Small Business Owners in Deer River, Backus Recognized with Awards

TOP IMAGE: Preston and Aimee Osborne, the owners and operators of Lakewood Lodge in Deer River, received the Minnesota’s Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year award. BOTTOM IMAGE: Micah Eveland (far right), president and CEO of Scamp Trailers in Backus, was recognized as the Minnesota Small Business Person of the Year.

This week is known as National Small Business Week, and to celebrate the occasion, the Minnesota District Office of the Small Business Administration, or SBA, recognized two businesses in the Lakeland viewing area.

The awards are given annually to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and small business supporters across the nation.

The first award, presented Tuesday at Lakewood Lodge in Deer River, was for Minnesota’s Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year.

“It’s a great way to recognize small businesses,” stated Brian McDonald, SBA Minnesota District Director. “They’re the job creators in our communities. They create two out of three new jobs. They employ about 50% of the workforce in Minnesota, so it’s really important to recognize their contributions to keep our communities livable and vibrant, and they’re taking risks and creating jobs in our communities.

“It really shows, you know, all the hard work that these organizations put into helping us make this dream come true for us,” said Preston Osborne, who owns and operates Lakewood Lodge with his wife Aimee.

“[We’re] just really thankful for the community and for all the support we have gotten over the years,” added Aimee.

The SBA presented another award on Wednesday, where Micah Eveland, the President and CEO of Scamp Trailers in Backus, was recognized as the Minnesota Small Business Person of the Year.

Eveland has been the CEO and president of Scamp Trailers for seven years. The business manufactures and sells fiberglass travel trailers that are popular not only around the nation but worldwide. Eveland says his commitment to maintaining the high standards of Scamp Trailers and growing the company has helped him earn recognition from the SBA as the Minnesota Small Business Person of the Year.

“Every day, my goal is to create the best products possible, to give employees the best experience possible while working here,” said Eveland. “If we can achieve those two things, we’re going to be tough to beat.”

The SBA says small businesses hire two out of three new employees in the workforce and employ half the nation’s workers. Getting an inside look into the facility for Scamp Trailers showed how much time, effort, care and attention to detail go into making their products, according to McDonald.

“It’s so amazing to be here today just to see, and the pride in making something American made that people are coming from around the country to purchase,” he said. “It’s a recognized brand and there’s pride on the faces of the employees. This is supporting their families, their communities. And it’s not just about the number of jobs, but also from Micah, the quality of the jobs.”

As President and CEO, Eveland was honored to receive the award, but he shifted the focus onto the employees of Scamp Trailers, as he says it wouldn’t have been possible to receive it without their dedication and hard work.

“You’re only as strong as the people that work for you. You’re only as strong as your community can serve,” Eveland emphasized. “The stronger our community is, the stronger our people are. Those are better products, those are better working environments, those are better everything.”

The Small Business Administration was started over 70 years ago to help Americans start, build, and grow businesses. The SBA has at least one office in every state and nearly 1000 Small Business Development Centers.

Matthew Freeman contributed to this story.