75 Years Strong, Van Dyk Group Grows With Area

By Maria Scandale

Its 75th year in business is a celebration for The Van Dyk Group, and a testament to its committed involvement as a local full-service real estate, insurance and financial planning agency. The agency’s services have grown with the Island from 1946, just after World War II, through prosperity and through new solutions after storms.

Imagine the changes over threequarters of a century on a shore resort barrier island, and how business success would require forwardthinking and a solid foundation. Yet, the Van Dyk story is also about dedication to personal service for customers.

The firm, still family owned today, abides by the mission statement “striving at all times to achieve superior client satisfaction,” pledging to provide “a stable and professional organization through good and bad times.”

CEO and President David Wyrsch Sr. joined the Richard Van Dyk Group in 1973 as a real estate agent and later became a broker. He and his wife, Janet, purchased the company in 1994. Wyrsch and his father, Robert, had both worked for Van Dyk after moving from St. Louis. They had family ties to LBI. Current family members add a third generation.

A strong community and a strong business build each other, Wyrsch believes. The Van Dyk Group has supported school activities, church functions and sports teams, coorganized and co-sponsored some of the area’s biggest festivals, and served behind the scenes in more quiet support of countless benefits such as police appreciation events and cancer care fundraisers.

“We would not be successful if it weren’t for the customers that we have, the employees who work for us, and the community all around us,” Wyrsch declared.

Today’s customers contract the company to sell and insure homes that may be valued at millions of dollars. Other families are entrusting The Van Dyk Group to insure a remodeled house that has been in the family for generations, as long as the company has been in business.

In 75 years, what has not changed is that it’s not just a matter of writing a policy; “we’re protecting people’s assets,” Wyrsch said.

“We write a lot of business insurance, and whether it’s a small one-man outfit or school districts, you’ve got to have people with the expertise to take care of businesses small, medium or large. It’s the same with residential policies, now covering up to $3 million, $4 million, $5 million homes on the oceanfront and bayfront.”

The company’s flagship location, at 12800 Long Beach Blvd. in Beach Haven Terrace, is across the street from the original site. The Manahawkin office on Route 72 East was added in the 40th anniversary year. A third office is in Barnegat at 500 Barnegat Blvd. North, #300.

Specialization has extended to meet many needs. Each member of the second and third generations in the company, plus extended family and staff, grew to focus on a different aspect of service. They work as a team.

“None of us are going to know everything; what you’ve got to do is line up with good people who have expertise. That’s what we’ve done,” Wyrsch said.

“We have aligned ourselves and partnered with people whose expertise is life insurance, health insurance, 401(k) plans,” both in-house and with people in the industry. “You’ve got to have experts in everything you do.”

Long recognized for his own experience in the insurance industry, Wyrsch has held national and state leadership positions, and was interviewed by ABC news on flood insurance. He is a former state president of the Independent Insurance Agents of New Jersey and a member of the national organization of independent agents. He has also been very involved with the industry group Professional Insurance Agents.

Wyrsch’s son David Jr. is the firm’s real estate/vacation home manager. He was president of the Ocean County Board of Realtors and is now on the real estate board for the New Jersey Association of Realtors. Son Dan is vice president of commercial insurance and Van Dyk Group owner. Son Jeff, vice president of personal insurance, is on the national flood insurance committee in Washington, D.C., and on the state board of Independent Insurance Agents.

Continuing the list of family-wide business involvement, stepdaughter Joann Hahl, in the accounting department, has been a company employee since 1986, starting in personal insurance lines services. Youngest daughter Cindy Wyrsch Kelley is in company development.

NJBIZ magazine profiled The Van Dyk Group in 2007, noting it has earned multiple annual “Best Practices Study” awards from the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. Only 30 agencies nationwide are honored as such.

As an independent agency, Van Dyk is free to draw from a broad spectrum of the insurance industry for custom-designed coverage.

Develops Own Product After Superstorm

Those adversities that insurance is purchased for do arise. The Van Dyk Group processed over 5,500 claims after Superstorm Sandy. Out of that 1½-year-long experience of navigating government regulations that dammed up the claims process, the aftermath still left many homeowners disappointed with National Flood Insurance Program policies that left gaps in coverage.

Jeff Wyrsch realized there was a need for private flood insurance as an alternative to the National Flood Insurance Program.

The product that Wyrsch developed for The Van Dyk Group through support by Lloyd’s of London provides up to a million dollars for the building (in some cases more) and up to $250,000 in personal property coverage on a standard policy. In some cases, coverage can be extended to almost $1 million on contents. By contrast, NFIP limits coverage to $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for personal property.

At the time, very few private flood insurance options existed. The Van Dyk Group did sign on to those, “but they weren’t helping our customers as much as we had hoped,” Jeff Wyrsch explained. “I started looking into creating our own private coverage that made sense, particularly for our area.”

He had spent a year gathering data, organizing rate information, and creating a solution that, ultimately, Lloyd’s of London backed.

“Van Dyk’s flood products not only provide lower premiums, but also offer additional coverage options beyond what NFIP offers. These private flood products meet all federal requirements and are typically accepted by mortgage companies,” states an article on the Van Dyk Group website.

After launching the product in New Jersey in 2016, Van Dyk started selling it on a wholesale basis to other agencies in coastal areas of the Northeast. “We are now providing insurance to over 50 agencies in New Jersey,” Jeff Wyrsch said.

From Staff of Two To Now 120

During the mid-1940s it appeared as if Long Beach Island was one of the East Coast’s bestVan Dyk Group Continued from Page 49 kept secrets, a media report on the Van Dyk Group’s 50th anniversary noted. Among the seashore settlers were Richard and May Van Dyk. He owned a small convenience market that is now Marvel’s. She was a postmistress.

In 1946, they pioneered the Richard Van Dyk Agency, starting as the only two employees. In 1947, Van Dyk added insurance, providing a complete service concept.

“He saw a growth and future in real estate,” Thomas C. Taylor told The Beach Haven Times. Taylor became owner and president of the Richard Van Dyk Agency in 1981 and CEO in 1984. He was married to the Van Dyks’ niece, Mary Taylor.

David Wyrsch Sr. had watched the community involvement of company founder Van Dyk and taken note. Van Dyk was one of the early founders of Ocean County College, one of the early contributing members of Southern Ocean County Hospital (now Southern Ocean Medical Center), a supporter of Surflight Theatre, and an active member of the local Exchange and the Rotary clubs.

In 2021, The Van Dyk Group is still growing and thriving amid a global pandemic, and maintaining more than 120 employees full time while continuing to donate to and be active members of the community.

The actual date of The Van Dyk Group’s anniversary is Aug. 6, but a community observance was held on June 23 by the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce at a joint event with the Stafford Township Historical Society. A certificate from the chamber reads, “It is with sincere appreciation that the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce recognizes the Wyrsch family and the dedicated staff of the Van Dyk Group for 75 years of exceptional service to the Long Beach Island Region business community.”

Through the challenge of COVID, the company has conducted business and did not lay off any employees. Even for the months during the statewide lockdown when the office was closed to the public, staff were equipped remotely. Continuity was accomplished as seamlessly as possible for the customer, while behind the scenes, technology connected staff and services.

“We have always made it important to have an actual live person answer the phones,” said Kelley. “There’s nothing more frustrating when you need to talk to somebody and you have to press 1 for this and 4 for that. If the receptionists weren’t there, me, my brothers, somebody in insurance or a Realtor would pick up the phone. We wanted to make that a priority. Our main goal was to make sure we were able to help our customers.”

The core family team rolled up their sleeves and got involved in all duties.

“We would go and scan the mail to send it to the employees at their house because nobody could get the mail except for us. We had three offices’ worth of mail and three offices’ worth of employees who were all working from home. We came in to the office to make sure we were able to keep our employees employed, and keep our business going.”

Kelley is working on a new website while integrating new technology into the computer and communications systems. “But we’re still using the old-school dynamic,” she said. “You have to have both. My dad still comes into the office every morning and says hi to all of his employees.”

A close relationship with employees has a positive effect on business, the company principals believe.

“We treat everybody the same and treat them like family, and get to know their family. We never want to stop an employee from watching their children’s activities. If we all work together, we’re not going to take away some of your pay while you go watch your child’s second-grade play or their kindergarten graduation. You can’t bring those times back. We go to our grandkids’ activities – why shouldn’t they?

“We’re not here 75 years because we’re the best; we’re here 75 years because the people who work for us are the best,” David Wyrsch Sr. stated. “The better we work together, the better we are for our clients and for our community and for each other.

“It doesn’t fall out of the sky onto your desk; it’s a lot of work. But the rewards are seeing the outcome and helping people and how much they appreciate it.”

Transitioning a successful business to the next generation has been one of their father’s goals, family members said.

“It’s very rewarding,” the senior Wyrsch reflected. “When we go to different functions like insurance or real estate conferences, I always get the comment of how lucky we are to have internal perpetuation. I constantly get the comment from people I know in the industry of what a great transition it has been, and how much respect they have for them.”

Last Updated on November 10, 2022