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Kermit Miller
Inducted on November 20, 2010
In 1941, Jack Miller's Bar-B-Que Sauce - "the Bar-B-Que Sauce with the Cajun Accent was born." Jack D. Miller developed this now famous Bar-B-Que Sauce in his restaurant called the American Inn in Ville Platte. It has become an iconic symbol of Cajun culture throughout the world.
Kermit W. Miller, the only son, started working in the restaurant at age nine. After graduating from Ville Platte High School in 1964, attending USL and doing a tour of duty in the US Navy during the Vietnam era, Miller returned to work full-time with his father in 1970. The restaurant was closed and the manufacturing of the Bar-B-Que Sauce became the full-time work of the family
After Miller joined his father they moved to a larger facility and increased production and distribution with new cooking, packaging and labeling machinery.
Jack D. Miller died in 1988, and Miller became C.E.O. of the company. He since has developed three new products -- Jack Miller's Cajun Dipping & Cocktail Sauce, Jack Miller's All Purpose Seasoning and Jack Miller's No Salt Seasoning.
In 1977, Miller was named Ville Platte Man of the Year. In 2004, Miller received the Business Person of the Year award and Jack Miller's Food Products received the Business of the Year award. In 2004, Gov. Kathleen Blanco awarded Jack Miller's Food Products the prestigious Lantern Award.
In 1967, Kermit married Sheila Demoruelle Miller. They have three children including Jack, married to Haley Fontenot, with three children named Catherine, Elizabeth and Caden; Christian, married to Regina Fontenot, with two children named Natanael and Brianna; and Monette, married to Jim Miller, with two children named Adam and Helena.
Christian, the third generation of Millers in the business, has joined the company to ensure the continuance of Jack Miller's great food products.
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