|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 To
Place Advertising Call 419.330.9658 |
|
| D-Way
Lawn and Landscape
Ron
Dunaway
By Rod Brandt
|
"When
I met him,” said Jolynne, “he had a one-bedroom
apartment, a broken-down truck, and a broken leg.”
 If
Ron Dunaway were a professional athlete, he might
be called a “throwback” or “old
school.” These are the guys who run out every
ground ball, who don’t dance after a tackle
or watch the Jumbotron replay after a spectacular
dunk. They are modest, hard-working and they earn
everything they get.
Ron is the owner of D-Way Lawn and Landscaping with
a fleet of trucks servicing more than 100 commercial,
industrial and residential accounts. In addition to
lawn care, D-Way offers landscaping and bush trimming,
seasonal clean-up and snow plowing. For the busy spring
and summer season, D-Way relies on two separate crews,
one for lawn care and one for landscaping.
One never to shirk hard work, Ron built the business
on his reputation. His wife, Jolynne, says Ron’s
success is due to his unwillingness to cut corners
to make an extra buck. “He’s real committed
to the quality of his work,” she said. “Things
that he tells me, I’m like ‘Is anybody
going to notice that?’”
A high school baseball coach nicknamed Ron “D-Way,”
short for “Dunaway,” and Ron appropriated
the moniker when he started his business 16 years
ago. But entrepreneurship hasn’t been a home
run trot for Ron. He purchased an existing business
with 50 clients and all but one left. “They
didn’t know me,” remembers Ron. “I
was just a guy who bought a business.” But Ron
persevered to rebuild the business.
In the economic downturn of 2001, Ron’s business
dwindled to about 20 accounts, and he began to lose
focus. Meeting Jolynne, however, helped Ron get back
into the game. “Jolynne was a big help letting
me know what was important.”
“When I met him,” said Jolynne, “he
had a one-bedroom apartment, a broken-down truck,
and a broken leg.”
For two months, Ron cut grass with his leg in a cast,
but things were starting to get better. Ron’s
mother and grandmother also helped Ron get back on
his feet. “His grandma would help him if his
truck needed fixed and was always there for him,”
said Jolynne. “I told him he was lucky that
he had people who would help him.”
With new resolve, Ron rebuilt his business the old-fashioned
way, by providing quality work that set Ron apart
from his competitors. Enlisting the services of his
children, Ron circulated flyers door-to-door through
the neighborhoods to get the word out. “A lot
of it’s word of mouth,” Ron said. “Every
year is bigger and better.” Now, one of Ron's
sons works for him.
After an unsuccessful first job assignment at Chi-Chi's,
Ron went to work at Sears and began learning the customer
service principles he uses today. Back then, Ron earned
a courtesy award from the company for helping a customer
locate an obscure part.
Ron is grateful for his success, but wishes his father
was around to enjoy it with him. His dad committed
suicide on February 22, 2005, that same date in 2007
Ron’s son, Kane, was born. “He didn’t
have a chance to see me as good as I’ve gotten
in this business,” said Ron. “I wish he
could see me. He’d be proud of me.” D-WAY
LAWN AND LANDSCAPE
Ron Dunaway
Phone: 419-870-1425
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Toledo
Business Review highlights the best
commodity that Toledo has to offer: the small business
owner.
In each issue, TBR profiles the locally owned
businesses you visit frequently. We tell the inspiring
stories of business owners, how they overcame
both personal and business adversities, and what
keeps them moving forward. TBR believes that small
businesses are the backbone of our economy and
that local business owners deserve to be honored
and their value to our community needs to be recognized.
TBR is a free publication and available every
other month at over 300 high-traffic business
entry ways, including: Burger King, Panera, Café
Marie and many others. Our restaurant partners
are also featured in our restaurant guide, perfect
for making dining out decisions at a glance.
Our readership is growing... Advertising with Toledo
Business Review makes financial sense! |
If you would like more information
regarding advertising in Toledo Business Review, contact
us today!
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To
Place Advertising Call 419.330.9658 |
|
TOLEDO BUSINESS REVIEW
IS A FREE, BI-MONTHLY PUBLICATION
|
Copyright © 2007-2008 • Toledo
Business Review • All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized use of the materials
on this site and in the publication without the author's
expressed, written consent is strictly prohibited.
Website
design by: CyberPro911 Print
publication by: Dzyn
Lab
|
|
