Linden’s Millars moves to Northcliff

After 20 years in Linden, Millars Oriental Rugs of Distinction nearly closed down for good, had it not been for the good heart of owner Meryl Millar and her concern for her employees.

Millars was indeed a landmark on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 6th Street in Linden so when new plans for the building where the store was leasing came to fruition, a plan had to be made.

Owner Meryl Millar said she was shattered when she received the 30-day notice from the landlord.

“I slept on it and realised it was not the end of the world… only the end of Millars,” she said.

But this thought did not last very long. Meryl started to think of the future of her employees if the store closed down.

“They are good people with families to support. How would they find another job in this terrible economy?”

Meryl decided to at least help them become better equipped to find other work. One by one, her three employees got their learner’s licence, and then, their Code 10 driver’s licence.

But the question was still – would Millars close for good?

“Numerous customers begged me not to close and every day I changed my mind a dozen times and more.

“Then I thought of Ben…”

Meryl got to know Ben Nkotsoe when he was only seven years old. He had worked for her since he turned 17. Now in his early 50s, Meryl could not ask him to leave.

So the decision was made.

Millars’ grand opening was on 8 June and many old customers turned up to listen to former manageress Bronwyn Millar, Meryl’s daughter, give an inspired talk on identifying the different types of carpets on the market. Moving with the times, Millars is now stocking machine-made carpets at 50 per cent or less of the cost of their handmade carpets. These are also sourced in Turkey and Iran and are exceptionally beautiful.

The new location at 189 Beyers Naudé Drive has loads of parking overseen by two 24-hour security guards. Carpet cleaning and repair are still offered and the phone number 011 782 9773 remains unchanged.