, after saving $2 out of every paycheck to buy Mary Louise an engagement ring, they were married in a small, family wedding.

In 150 pages, including photographs, forwards and an epilogue, the biography chronicles how, while at the University of Cincinnatti, Miller built a hip-joint simulator on his own. In 1970, he arranged to personally witness the first hip implant ever performed in Cincinnatti. Through observation of others and his own upbringing, he formed his own ideas of how people and employees should be treated.

In December 1972, Dane and his family moved to Warsaw so he could take a job at Zimmer. At 25, Miller was "responsible for the engineering support group in Zimmer's Research and Development Department and was also put in charge of the Wear Testing Lab," the book notes.

Miller moved his family to California in 1976 to take a job at Cutter Biomedical Division, a then-new part of the Bayer Corp. It was right before the move that Miller and his friend Jerry Ferguson discussed starting up their own company. In fall 1977, Biomet was officially incorporated.

The book chronicles the early struggles of the company, how everyone had to scrimp and save and tighten their belts, and the rise of Biomet to global orthopedic prominence.

But in Chapter 11, titled "The Crisis," Kavanaugh's book recounts how Miller was forced out of Biomet as CEO. During this time of upheaval at the business Miller co-founded, several members of his family had medical crisises. One daughter was recovering from one illness, but another daughter's husband developed severe complications from his gallstone surgery. Mary Louise's mother's health was declining rapidly. She later died while Miller was struggling to save his company.

But, as the saying goes, the night is always darkest before the dawn. And in Chapter 12, the book concludes with how Miller was able to get the company back with the help of his loyal friends and employees.

In an interview Wednesday afternoon, Kavanaugh and Miller sat down to talk about the book.

"We've been working on it for two years," said Miller. "Things have changed a lot since we began the book."

He said the process of putting the book together started before "The Crisis."

Each chapter begins with a page of photographs. The first photo is of Dane and Mary Louise in a 2008 photograph by Al Disbro. Underneath that photo is a picture of Times Square in New York City announcing Biomet is listed on NASDAQ. Miller said many of the photographs in the book were taken by Disbro. Other photos include Dane with his family, former U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush and George W. Bush and on various magazine and newspaper covers.

Miller said the forwards were written by three "very interesting people." Indianapolis 500 1992 Rookie of the Year Lyn St. James calls Miller "an outstanding human being. The qualities that make him such a success in his business also make him beloved in his personal life." In the other forward, written by Dr. Floyd D. Loop, chief executive officer of The Cleveland Clinic, and Dr. Bernadine P. Healy, medical editor, U.S. News and World Report, they write, "We have seen many leaders in our time and of all of them, Dane is the ideal chief executive."

"I thought it was a neat story," Kavanaugh said of why he wanted to write the book. "It needed to be out there, especially the last couple of chapters. It's an amazing tale."

"I think Pat's done a terrific job of writing the book," said Miller.

Miller said they tried to be very circumspect with the book. In Chapter 11, names of the persons on the Biomet board of directors who tried to oust Miller are not named, only his supporters.

"He didn't want to wag fingers, even though some people deserved it," said Kavanaugh.

At times, Miller said, putting the book together was very emotional. "It was sorrow, disappointment, never anger. I think the anger was released through my wife," he said.

Kavanaugh said that, while putting the book together, Miller would tell him information and Kavanaugh would get angry.

A few weeks ago, Miller said, he presented the history of Biomet to the management team, including the events of the past two years. After all was said and done, one of the women on the team had tears in her eyes and hugged Miller because she was so moved.

Kavanaugh said many people felt that Miller was treated very unfairly during his ouster. He said there are some strong emotions in the book, especially in the last couple of chapters. Miller said that dark period of his ouster is well chronicled in the book.

One of the most touching things happened after it became known publicly that Miller was trying to buy Biomet back, he said. An employee sent him a musical card. When Miller opened the card, it played Gene Autry's "Back in the Saddle Again."

"It's quite an amazing rags to riches kind of story," Kavanaugh said of Dane's biography.

Miller's work isn't the only thing chronicled in the book. The book starts with his birth, and continues on with his marriage, birth of his two daughters and their families. There's a whole chapter that deals with the Millers' philanthropy.

"I didn't walk out of Harvard with a golden spoon in my mouth," Miller said.

Chapter 10, "Giving Back to the Community," covers many of the charitable organizations and events the Millers have given to financially or with their time. According to the book, the Millers have given to the high school Dane attended in Springfield, Ohio; to the Orthopedic Research and Educational Foundation; partnered with Helps International; given to their alma maters and Grace College, Winona Lake; and have spent nearly $30 million of their own money on Winona Lake's restoration project.

That's a lot of generosity for a man who once worked at an Arby's restaurant because Arby's gave each employee two sandwiches a day. Dane would eat one and take one home to Mary Louise.

The Wall Street Journal is interested in doing a book review, Miller said. He also said it's unlikely there will be a sequel to the book, but "we'll see how it does at bookstores and if people like it."

Asked who should play him in the movie version, Miller said he wished Charleton Heston was still around.

In concluding the interview, Miller said the book reminded him of a saying his aunt used to say. "He who laughs last laughs the loudest," he said. "It's a perfect fitting."

Dane Miller's first job - baling hay - paid him 50 cents an hour.

That's a long way from what the founder and director of Biomet makes today, but Dr. Miller wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His rise to prominence in the orthopedic business through hard work and perseverance is chronicled in his new biography "The Maverick CEO: Dane Miller and The Story of Biomet" by Patrick Kavanaugh.

Miller plans a special book signing at noon Saturday at The Boathouse Restaurant, Winona Lake. There will be about 1,000 copies on hand for purchase, or they can be ordered online at www.Biometemerge.com Cost is $24.95 per book. Readers also will be able to purchase the book at local bookstores, online at amazon.com or at Biomet.[[In-content Ad]]In Miller's biography, featuring cover artwork by Winona Lake artist Robert Hudson, readers find out a lot of personal information about Miller and his family.

He was born Feb. 7, 1946, in Ohio, to Ersie Emery and Ruth Shumaker Miller. Both his parents were educators, and Dane was one of four children. He and his wife, Mary Louise Schilke, met when they were in the eighth and ninth grades. After graduating high school in 1964, Dane started attending college at the General Motors Institute. On Feb. 22, 1966, after saving $2 out of every paycheck to buy Mary Louise an engagement ring, they were married in a small, family wedding.

In 150 pages, including photographs, forwards and an epilogue, the biography chronicles how, while at the University of Cincinnatti, Miller built a hip-joint simulator on his own. In 1970, he arranged to personally witness the first hip implant ever performed in Cincinnatti. Through observation of others and his own upbringing, he formed his own ideas of how people and employees should be treated.

In December 1972, Dane and his family moved to Warsaw so he could take a job at Zimmer. At 25, Miller was "responsible for the engineering support group in Zimmer's Research and Development Department and was also put in charge of the Wear Testing Lab," the book notes.

Miller moved his family to California in 1976 to take a job at Cutter Biomedical Division, a then-new part of the Bayer Corp. It was right before the move that Miller and his friend Jerry Ferguson discussed starting up their own company. In fall 1977, Biomet was officially incorporated.

The book chronicles the early struggles of the company, how everyone had to scrimp and save and tighten their belts, and the rise of Biomet to global orthopedic prominence.

But in Chapter 11, titled "The Crisis," Kavanaugh's book recounts how Miller was forced out of Biomet as CEO. During this time of upheaval at the business Miller co-founded, several members of his family had medical crisises. One daughter was recovering from one illness, but another daughter's husband developed severe complications from his gallstone surgery. Mary Louise's mother's health was declining rapidly. She later died while Miller was struggling to save his company.

But, as the saying goes, the night is always darkest before the dawn. And in Chapter 12, the book concludes with how Miller was able to get the company back with the help of his loyal friends and employees.

In an interview Wednesday afternoon, Kavanaugh and Miller sat down to talk about the book.

"We've been working on it for two years," said Miller. "Things have changed a lot since we began the book."

He said the process of putting the book together started before "The Crisis."

Each chapter begins with a page of photographs. The first photo is of Dane and Mary Louise in a 2008 photograph by Al Disbro. Underneath that photo is a picture of Times Square in New York City announcing Biomet is listed on NASDAQ. Miller said many of the photographs in the book were taken by Disbro. Other photos include Dane with his family, former U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush and George W. Bush and on various magazine and newspaper covers.

Miller said the forwards were written by three "very interesting people." Indianapolis 500 1992 Rookie of the Year Lyn St. James calls Miller "an outstanding human being. The qualities that make him such a success in his business also make him beloved in his personal life." In the other forward, written by Dr. Floyd D. Loop, chief executive officer of The Cleveland Clinic, and Dr. Bernadine P. Healy, medical editor, U.S. News and World Report, they write, "We have seen many leaders in our time and of all of them, Dane is the ideal chief executive."

"I thought it was a neat story," Kavanaugh said of why he wanted to write the book. "It needed to be out there, especially the last couple of chapters. It's an amazing tale."

"I think Pat's done a terrific job of writing the book," said Miller.

Miller said they tried to be very circumspect with the book. In Chapter 11, names of the persons on the Biomet board of directors who tried to oust Miller are not named, only his supporters.

"He didn't want to wag fingers, even though some people deserved it," said Kavanaugh.

At times, Miller said, putting the book together was very emotional. "It was sorrow, disappointment, never anger. I think the anger was released through my wife," he said.

Kavanaugh said that, while putting the book together, Miller would tell him information and Kavanaugh would get angry.

A few weeks ago, Miller said, he presented the history of Biomet to the management team, including the events of the past two years. After all was said and done, one of the women on the team had tears in her eyes and hugged Miller because she was so moved.

Kavanaugh said many people felt that Miller was treated very unfairly during his ouster. He said there are some strong emotions in the book, especially in the last couple of chapters. Miller said that dark period of his ouster is well chronicled in the book.

One of the most touching things happened after it became known publicly that Miller was trying to buy Biomet back, he said. An employee sent him a musical card. When Miller opened the card, it played Gene Autry's "Back in the Saddle Again."

"It's quite an amazing rags to riches kind of story," Kavanaugh said of Dane's biography.

Miller's work isn't the only thing chronicled in the book. The book starts with his birth, and continues on with his marriage, birth of his two daughters and their families. There's a whole chapter that deals with the Millers' philanthropy.

"I didn't walk out of Harvard with a golden spoon in my mouth," Miller said.

Chapter 10, "Giving Back to the Community," covers many of the charitable organizations and events the Millers have given to financially or with their time. According to the book, the Millers have given to the high school Dane attended in Springfield, Ohio; to the Orthopedic Research and Educational Foundation; partnered with Helps International; given to their alma maters and Grace College, Winona Lake; and have spent nearly $30 million of their own money on Winona Lake's restoration project.

That's a lot of generosity for a man who once worked at an Arby's restaurant because Arby's gave each employee two sandwiches a day. Dane would eat one and take one home to Mary Louise.

The Wall Street Journal is interested in doing a book review, Miller said. He also said it's unlikely there will be a sequel to the book, but "we'll see how it does at bookstores and if people like it."

Asked who should play him in the movie version, Miller said he wished Charleton Heston was still around.

In concluding the interview, Miller said the book reminded him of a saying his aunt used to say. "He who laughs last laughs the loudest," he said. "It's a perfect fitting."

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