Barry Owens Joins Treetops Resort as General Manager

GAYLORD, Mich., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Barry Owens, under whose stewardship Garland Resort achieved AAA's highest hospitality rating of any such facility in Michigan, is the new general manager of Treetops Resort.

He will supervise all operations of the year-round resort, bringing stability and experience to a destination resort that offers some of the finest golf in the country.  

Owens spent 24 years at Garland, rising through the ranks to become president of the Lewiston resort. Garland was sold last August and Owens left earlier this year. He was a consultant for Treetops management through the summer and was persuaded by Rick Smith, Treetops' managing partner, and his executive committee to stay on as the permanent general manager.

"I'm really excited," Owens said. "Obviously, I've known of Treetops and Rick Smith from day one and admired the resort from a far and I am excited to be working with Rick and the staff here and I look forward to the opportunity to become part of the Treetops family."

Owens acknowledged that there was some public perception that the resort has been treading water because of various changes in management. He believes that by bringing a fresh approach seasoned by his years at Garland, he can reinvigorate the resort as a year-round attraction.

"We want to put to rest any talk that we might close down for the winter," he said. "We will be fully open with better skiing conditions than ever before."

"Barry brings a wealth of hospitality and management experience to Treetops, and is very familiar with the Northern Michigan market," says Mark Ridenour, a member of Treetops' executive committee.  

Owens' arrival coincides with one if its best fall golf seasons ever, and just in time for the resort's preparation for the upcoming ski season. In addition, Treetops will celebrate its 25th year as Treetops beginning in 2011.

Treetops offers 81 holes of championship golf by famed designers Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Tom Fazio, and Rick Smith, along with the nationally acclaimed Rick Smith Golf Academy, a GOLF Magazine prestigious Top 25 Golf School. In addition, the resort also offers winter skiing on 23 slopes, tubing, as well as a full-service spa, and meeting facilities.

For more information, visit www.treetops.com or call (888) -TREEETOPS.

SOURCE Treetops Resort