"It's Time to Give Back," Says Gerry Roth '80 of Plans to Revitalize Hometown Businesses

August 24, 2007

August 24, 2007, Greencastle, Ind. - "I want the community to know there's a commitment to bring this place back to what it was," says Gerry Roth, the new owner of the Best Value Inn and Friends restaurant and nightclub in La Porte, Indiana. Roth, a 1980 graduate of DePauw University, grew up in La Porte and as a teenager was a busboy at the restaurant he now owns. A story in the Herald-Argus details Roth's purchase and his plans for a $3 million renovation of the properties.

Roth, a developer who lives in Indianapolis, and his partner, the Worthington Group, will take control of the businesses Monday. "While he will continue to live in Indianapolis, Roth said he plans to be back often and wants to be involved with the local business community, ending a string of out-of-town owners with no personal interest," writes Derek Smith. "He even bought a boat this summer that he plans to keep on Pine Lake. The most important part of the project, he said, is bringing the hotel back to the community."

Roth, an economics major at DePauw, tells the newspaper, "I've reached a level of success in my life that now I feel like it's time to give back."

Access the complete article at the Herald-Argus' Web site.

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