Sandy Miller, the former president, CEO, and chairman of Budget Group, president and CEO of Team Rental Group, and CEO of Carey International, passed away on Aug. 26 at his home in Ormond Beach, Florida. He was 72 years old.

Miller, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and respected business leader, passed away surrounded by his family, according to his obituary provided by Lohman Funeral Homes in Ormond Beach.

The obituary states:

Born on March 6, 1953, in Syracuse, New York, Sandy was the youngest of three sons of Esther and Morris Miller. From a young age, he demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit, a tireless work ethic, and a gift for connecting with people – qualities that would define his remarkable life and career. He attended Central Technical High School before enrolling at the State University of New York at Oswego in 1971, where he met his future wife and love of his life, Mary. The couple married in 1979.

Thanks to Mary, Sandy began his career in the car rental industry in 1976 as a management trainee at Avis Car Rental in Providence, Rhode Island. What would be a lifelong journey in the car rental business continued in 1980, when Sandy purchased the Budget Rent-A-Car franchise in Daytona Beach, Florida. In 1987, Sandy co-founded TEAM Rental Group, which he led as Chairman and CEO. In 1994, Team Rental Group raised $31 million in an initial public offering on the NASDAQ exchange. 

By 1996, when Ford Motor Company decided to divest itself of Budget Rent-A-Car Corporation, Team Rental Group accounted for nearly 20% of the Budget Rent-A-Car System’s total revenue and was uniquely positioned to acquire the entire company, which it successfully did in 1997. By 1998, TEAM Rental, which was known as Budget Group, was listed on the NYSE, generated annual revenues of more than $2 billion, and operated a fleet of more than 300,000 vehicles.

Throughout the years following his tenure with Budget Group, Sandy’s leadership in the travel/transportation industry included involvement with companies such as: U-Save Car and Truck Rental, Franchise Services of North America, Carey International, Europcar Groupe, and Advantage Rent a Car.

Sandy’s entrepreneurial vigor extended beyond car rental, however. He co-founded three community banks (Tomoka State Bank, Peninsula Bank, and Gateway Bank), all of which would grow to be significant players in the region and successfully be sold to larger banks looking for a strong foothold in the Central Florida market.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Sandy will be remembered for his generosity, warmth, and deep devotion to his family and community. He was much more than a respected businessman. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. His warmth, generosity, and sharp sense of humor filled every room he entered. He had a gift for making people feel welcome, whether they were lifelong friends, business colleagues, or someone he’d just met. His many passions included boating, playing tennis, golfing, collecting classic cars, and drinking a cold beer or glass of Prosecco. He will be missed tremendously.

Sandy Miller is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Mary; his children, Daniel (Erin), Meghan, Sarah, and Kevin; his brother David Miller (Ruth Ann); his grandchildren, Grayson and Quinn; sisters-in-law Barbara Sue Miller and Kathleen Fischer; and many extended family members, including many nieces and nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews, as well as dear friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Morris Miller; mother, Esther Miller; and brother, Melvin Miller.

“Sandy was forever a part of Budget history, starting in the 1970s as a field operations employee, to a single-location Budget franchisee, to the largest Budget franchisee in the system, and then to being one of the owners of the entire Budget system as a publicly traded company,” said attorney Bob Aprati, an industry colleague and friend, in an email to Auto Rental News. “What a successful journey. I was lucky enough to be there to watch it unfold over the years and be a small part of it. On a more personal note, Sandy and I grew up together in the Budget system.  We shared many stories about our kids, our wives, and our families. I am blessed to have known him over the years and fortunate to have shared part of my life with him, and to have had him share part of his life with me.”

A service to celebrate Sandy’s life was held on Aug. 29 at Temple Beth El in Ormond Beach, followed by interment at Daytona Memorial Park in Daytona Beach. Donations can be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association or Temple Beth El of Ormond Beach.