Since 1977, Croop has held management positions and won numerous awards at prominent hotels operated by Winegardner & Hammons, one of the country�s leading hotel management and development firms.  For the past three years, he served as general manager of the Holiday Inn Fairlane-Dearborn, a 347-room hotel adjacent to the Ford World Headquarters in suburban Detroit and the largest revenue producing hotel for Winegardner and Hammons.  

Prior to that, he was general manager for nine years of the Radisson Hotel in Lansing, Michigan adjacent to the 100,000 square foot Lansing Convention Center.  While in that position, he served in numerous key community leadership positions, including chairman of the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau, board member of the Capital Regional Airport Authority, member of the Mayor�s Task Force on Hotel Feasibility, and board member of Lansing 2000, an organization focused on the economic revitalization of that city�s downtown business district.

�As a hotelier, I believe not only in serving the community, but being an active part of the community,� says Croop.  �That�s the style I have practiced for myself and for the hotels that I have led  � and it is certainly the style I intend to practice in Franklin.  It is a community that I am very proud and excited to join with my family.�
 

Added Croop, �The Franklin Marriott has an excellent reputation in our industry and the city of Franklin is well respected as a travel destination.  I look forward to working with our team to continue and build upon the hotel�s high standards.  I am most anxious to start building relationships with local leaders for the growth of Franklin�s convention, tourism, and business travel.�

Franklin Marriott Cool Springs 700 Cool Springs Blvd. Franklin, Tennessee

In commenting about the selection of Croop, Noble Investment�s President and Chief Operating Officer Mitesh �Mit� Shah said, �Noble intends to be the best service provider of first class meetings, accommodations, and dining in the Franklin area.  Helping us do exactly that will be Roy Croop, one of the most respected and highly regarded hotel professionals in the country. As a team leader, a trainer, and an astute businessman, Roy is certain to guide the Franklin Marriott and the Cool Springs Conference Center to the highest levels of serving the traveling public and the local community.�  

Croop earned a business degree from West Virginia University with a major in economics. 

Noble Investment, a privately-held company, owns and operates 20 properties throughout the eastern United States, representing about $200 million in assets.  It forecasts 2001 revenues of about $60 million.