D & B Landscaping Beautifies Henry Ford—And Our Communities

In business and in his philanthropy, Dan Bywalec is always willing to lend a hand.

In fact, that’s how his longstanding company, D & B Landscaping, got started. While attending college in 1972, Dan’s friend, who owned a lawn care business, asked him for some summer help. It turned out to be a career-defining moment for Dan.

Dan agreed to work for his friend that summer, and to his surprise he found that he enjoyed gardening and caring for the land. Soon after, his friend told him that he was selling his business and asked if Dan would want to buy it from him. After some thought, Dan said yes, and D & B Landscaping—for Dan Bywalec—was born.

Over the next four decades, Dan expanded his services and his business, bringing on three of his brothers who now work in various roles throughout the company. Today, D & B provides landscaping and beautification for more than 5,000 residential and business customers, including all of Henry Ford Health’s southeast Michigan properties.

The relationship goes both ways. For many years, Dan and his company have generously given back to Henry Ford programs and fundraisers. In fact, D & B is a longstanding sponsor of Henry Ford’s popular Men Who Cook event, which benefits the Tom Groth Patient Medical Needs Fund. This fund provides support for low-income patients with urgent medical needs, such as equipment or prescriptions that they otherwise would not be able to afford.

“We’ve been donating to Men Who Cook since it began,” says Dan. “Lots of people are in need of healthcare but do not have the resources. This fundraiser is doing great things.”

Dan and his company have also given to Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital’s annual Golf Classic fundraiser and have donated in kind materials and pro bono labor for the Henry Ford Medical Center - Cottage Clambake over the last several years. Recently, D & B donated its time and landscaping services to Henry Ford’s ArtBlock, an art-infused collaborative space for youth and families near Henry Ford Hospital. At ArtBlock, D & B created a beautiful outdoor area for an interactive work of art. And Dan’s generosity doesn’t end there: D & B also donate widely to other nonprofits in the metro Detroit region, such as the War Dog Memorial in South Lyon and the Vision Research Foundation.

“I see the need for things like Henry Ford SandCastles and other great programs,” says Dan. “One of my hopes and dreams is to be able to help out as many people as I can help.”

With D & B’s help, Henry Ford Health—and the world—is a little bit more beautiful every day.