Uaw Family Education Center

What Uaw Family Education Center does

The UAW Family Education Center (legally UAW Walter & May Reuther Family Education Center, dba UAW Black Lake Conference Center) is a nonprofit conference, lodging, and recreation resort owned and operated by the United Automobile Workers union on 1,000 heavily wooded acres on the shores of Black Lake in Onaway, Michigan. Founded in 1970 following UAW President Walter Reuther's 1966 vision and built on a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architectural concept using globally sourced materials (Douglas fir beams, Danish furniture, Italian bronze, Swedish lighting, Wisconsin stone), the property integrates underground utilities, a 6-acre five-lagoon water treatment plant designed by Reuther, and an early solar-heated Olympic pool. It spans 228 sleeping rooms (Main Lodge, Old Lodge, Hilltop Lodge, apartments, condos) with capacity for 395 guests, a 300-350 seat lecture hall, 12 classrooms, dining room for 400, campground, and multiple food and beverage venues (Dining Hall, Black Lake Grille, The Inn, Sports Bar).

The center monetizes across six revenue streams: lodging and conference services (nightly room rates $101–$137); golf operations at the 1,100-acre, 18-hole Rees Jones-designed Black Lake Golf Club ($64–$96 per round, plus annual memberships $700–$1,850 across UAW retiree, UAW member, and non-UAW individual/family tiers); food and beverage across four venues; camping ($49–$53/night); retail at the Red Pine Market; and event hosting including weddings, tournaments, and retreats. Distribution is direct: phone bookings, the uawblacklake.com website, the TeeItUp golf platform, and an on-site Event Sales Manager, supplemented by the UAW union chapter referral network for conferences and member retreats. Technology is conventional — the differentiators are the physical asset, the championship golf course (Golf Digest #5 in Michigan, #34 Greatest Public Courses), Audubon International certification, and the labor-history brand tied to Walter and May Reuther.

Name

Uaw Family Education Center

Legal name

UAW Walter & May Reuther Family Education Center

Website

https://www.uawblacklake.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UAW Family Education Center is a nonprofit union-owned conference, lodging, and golf resort on 1,000 acres in Onaway, Michigan, serving UAW members, retirees, their families, and the general public with 228 rooms, championship golf, dining, weddings, and event facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conference Center & Resort

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Kid-Friendly All-Inclusive Resorts (THAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

Keywords

• Conference center services
• Resort lodging accommodations
• Championship golf course
• Wedding and event venues
• Union retreat facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Onaway

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Lodging and Conference Services: Revenue from 228 sleeping rooms across Main Lodge, Old Lodge, Hilltop Lodge, apartments, and condos. Conference facilities with 12 classrooms, 300-350 seat lecture hall, and dining room serving up to 400 guests. Booked directly for retreats, conferences, weddings, and family vacations.
2. Golf Operations: Revenue from green fees (18 and 9 holes with/without cart), twilight rates, annual memberships (individual and family tiers for UAW members, retirees, and non-UAW), cart fees, range balls, and locker/bag rentals. Golf course opened June 2000, designed by Rees Jones.
3. Food and Beverage: Revenue from multiple dining venues: Dining Room (seating 250+), Black Lake Grille (at golf club), The Inn tavern, Sports Bar. Dining hall available for paid conferences and events. Food service positions actively recruited.
4. Camping and Recreation: Revenue from campsite rentals at $49-$53 per day with discounts for UAW members. Additional recreation activities including boat rentals, equipment rental, and sports facilities.
5. Retail - Red Pine Market: Revenue from on-site convenience store offering hand-dipped ice cream, snacks, drinks, gifts, sundries, and UAW Black Lake branded merchandise. Located at the center entrance.
6. Event Hosting and Tournament Fees: Revenue from hosted golf tournaments (Spring Scramble, Senior Scramble, Last Chance Scramble) with entry fees including lodging, meals, cart, and prizes. Wedding and conference event planning services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

UAW Family Education Center (UAW Black Lake) is a nonprofit resort and conference facility on roughly 1,000 acres in Onaway, Michigan. It provides 228 sleeping rooms across multiple lodges, a Rees Jones-designed 18-hole championship golf course plus a 9-hole par-3 course, conference and meeting space, multiple dining venues, wedding hosting, seasonal recreation, and an on-site retail store for UAW members, retirees, families, and the general public.

Product overview

UAW Family Education Center operates as a multi-faceted conference and resort complex centered around the UAW Black Lake Conference Center. The facility spans 1,000 heavily wooded acres on the shores of Black Lake in northern Michigan. Its portfolio includes lodging accommodations (Main Lodge, Apartments & Condos, Old Lodge, Hilltop Lodge, and Campground), the Black Lake Golf Club featuring a Rees Jones-designed championship course plus The Little Course par-3, diverse dining venues (Black Lake Grille, Dining Hall, The Inn, Sports Bar), conference and event services with 12 classrooms and a 300-seat lecture hall, wedding services, and recreational programs including Winter Wonderland seasonal activities, general recreation, and fitness/sport facilities. Red Pine Market provides convenience retail. The center serves UAW members, their families, and the general public for conferences, retreats, family vacations, and golf getaways.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UAW Black Lake Conference Center Full-service conference and event facility with meeting rooms, on-site lodging, dining, and recreational amenities for organizations, unions, and associations hosting multi-day trainings, meetings, and retreats.
• Lodging Accommodations 228 sleeping rooms spread across the Main Lodge, Old Lodge, Hilltop Lodge, Apartments and Condos, and the on-site Campground, offering year-round accommodations for UAW members, retirees, families, wedding guests, and the general public.
• Black Lake Golf Club 18-hole Rees Jones-designed championship golf course offering annual memberships, season passes, public tee times, and Stay & Play packages for members and the general public.
• The Little Course at Black Lake 9-hole par-3 golf course providing a shorter-format round for beginners, families, juniors, and golfers seeking a quicker play option.
• Dining Services Multiple on-site dining venues including Black Lake Grille, the Main Dining Hall, The Inn restaurant, and the Sports Bar, serving resort guests, golfers, conferences, weddings, and walk-in patrons.
• Wedding & Event Hosting Full-service wedding and special-event hosting including ceremony and reception space, bridal suite accommodations, reserved lodging blocks, and in-house catering for couples and families.
• Red Pine Market On-site convenience/retail store selling snacks, beverages, and sundries to resort guests and visitors.
• Winter Wonderland Recreation Program Seasonal winter recreation offering including snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and fat-tire biking for resort guests and visitors.
• Tour Packages Pre-arranged overnight and dining tour packages combining lodging and meals for organized group visits to the resort.

Quantifiable outcome

• 228 sleeping rooms with capacity for 395 guests
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mission Point Resort: Mackinac Island resort offering lodging, F&B, weddings, and recreation. Comparable family leisure and event destination operating in Michigan's resort market.
• Crystal Mountain Resort: Family-owned four-season resort in Thompsonville, MI offering lodging, golf, skiing, conference, and wedding services across hundreds of acres. Directly comparable as a northern Michigan multi-amenity destination resort competing for the same regional leisure and event guests.
• Boyne Mountain Resort: Large northern Michigan resort with multiple lodging types, championship golf, ski operations, conference facilities, and dining. Comparable scale, amenity mix, and target customer (Midwest families, groups, golfers).
• Boyne Highlands Resort: Sibling Boyne property in Harbor Springs, MI featuring lodging, golf, skiing, and conferences. Closely aligned with UAW Black Lake on geography, season-mix, and family/group positioning.
• Treetops Resort: Gaylord, MI golf-centric resort with multiple courses, lodging, conference space, and outdoor recreation. Notably referenced in Black Lake's own Tour Package, indicating direct cross-marketing and overlapping customer base.
• Garland Lodge & Golf Resort: Independent northern Michigan resort in Lewiston offering lodging, four golf courses, dining, and winter recreation. Comparable multi-revenue leisure and event destination in the same competitive set.
• Otsego Resort: Gaylord, MI resort with lodging, golf, skiing, and conference facilities. Operates in the same regional leisure and group-event market as UAW Black Lake.
• Grand Hotel: Iconic historic resort on Mackinac Island with lodging, dining, golf, and conference/event hosting. Comparable heritage positioning, scale of physical asset, and group/event revenue mix.

Emerging players

• YMCA of the Rockies: Nonprofit family retreat and conference operation in Colorado with lodging, programming, and group retreats on a large natural footprint. Closely aligned on the nonprofit/family-education positioning and mission-driven model.

Broad incumbents

• Hilton Grand Vacations Club: Major timeshare and resort operator with extensive lodging, conference, and golf-adjacent amenities across the US. Provides a benchmark for operational sophistication, distribution scale, and capital structure that contrasts with the UAW-owned facility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/388061814715746
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-lake-conference-center

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Uaw Family Education Center