Meet Dennis de Zeeuw - A Small Business Executive Program Graduate

Nestled in Boynton Beach, Florida, – a town known for its scenic beaches and luxurious hotspots is Sustainscape, Inc., a company that is dedicated to bringing its customers and South Florida the most innovative and sustainable landscape solutions and services.

Dennis de Zeeuw, founder of Sustainscape, Inc., is no stranger to pivoting his company’s business model to maintain continuous growth and success. From what started as a fascination of plants and trees, he had to work his way up from the very beginning to make his dream of owning a business a reality.

“I always wanted to have a place where I could grow plant life and have quite a bit of land to do so, but in the beginning I didn’t have as many connections in the business, so I built up Sustainscape, Inc., using my knowledge of the industry in small warehouse units, where everything from landscaping equipment to the manufacturing of our fertilizer was held,” de Zeeuw said.

Established in 2009, with its first location starting in the Boca Raton area, Sustainscape, Inc., promotes local products that are organic, protect the environment, and provide actionable, long term solutions in the landscaping area.

More than 10 years later, the company now houses more than 2,000 type of plants in its greenhouse including anything from indigenous or edible plants, trees, grasses, shrubs, vegetables and many more.

For de Zeeuw, learning how to propel Sustainscape, Inc., forward from a small business into a medium size company has always been a major priority – but it became more evident around 2017. It was close to a year later in 2018 that he heard about the programs offered by the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship in Palm Beach County.

“Attending the Jim Moran Institute Small Business Executive Program benefited my career development in many different ways as a small business owner, said Dennis. “The four-month course challenged me, and I experienced real life situations that are indispensable while creating a successful business.”

The Palm Beach County Small Business Executive Program (SBEP), presented by the Jim Moran Institute, consists of nine sessions, each focusing on a particular aspect of growing and managing a small business. The program is designed for CEOs, entrepreneurs, business owners, presidents and executive directors looking to grow their small businesses.

"Watching a program graduate such as Dennis continue to persevere during our current economic climate is so inspiring. Not only was he able to relocate, complete a build out, and a grand opening for his business, he also still maintained his commitment to his fellow graduates and the Jim Moran Institute in our South Florida Peer 2 Peer group,” said Courtney Mickens, associate director of the Jim Moran Institute’s Palm Beach County Operations. “He is a true testament to the strategic planning, pivoting and determination that we love to see from our alumni.”

De Zeeuw is also currently participating in the Jim Moran Institute’s Palm Beach CEO Peer2Peer Group. The Peer2Peer Groups provide an avenue for sharing insights about challenging situations, topical issues and solutions to problems with peers. To be eligible to participate in this group, an applicant must have graduated from either a SBEP program or a Nonprofit Executive Program.

“Participating in the Peer2Peer group has been an excellent follow up to the Small Business Executive Program. Meeting with seven to 10 of my peers experiencing similar activities on a weekly basis, allows me to listen and learn or seek guidance,” Dennis said. “I have found many answers to difficult situations while attending this group over the last two years.” The Palm Beach County Peer2Peer Group remains online and virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about the Palm Beach County SBEP program, please contact Jim Moran Institute’s Associate Director of Palm Beach County Courtney Mickens at cmickens@jimmoraninstitute.fsu.edu.

About the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship
The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship cultivates, trains and inspires entrepreneurial leaders through world-class executive education, applied training, public recognition and leading-edge research. Jim Moran was an automotive pioneer and an entrepreneur at heart, who at the age of 7, sold soda pop at sandlot baseball games in Chicago. With a career that spanned more than six decades, he built an amazing chronicle of achievements in the automobile industry. His vision for the Jim Moran Institute was to provide opportunities that would help others become more successful business owners. A 1995 contribution from Jim and Jan Moran and JM Family Enterprises established the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at the Florida State University College of Business. Since 2011, further enhancements to the Jim Moran Institute and its outreach have been made possible by Jan Moran and The Jim Moran Foundation.

About the South Florida Operations
The Jim Moran Institute's South Florida Operations serves established entrepreneurs, business owners and nonprofit leaders in the South Florida community through multiple programs designed to take advantage of local resources. Providing executive education and leveraging the resources of the Jim Moran Institute, the South Florida Operations helps its clients' businesses - and the region's economy - grow and prosper. Based in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, the South Florida Operations services are provided to for-profit and nonprofit businesses and are geared toward CEOs, entrepreneurs, business owners and presidents of small businesses whose companies have been established for at least three years and have five or more employees. Services are provided for little to no cost.