2014 Minnesota Hospitality Hall of Fame Induction Speech
Bob Spizzo of Breezy Point Resort
Presenter: David Gravdahl
Tonight I’m honored to induct Bob Spizzo into the Minnesota Hospitality Hall of Fame. I’ve
worked with Bob at Breezy Point Resort for nearly 40 years and am happy to see him recognized
by his peers. Bob is a visionary, a builder, a successful business owner, a leader in the industry
and a respected employer.
Bob grew up in Chicago, the son of immigrants. His father was a railroad worker and his mother
worked in a garment sweatshop. In recalling his early life, Bob reflected, “if we didn’t work, we
didn’t eat.” It was from these roots Bob developed a strong work ethic that still finds him on the
job seven days a week.
After an education at Wright College in Chicago, Bob set off for Montana, where he founded a
uranium exploration company, then became a licensed stockbroker and real estate broker in
Colorado. He became involved with brokering properties for a developer on the Sea of Cortez in
Mexico. For five years he lived in Mexico where he got his expertise in land development and
learned about the concept of timeshares in the Mexican resort community.
A new opportunity presented itself in 1977 and Bob moved his family – wife Kay and children
Tom, Marisa and David – from the sunny beaches of Mexico to the sunny/snowy beaches of
Minnesota’s Pelican Lake. He had agreed to a three-year stint assisting a company called
Whitebirch, Inc., in the development of residential acreage of the land surrounding Breezy Point
Resort. His first night at Breezy, it was 20 below. Bob used the bedding from both beds in the
unit to try to get warm enough to sleep.
Bob’s first project was to develop a 750-site deeded campground known as Whitebirch RV &
Camping Resort. Bob worked with Breezy Point Resort’s five owners (who were known as
“Hopkins House Breezy Point”) and soon Bob took ownership of not only Whitebirch, Inc., but
also of the resort.
One of those owners from the Hopkins House Breezy Point was yours truly. I’d started with the
resort in 1968. When Bob took ownership of Breezy Point in 1981, I stayed on as general
manager and I am still here today.
Bob found himself as owner of a resort with an interesting past – back in 1921, Captain Billy
Fawcett, owner of Fawcett Publishing, creator of the Whiz Bang Magazine, purchased 80 acres
of property on Pelican Lake for his summer home. He built a clubhouse, dance hall, golf course
and cabins. Captain Billy Fawcett had connections to the movie industry and soon Breezy Point
Resort was hosting celebrities from the 20s and 30s like Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Myrna
Loy and boxer Jack Dempsey.
Fawcett added a three-story log lodge in 1924, and soon built a log mansion for himself, known
as the Fawcett House, which has been preserved and is listed on the National Register of Historic
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Places. It is still rented for reunions and retreats. Fawcett’s sold the resort in 1945 and it had a
series of owners, including Brownie Cote, whom you may recognize as the early owner of Grand
View Lodge.
One of Bob’s significant contributions to Minnesota was to bring the timeshare concept here.
When he purchased Breezy Point in 1981, he began converting some of the older cabins into
timeshare properties. Bob laughs when he remembers people’s initial thoughts of
timeshares…they thought it had something to do with sharing computers. He realized an
education process was in order and within a year or two people became more familiar with the
concept. It really took off, especially with new construction at the resort. Whitebirch, Inc., has
developed over 240 new timeshare units with over 12,000 owners.
Under Bob's leadership, Breezy Point Resort has added a convention facility that will
accommodate up to 450 people, four restaurants, a recreation center, three indoor swimming
pools, an 18-hole championship golf course, a 120-unit hotel, and recently acquired Deacon's
Lodge, an Arnold Palmer designed golf course nationally recognized by Golf Digest as a top 100
golf course. There’s also the Breezy Belle with public and private cruises on Pelican Lake.
Altogether, we now have 250 rental units at the resort, not counting the timeshares.
Bob also acquired two additional campgrounds. Today Whitebirch, Inc., operates Whitebirch at
Breezy Point with 750 privately owned sites, as well as Mille Lacs Island Resort with 450
seasonal sites in Wahkon and Forest Hills Golf & RV Resort with Izzo's Restaurant and an 18hole championship golf course and a 228-site seasonal campground in Detroit Lakes. That’s a
total of 1,450 campsites operated by Bob.
We’ve recently added a coffee house and our newest venture we’re building is active lifestyle
housing for seniors called Whitebirch Village. Four units are already completed and two more
are under construction. The goal is to develop 52 units in Whitebirch Village. Bob is also looking
at developing a spa at the resort.
Another of Bob’s business ventures is the Breezy Point Ice Arena, located near the entrance to
the resort. The Breezy Point North Stars, a junior hockey team, is based there. All winter long
the ice arena hosts hockey tournaments. In the summer, hundreds of young people settle in for
camps. Campers are housed in a dorm and meals are served in the dining and rec room hall. The
ice arena generates additional business for the resort throughout the year.
Let me give you some perspective on Breezy Point’s business. This year thru September 30 we
have housed over 40,000 guest nights. This includes:
 9,600 golf package guest night
 7,800 meeting guest nights,
 4,000 wedding guest nights
 2,100 family reunion guest nights
 and 2,100 hockey tournament guest nights
 The rest are overnight guests with a 2-night minimum
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Between the timeshares and regular resort business, Breezy Point is the largest resort operation
in Minnesota. With over 800 bedrooms, the timeshares at Breezy can house over 1,600 ownerguests on any given day.
Bob understands the importance of cross selling. For example, the time share owners are
encouraged to book Breezy Point’s wedding facilities for friends and families. And people who
purchased campsites often love the area and build their own houses here. Now they’re looking at
moving into the new active adult housing. It’s a progression for people who started coming to
Breezy Point in the early 1980s.
As CEO of Breezy Point, Bob remains involved in all aspects of the operation and is truly a
hands-on owner. As his son, David, points out, Bob is not above any job on the property…even
filling in for housekeeping when necessary. And housekeeping help has been necessary lots of
time this fall! David also marvels at his father’s powers of observation. He says Bob notices if
even the smallest detail is out of place.
Like many of you, Bob has noticed some changes in the resort and campground business over
the years. People used to take several weeks of vacation at a time and it’s dwindled down to just
days. Minnesota tourism now competes with national destinations like Vegas in a way that didn’t
happen before the days of Sun Country airlines and online booking sites.
Bob’s legacy at Breezy Point is certainly impressive, but if you ask him what he’s most proud of
he’ll quickly say retaining good employees. Breezy Point has about 130 employees during the
winter and more than 600 in the summer. Many are long-time employees – in fact, we have fulltime and full-time seasonal employees with 20, 30 and 40-plus years of service! Bob’s secret?
Treating the staff like family and having no glass ceiling for female executives among all of his
Whitebirch entities.
Bob knows how important the resort is to the Breezy Point community. In 2008, he was named
the Pequot Lakes-Breezy Point Citizen of the year. In true Spizzo form, he credited his staff for
the resort’s success, saying “I just come up with the ideas and they carry them through.” But I
think I speak for the entire staff when I say Bob Spizzo is not only the visionary, director and
cheerleader of Breezy Point Resort; he’s also the heart.
With Bob tonight is his wife, Kay, who is a retired nurse. Also present is his son, David, who
serves as Assistant General Manager and Vice President, and Joyce Bzoskie, president of
Whitebirch, Inc. Some of you may remember that David met his wife, Krista, through the Resort
and Campground Association – she served on its staff several years ago. Not in attendance is his
daughter, Marisa, who is an IT consultant in Minneapolis and his son, Tom, who’s working on a
cure for diabetes. He’s also a proud grandpa to six grandchildren.
Please join me in welcoming Bob Spizzo to the podium for his induction into the Minnesota
Hospitality Hall of Fame…
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