NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Stafford’s Hospitality is one of 11 recipients of the Best Small Business award from Michigan Celebrates Small Business.

An awards ceremony will be held during the 19th annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business Gala on Tuesday, May 2 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.

“It's really a recognition of our longevity and our strengths in our communities for what we do,” Stafford’s Chairman Reg Smith said.

Stafford’s owns three hotels in Emmet and Charlevoix counties, as well as restaurants like Stafford’s Pier Restaurant in Harbor Springs and the Weathervane in Charlevoix.

The business started more than 60 years ago when Stafford and Janice Smith opened Stafford’s Bay View Inn at 2011 Woodland Ave. in Petoskey. According to Smith, who is also their son, the couple opened the inn with the intention of building up Northern Michigan’s year-round economy.

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“Their commitment was to the community, to Petoskey and to be here on a year round basis. When they first got into business, a lot of downtown (businesses) followed exactly the Mackinac Island model of Memorial Day to Labor Day and then they shut it down,” Smith said.

“So our history really is, not only one of having a livelihood, but also of helping establish this part of Michigan as a destination for four seasons. That is a commitment that they consciously made when they got married and settled up here and that's a really important commitment that we continue today. We really are trying to be an important part of the identity of Petoskey and our surrounding communities and a pillar in the tourism travel industry.”

During peak season, the company employs as many as 400 full-time and part-time employees. In the off-season, the company still has around 100 to 120 people working for it.

While Stafford’s has seen significant growth since its founding, it is still considered a small business, according to U.S. Census parameters.

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“Small business is the heartbeat of economics in our country,” Smith said. “It doesn't make headlines like the large corporations but small business is by far and away the biggest economic driver and influencer of the way our country works.”

Michigan Celebrates Small Business is part of the Michigan Small Business Development Center, which provides expert consulting to new and existing small businesses in Michigan at no cost. All award recipients are clients of the development center.

Funding for the organization comes from cooperative agreements from a variety of organizations like U.S. Small Business Administration, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Regional Hosts.

“It’s great to see these entrepreneurs get recognized for all the hard work and passion that goes into their businesses,” CEO and Executive State Director J.D. Collins said in a March 15 press release. “The Michigan SBDC’s mission is to help small businesses succeed and this impressive list demonstrates the impact we aim to have with all our clients.”

— Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @Tess_Petoskey.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Stafford's named one of Michigan's best small businesses