BREEZY POINT — Bob Spizzo is proud and humble of his business success.

The CEO of Breezy Point Resort does not have designated parking spaces at the Pelican Lake resort his family has owned for 41 years.

He drives an 11 year old car.

He picks up trash at the resort and turns off the lights.

And he doesn’t care about formal titles. In fact, he’s been known to refer to his employees from Jamaica and Mexico as “Uncle Bob.”

“I don’t flaunt my successes. I’d rather share than brag,” Spizzo said. “But I’m proud to see all that we’ve accomplished.”

Note that Spizzo said “we” and not “I”. He attributes his achievements to others. Thanks to his family, his employees, his bankers, and those who believed in him.

In recognition of his long resort career, Spizzo will receive the Business Legacy Award at the Brainerd Lakes Chamber’s Celebration of Excellence on November 17 at Cragun’s Resort.

“Bob Spizzo, developer, visionary and owner of Breezy Point Resort, began his journey in 1977. Bob will develop and sell 3,000 acres of homes around Breezy Point Resort. I joined White Birch as a salesman.

The Chamber of Commerce said, “It was his drive, determination and dedication that gave him the opportunity to move from selling the resort to owning it in 1981.

Spizzo said the award came as a complete surprise.

“I didn’t expect that. I’m very honored,” he said.

Asked to define his legacy during an interview in the Breezy Point Resort conference room, Spizzo said:

His job is everything to him.

“I own four golf courses. I don’t play golf. I own a boat marina. I’ve come to Breezy Point.This is my fun.This is my hobby.This is my life.I love watching things grow,” said Spizzo. “I love coming up with new ideas and saying, ‘Let’s do it.'”

He is grateful to his family for their support, including his wife of 55 years, Kay, and their three children, Tom, Marisa, and David.

“I have a wife who understands that I have to work. That’s my motivation,” Spizzo said. “But for me, it doesn’t work anymore. For me, it’s a new challenge every time I come to the office.”

He is grateful to the amazing team who have supported him through good times and bad, especially those who have been with him over the decades, such as Dave Gravdahl and Joyce Buzowski.

That’s what he’s most proud of.

“I’ve been able to attract loyal, dedicated and honest people who’ve been with me from day one,” Spizzo said. Women are in management positions.”

Among them is Buzoski, president of the resort’s parent company, White Birch, which was set up to sell and develop land around the resort.

Like any business, the resort, which employs 200 people year-round and 700-800 at its peak, has had its rough years with ups and downs. Spizzo said he was always up front with bankers in good times and bad.

“They believed me and still do,” he said.

Nancy Voigt / Echo Journal

Likewise, both good and bad decisions are being made. The point is to make good things rather than bad things.

Challenges include the COVID-19 pandemic and the year interest rates spiked to 18%. A remaining challenge is trying to find employees, especially motivated employees.

The Spizzo family, including Bob, made beds and cleaned toilets at the resort due to a labor shortage.

“Now, if there were no foreign workers, there would be no cooks. No servers. We wouldn’t be here,” he said.

Regarding regrets, Spizzo said:

Spizzo is most motivated when he is told he cannot do something.

“And you have to prove that it’s possible, not just to yourself, but to others,” he said. “I was lucky enough to have visions that saw things that other people had never seen.”

And he is surrounded by support staff.

“I don’t have ‘yes’ people around me,” he said, noting that he seeks different opinions.

A visionary example is Breezy Point Resort’s construction of a hockey rink on County Route 11 that attracts customers year-round.

“And it just changed the overall complexity of the resort, where we are truly a year-round resort,” Spizzo said.

His to-do list includes making a second ice cube at the rink.

Spizzo is also proud that over 10,000 timeshare owners have purchased at Breezy Point Resort. And he promotes active adult housing that was filled using local lakeland workers and is still being built.

Spizzo is enjoying the evolution of Breezy Point Resort.

“As society changes, we have to change with it,” he said, not expecting the resort to employ more than 75 foreign workers.

“They’re actually more expensive to us than the American employees I can’t find,” Spizzo said.

The resort recently paid $1.5 million to build dormitories for its foreign employees.

“We believe that a very important part of Breezy Point’s growth is having the ability to accept foreign students,” he said.

Spizzo has no plans to retire, but now takes half a day off on Sundays, and is proud to work alongside one of his sons.

“I am very lucky. David Spizzo has taken over more and more of my responsibilities, but I have not found a better successor. I grew up,” said Elder Spizzo, noting that when David was nine or 10 years old, he began picking up trash at the resort on Sunday mornings with his father.

Currently, the third generation is participating. At the age of 11, David’s son made money vacuuming at a resort.

Spizzo sees the future for Breezy Point Resort as doing more of what they’re already doing. In addition to the second piece of ice and more active adult housing, Spizzo says he will expand his Cuyuna Regional Medical Center clinic and add rooms/accommodations to accommodate those drawn to the area. I have set a goal.

What makes him happy is seeing other people happy, be it guests, employees, or lenders.

“When they’re happy, I’m doing the right thing,” Spizzo said.

Seeing people on the beach or in the parking lot at the resort or at breakfast in the morning makes him feel better.

He always comes back to “we” not “me”.

“We did it together,” he said. “That’s why I feel so honored and humbled. I’m a very humble person. Thank you.”

He is grateful for good health, a wonderful family, and the Breezy Point community they love.

Spizzo said there are three things in life. looking forward to it. and loved ones.

And he has all three.

• Stewart C. Mills Jr. (2016)
• Ernie Johnson (2017)
• Paul and Lynn Hunt (2018)
• Dutch and Irma Craggan (2019)
• Ron and Al Lindner (2021)
• Bob Spizzo (2022)

Editor Nancy Vogt can be reached at 218-855-5877 or [email protected] Follow her on Facebook and her Twitter at www.twitter.com/@PEJ_Nancy.