Mid-Michigan Company Receives Best Small Business Main Street USA Award

Michigan Celebrates Small Business

June 30, 2009
By: MyBayCity Staff

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

MyTriCityNews.com congratulates T.M. Klein for their dedication to Mid-Michigan!