The Rotary Club of LaGrange established the Rotary Business Person of the Year Award to honor a business leader who works in LaGrange, and in 2014 renamed the award in honor of longtime club member Bob Butler.  The recipient does not need to reside in LaGrange and may be retired or semi-retired.  The Vocational Service committee of the Rotary Club is responsible for nominating the recipient.

Vocational Service is one of the five Avenues of Service which are the cornerstone of Rotary.  Rotary was founded in Chicago in 1905 by four businessmen who were looking for others they could trust to do business with.  As Rotary developed, the organization adopted the Four-Way Test by which Rotarians live and conduct their business:

1.Is it the TRUTH?

2.Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3.Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

4.Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Adherence to the Four-Way Test along with years of business leadership in the community, volunteer work and community involvement, and stability and growth in the business community are the criteria for choosing the recipient of this award.

Past Winners

2012  John R. Madden - First National Bank of LaGrange

2013  Ruth Palmer - Palmer Place Restaurant & Biergarten

2014  Robert E. Butler - Allen E. Power Plumbing

2015  Dick & Wayne DeVries - DeVries Groceries
2016  John Rot - Hortons Home Lighting
2017  Joan Smothers - Smothers Realty Group
2018  Tom Cunningham & Steve DeSitter - DeSitter Flooring