Nominated Business: Harbor Shores Golf Course
Who are the owner(s) and/or principal leadership in this company? Josh Doxtator
Where is it located? Benton Harbor
Nominated by: Kelly Matlow
How many people work at the company you are nominating? 50+
Tell us the story behind the nominated company. What does it do, and what sets them apart from other companies in the region?
Harbor Shores Golf Course is a great example of how a service industry business can operate with a people first philosophy. We have received an award the last few years as being one of the friendliest golf courses in the state of Michigan and that translates to our entire team and not just for our guests. We have a core leadership group that goes above and beyond to practice what it preaches when it comes to having a people first work place philosophy.
In your own words, why do you think this company deserves to be declared to be one of the 20 Best Places to Work in Michigan’s Great Southwest?In my opinion Harbor Shores Golf Course is the best place to work in Southwest Michigan because even though you go in everyday with a job to do, it rarely ever feels like work. Everyday things may be a little different than the other but the one constant that we have is you can count on and rely on every other member of the team to have your back and create the best work place environment possible.
What makes workers proud to say they work there, and keeps them a part of the team?
In my opinion all of our team members are proud to say they work at Harbor Shores Golf Course because they know that we set the standard in the community for service levels and guest satisfaction and still strive to be better everyday.
Let’s pretend you’re writing a review for Google or Indeed. Give us your best recommendation for the nominated company that would make the rest of us wish we worked there, too.
Harbor Shores Golf Course is the best golf course and best place in Michigan to work. Everyday you will come in to a positive environment where everything is meticulously planned out for you by a company that wants only for you to be set up for success. And there is a core management group that will drop anything they have to to ensure your success.
What three key words best describe why this company is a Best Places to Work caliber company?
Teamwork
Family Oriented
Compassionate
As a Best Places to Work company “Super Hero,” what are the two most magical “Super Powers” this company seems to have on a day-to-day basis? (i.e., Ability to read minds, fly, invisibility, etc) And why?
fly, There is always somewhere right where i need them and when I need them.
Ability to read minds, I always have what I need at my disposal to be successful without ever having to ask for it.
Tell us about the leadership of the nominated company and what they do in order to:
A] Keep spirits and motivation high? Everyday our GM goes to every department to make sure all of our team members are in good spirits and to just listen to what everyone has to say about how we can be more successful
B] Keep innovation and fresh ideas advancing? Anytime anyone has an idea about how we can all be more successful, that idea is taken seriously and we discuss how to properly implement those ideas.
C] Keep communications open? With technology there are always open lines of communication but at Harbor Shores Golf Course we have regular meeting and regular conversations to make sure everyone is always on the same page and there is no confusion. Which is great ! I have worked for places in the past that everything is kept so hush hush that more of the team never knew what was going on.
Explain a specific “wow!” moment in this company’s history that is virtually “Hall of Fame” or “Best Practices” worthy, as an example to other companies in the region.
On of my biggest “WOW” moments at Harbor Shores Golf Course was when my wife and I found out we were having a baby and the management threw us a baby shower and sent our baby needs list to all of our members so that they could all show up with something we would need for our future son. And this was all done in surprise.
Best Places to Work have a reputation for not only working hard, but also for playing hard.
A] How does the nominated company honor or reward success? Harbor Shores Golf Course rewards its team members success in several ways but I think the most sagnificant is by closing down the entire golf course 1 day every summer to host an employee golf outing with food and prizes.
B] How does the nominated company socialize as a team? We regularly get together and break bread as a team but we also like to celebrate the holidays and reward our team members with great experiences, food, and prizes.
C] How does the nominated company get involved in community events? Harbor Shores Golf Course gets involved in company events by hosting and funding the events for our team members.
D] How does the nominated company celebrate life? Harbor Shores Celebrates Life by providing a safe fun work environment every day !
What one thing is special about your nominated company that most people in the community have no idea actually happens there, but should be shouted from the rooftops because it’s that cool?
To me, the coolest thing about Harbor Shores Golf Course is how, even though we are a National top 100 golf course, we allow local golf teams to come and use our facilities for free to develop their game.
Give us three employee perks or benefits that you think make the company you have nominated worthy of a Best Places to Work trophy?
Benefit 1: Free Golf
Benefit 2: Flexible Work Schedule that encourages time with your family
Benefit 3: The opportunity to host events that help to give back to our local community
Anything else you’d like to mention about this company, its’ leadership, etc?
Harbor Shores Golf Course is an amazing place to work and not just because it is a beautiful. Our general manager, Josh Doxtator, not only has the best business acumen of any GM around but he legitimately cares about every member of his team. And he proves this everyday with his actions and the positive differences he makes at Harbor Shores Golf Course. Thank you for taking the time to read my submission today and I hope that you consider Harbor Shores Golf Course for your 2025 list of best places to work.
