‘BIG LOU’ LEFT A BIG MARK

Auto icon Lou LaRiche did far more than sell cars

By Tim Smith

Until slowed by declining health in recent years, Lou LaRiche always made sure he had time to make the rounds at the Chevrolet dealership in Plymouth he helmed for over half a century.

“He used to tell me that when someone comes into the dealership, you should be treating them like they’re coming into your home,” said Scott LaRiche, who recently reminisced about his legendary dad -- affectionately known as ‘Big Lou’ – who passed away June 9 at age 90. “And he went so far as to, every morning when he was here, walk through the dealership, say hello to all the employees, go into the customer waiting area and see if anybody needed a water or a coffee.”

Scott LaRiche, who now is president of Lou LaRiche Chevrolet, tries to stay true to his father’s vision of always being the consummate host and community champion.

“I emulate him every day,” said LaRiche, who has been a salesman and executive with his dad’s dealership since 1996. “Just because what he did was the right way to do it. Take care of people.”

Lou LaRiche’s legacy is strongly felt far beyond the dealership, which opened in 1972 having moved from its original spot near the Main Street railroad tracks – namely, the former Allison Chevrolet, which he purchased in 1971.

Those historic railroad tracks inspired Big Lou to coin the popular jingle “Switch to LaRiche” during those early years in Plymouth.

WINNER, WINNER

The LaRiches and Plymouth are part of a still-blossoming mutual affection society, too, with Lou LaRiche Chevrolet recently winning the community’s Large Business of the Year Award.

“Everybody knew Lou LaRiche, he was a very humble person, very unassuming,” said Wes Graff, president of the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce. “He gave back a lot to everything. He meant a lot to so many groups in our community and all-around metro Detroit.”

Of course, family itself always was first in the elder LaRiche’s heart with the auto business a close second. Lou and Gail LaRiche were married in 1954 and during 60 years together (Gail passed in 2014) they had seven children including Michele, Jacqueline, Scott, John, Jim, Bob and Suzanne.

One of those community links was Plymouth’s Rotary Club, where Rotarian Lou LaRiche famously served chicken barbecue dinners at the organization’s annual fundraiser each September in Kellogg Park– even though he apparently had a personal disdain for chicken.

“When he was very young he worked at a poultry factory,” Scott LaRiche said. “And ever since that time, he has never eaten chicken. He didn’t like the process of what happened with the chickens so he never ate it again.”

STARTING A ‘MIRACLE’

Considering Chevy’s longtime marketing jingle is “baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet,” it is no surprise how important Lou LaRiche was to youth baseball and softball endeavors and especially to the non-profit Miracle League of Plymouth–dedicated to giving kids with disabilities the chance to play organized baseball.

When the concept of bringing a Miracle League facility to town took root more than a decade ago, it was Lou and Gail who stepped up with a financial contribution.

They donated $25,000 to the project before construction on the field began in 2011, and they gifted another $20,000 in 2017 for the addition of a pavilion.

“My mom always had a very soft spot in her heart for anybody with disabilities,” Scott LaRiche recalled. “That obviously affected all of us growing up. We weren’t the ones that teased the kids in a wheelchair, or someone who had a mentally challenged situation.

“When my dad heard about the Miracle League, he went ‘You mean kids with disabilities get to play baseball? We have to find a way to help.’ So that’s when we made the donation to build the field.”

A decade later, visitors to Bilkie Field spend a few hours every summer Saturday morning under the Lou and Gail LaRiche Family Pavilion as they watch the youngsters fulfill their childhood dreams.

“Before there was a league, there was a time when it was just an idea,” Miracle League President Mark Madonna said. “At that point, Lou and Scott and their family were among the first donors. Basically, they’ve been true leaders and supporters ever since.

“There are a lot of other causes they could have given to and they chose this one, in part because it’s baseball and in part because it’s Plymouth.”

TWO-WAY LOYALTY

Lou LaRiche also loved the automobile business and was a mover and shaker in metro Detroit, serving as president of the 1985 Detroit Auto Show. (By the way, Scott LaRiche followed suit in that role by helming the 2015 event at then-Cobo Hall).

Strong two-way loyalty is something that continues to this day.

“We have great-grandfathers that are sending their greatgrandchildren in, because they’ve always done business here,” LaRiche noted. “And that’s one of the things my father was probably proudest of, that longtime customer dedication.

“He used to tell me that when someone comes into the dealership, you should be treating them like they’re coming into your home.”

Louis Henry LaRiche himself grew up immersed in the automobile business as his father owned a Ford dealership in the Italian community in Cleveland.

“He learned early on how important it was to be part of the community,” Scott LaRiche continued.

As Lou LaRiche grew older, coupled with health concerns stemming from the global pandemic, the patriarch rarely came by the dealership in the last couple years of his life.

“He did come in a few times, but we didn’t want him catching Covid,” LaRiche said. “Eventually he did, but he had a very, very mild case…mobility kind of lessened as far as him getting around, but boy, I’ll tell you what, if you said we were going to the dealership his ears would perk up.”

There is no denying that Scott LaRiche and the dealership’s staff plan on keeping Big Lou’s love of community and Chevrolet going strong for many years to come. “We have salespeople that have been here 25 years,” he emphasized. “When you look at the longevity that we have, there’s two reasons. Number one, it’s because of my father and how he took care of our team members.

“And number two, they have an opportunity to make a really nice livelihood by taking care of the wonderful people that come in.”

Lou LaRiche the man is gone. But his legacy and impact remain as much a part of Plymouth’s fabric as they ever have.