Primm revival – A Las Vegas-based truck-stop company says it wants to run nearly everything at the California-Nevada border’s Primm, from hotels and casinos to stores and a truck stop. But the Primm family’s president says reports of an imminent deal are premature as the area
The Primm sign still sits at the California-Nevada border like a promise that once mattered—an alternate to Las Vegas that could cut a Southern California drive by about 45 minutes. These days, the promise is fraying. Hotels and attractions that used to pull in crowds are shutting down one by one. and the parking lots feel emptier with each deadline.
Now a Las Vegas-based truck-stop company is floating a comeback plan. LV Petroleum’s chief executive. Kris Roach. says he wants to “revive the whole exit. ” taking over and operating the businesses clustered at the border—“everything at the exit. the hotels. the casinos. the truck stop. the stores. pretty much from farm to table. ” Roach told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Roach’s message is simple: he does not want the businesses to go dark.
But the person who controls the story from the family side is not on board with the timeline being reported. Cory Clemetson. president of Primm and grandson of founder Ernie Primm. issued a statement shared with The Times saying that talk of a near-term agreement is being overstated. “Recent reports suggesting that an agreement with any specific potential partner may be imminent are overstated and premature,” Clemetson said.
That tension—between an operator’s public plans and the landowners’ refusal to confirm any deal—comes at a moment when Primm’s closures are already changing daily life for workers and nearby businesses.
LV Petroleum. according to its LinkedIn page. is an active operator of convenience stores and travel centers with more than 80 locations across the United States. In May. Affinity Gaming—currently operating several businesses on behalf of the Primm family—announced plans to close most properties it had been leasing by July 4.
The shutdowns have already reached iconic stops. Whiskey Pete’s, along with companion resorts at Primm, closed in 2024. Buffalo Bill’s, known for a 209-foot-tall roller coaster, ended its operations in 2025. Primm Valley Resorts—the sole operating casino in Primm—remains open until the July deadline.
Other businesses tied to the broader complex are affected too. The Primm Center, the Flying J, and the Primm Lotto Store were listed among the stores impacted by the closure in reporting that cited KSNV NBC Las Vegas.
For LV Petroleum, the stakes are personal and immediate. Roach told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he wants businesses to stay open, saying 344 employees would lose their jobs following the closure. In his list of potential moves, he said he would be reopening Whiskey Pete’s.
Still, the Primm family’s response makes clear how unsettled the path is. Clemetson said the family is considering options with multiple operators rather than coalescing around one partner already. “Our family is currently considering opportunities involving multiple well-established operators that have successfully operated similar hotel-casino properties in Nevada. ” he said. “We will continue to explore all viable options as we work toward the best possible solution especially for the hundreds of Primm employees and their families dealing with this difficult situation.”.
Primm’s current predicament did not arrive overnight. The border town—an alternative for Southern Californians who wanted to get away without the full Las Vegas drive—declined in tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic. Competition also intensified as tribal casinos expanded in California.
What began in the 1950s has now run into a familiar problem: when the appeal fades and major attractions close. the uncertainty hits people first. Roach’s pitch is about keeping businesses alive. Clemetson’s pushback is about controlling the pace of the decision—especially when hundreds of employees and families are waiting for what comes next.
Primm’s modern story began in the 1950s, when Ernie Primm established a motel and a coffee shop at the state-border location. In the 1970s, Ernie and his son Gary expanded to build Whiskey Pete’s. The area was renamed Primm in 1996 after Ernie’s death.
Today, the question is whether the next chapter can be written before the doors close for good. Roach has said he wants to bring the whole exit back to life. Clemetson says the deal talk is moving faster than the family is comfortable confirming.
Primm LV Petroleum Kris Roach Cory Clemetson Whiskey Pete’s Buffalo Bill’s Primm Valley Resorts Affinity Gaming July 4 closures California-Nevada border
So they want to bring back the casino/hotel stuff but the family is saying not yet? Sounds like hype.
Primm should’ve never let it die. I’m betting the “revival” is just them trying to scare everyone into selling or signing leases. If they can run a truck stop, why not the rest too?
Wait, why is this even news? Like, hotels shut down because nobody wants to go there, right? And then some LV Petroleum guy shows up saying revive the whole exit… but the Primm family president is like “premature.” Sounds like politics or lawsuits or something.
The Primm sign is still there like a promise but nah everyone’s leaving. I saw on TikTok (don’t ask) that they already had a deal, so this “overstated” thing is confusing. Also 45 minutes off the SoCal drive?? That’s huge, unless traffic got worse or people stopped trusting the place. Either way, if hotels/casinos are “going dark” then just say that and stop with the vague “farm to table” quote.