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Donald D. Lyons
Donald Lyons is an entrepreneur and civil servant. He's held either an appointed or elected public office continuously for over 50 years, including eight years on the Dowagiac school board of educa...view moreDonald Lyons is an entrepreneur and civil servant. He's held either an appointed or elected public office continuously for over 50 years, including eight years on the Dowagiac school board of education and is in his 27th year as mayor of Dowagiac, Michigan. Lyons has employed unique strategies to transform his one thriving hometown into one that is now attractive to modern businesses and residents.
As an entrepreneur Lyons took a small business with one employee and negative net worth operating out of a downtown Dowagiac store front and built it into one of the largest most automated producers of bathtubs and showers in the U.S. with over four acres of floorspace under roof, producing over 1000 bathtubs and showers a day.
Lyons is nationally known for his passion of collecting and restoring antique cars ranging from early 20th century cars trimmed in brass to cars that raced in the Indianapolis 500. He was the historical advisor and appeared along with his wife Joan, in the IMAX movie "Super Speedway", which included the story of his acquiring and restoring Mario Andretti's first Indya 500 race car.
He and his wife Joan also committed themselves to chronicling and preserving the history of one of Dowagiac's most famous businesses, the James Heddon and Sons Company which manufactured fishing tackle from 1902 until 1984. Their collection of Heddon artifacts and documents is one of the most comprehensive collections of sporting memorabilia made by a singe company. They've gifted and endowed their collection to the Dowagiac Area History Museum.
Don and Joan have traveled widely and view philanthropy as an important part of their commitment to helping create a better future.
For more on Don and Joan Lyons, visit the website of the PBS television station WNIT-Don and Joan Lyons, legends of Michiana. While on that website you can also watch a documentary, "The Process," which chronicles the restoration of Lyons' unique 1910 Stoddard-Dayton limousine.view less