T. M. Klein & Sons – Best Small Business!
June 30, 2009
T.M. Klein & Sons, located in
Saginaw County, MI, USA, recently received the Best Small Business – Main
Street USA Award from the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development
Center (SBTDC) statewide network. The Region 5 SBTDC, located at Delta
College, nominated the agri-business.
The award was presented at the Michigan Celebrates Small
Business, the State's premier awards event
celebrating small business excellence and the importance of small business
success to Michigan’s economy.
The awards
presentation included the
Michigan 50 Companies to Watch,
Innovation Award, Main Street USA and Government Contracting Award.
“Every year this
event gains momentum, and this year is no different,” says Carol Lopucki –
State Director of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development
Center. “The event offers an opportunity to put a spotlight on over 60 small
businesses that have helped work to propel Michigan’s economy in 2008. Now
in its fifth year, we are ecstatic to bring into the spotlight yet another
great Michigan 50 Companies to Watch and other small business awards.”
T.M. Klein & Sons is a honey producer and
specialty jar distributor located at 11785 Wahl Rd. in Swan Creek Township.
The company has been experiencing considerable growth in its glass
distribution business and honey production.
The Michigan
Small Business & Technology Development Center statewide network consists of
12 regions. Each region internally nominates a small business they have been
assisting, for a minimum of one year. These 12 nominations are then be
submitted to a panel for further review; one of the 12 is honored at the
statewide level.
Established in 1976, T.M. Klein began when
the family purchased its first hive of honeybees to pollinate
the family garden and fruit trees. The business has grown to
approximately 950 colonies of bees.
All of T.M. Klein apiaries (bee-yards)
consist of 10 to 30 colonies and are dispersed throughout Mid-Michigan in
order to pollinate plants. Each apiary is checked on and maintained once
every two weeks in summer, followed by harvesting the honey in August. Each
jar is filled, capped, labeled and inspected by hand. T.M. Klein also
distributes a wide variety of specialized jars and containers for small to
large wholesale accounts. The "E" friendly company uses all recyclable or
reusable glass and plastics.
The Region 5
SBTDC and Saginaw Future Inc. have worked with T.M. Klein over the years. In
2008, the company purchased new equipment, erected a new building and
created four new jobs.
For more details
on Michigan Celebrates Small Business event, go to
www.michigancelebrates.biz
