Paul Bugbee of Bug-Bee Hive Resort, Paynesville, Named 2011 Operator of the Year by MN Resort & Campground Association
Paul Bugbee, owner of Bug-Bee Hive Resort, Paynesville, has been named 2011 “Operator of the Year” by the Minnesota Resort & Campground Association. The announcement was made October 26 during the organization’s Fall Conference at Thumper Pond Resort, Ottertail.
The Bugbee family’s history in the resort business dates back to 1920 when Paul’s grandparents bought 60 acres of land on Lake Koronis in Paynesville. They built their first cottage in 1922. A second cottage was built the next year and Bug-Bee Hive Resort began. Paul was born in Paynesville in 1954, to second-generation resorters Jack and Audrey Bugbee, who ultimately had five children.
Paul graduated from Paynesville High School in 1972, then attended the University of Minnesota Duluth. There, he became active in student government, serving two terms as president of the student body. In his spare time, he volunteered as a mentor through the Boys and Girls Club in Duluth and was heavily involved in helping with the resort on weekends and during the busy summer months.
After college, Paul took a job as a field director for the American Heart Association, then as its director of development for the state. Later, he became development director at St. Benedict’s Center, a senior housing and long-term care facility in St. Cloud. Throughout his professional career, he continued to help out at the resort on weekends.
In 1991, Paul began leasing Bug-Bee Hive from his parents. Paul kept his full-time job until 1995, when he took over the resort full-time. In 2000, he purchased the resort from his parents. Paul began growing the business at the Bug-Bee Hive Resort, building new cottages and winterizing existing ones to build up off-season business.
The Bugbees also operate the King Bee Campground with 70 seasonal sites. In 2005, the Bugbee family purchased the nearby Stone Gate Lodge Resort. In 2007, Bug-Bee Hive entered a new era with the addition of a Lodge and Retreat Center, which houses an indoor pool, meeting space, catering kitchen and two cottage suites. Today the resort boasts 30 rental cottages ranging from one to six bedrooms.
Paul is active in numerous organizations including the Koronis Lake Association, the Paynesville Historical Society, the Paynesville Chamber of Commerce, the Stearns County Shoreline Committee, and many more.
Through his father, Bug-Bee Hive became a member of the Minnesota Resort Association back in 1947 and the history of involvement has continued. Paul has served on the MRCA board of directors for decades, and was president in 2008.
For the book, Resorts of Minnesota by Neil Johnson, Paul was asked about being the only sibling who took an interest in running the resort. He said, “I was the only one crazy enough…Being a resort owner is a chosen lifestyle. When I was gainfully employed, I made twice the money in half the time.” He added, “ I’ve always believed that if you get to do what you love to do, you have achieved success. If you make any money, that’s the bonus.” Paul and his wife, Kella have two children, Natalie and Benjamin.
The Minnesota Resort & Campground Association annually selects a recipient for the prestigious
“Operator of the Year” award. The selection is made by previous recipients and the criteria includes: