Our History
Rich Vander Werff’s love of the auction
business began when he attended livestock auctions with his Grandpa Elgersma
as a boy. It was this love that persuaded Rich to attend the Riesch Auction
College in Mason City, Iowa, from which he graduated in 1972 at the age of
18. Thus began Rich’s adventure into the auction business. From 1972 to
1977, Rich continued to hold full-time jobs while auctioning on the side.
Shortly after his graduation from Reisch Auction College, he was able to
obtain a position auctioning livestock with the Northside Sales Company of
Sibley, Iowa. Rich began his auction business by selling “pound cows.”
In 1977, Rich obtained his real estate
license and, along with Ray Youngers and Ron Rensink, formed
Rensink-Youngers Realty, Inc. The purpose of this corporation was the sale
of real estate and marketing the auction services provided by Rich. The
Rensink-Youngers Agency, also owned by Ray Youngers and Ron Rensink, was in
the insurance business, so Rich obtained an insurance license and began
selling personal lines insurance as well. The company was already located at
its current building at 215 Main St, in Sanborn, Iowa; however the building
was only leased at the time. In 1980, at the request of his mentor and
friend, Hubert Schultz, a local attorney, Rich began to do appraisals on a
very limited basis. He began with no prior educational experience but only
the desire to succeed. In 1983, Rich, Ray Youngers, Ron Rensink, Dennis
Brechwald, and Pat Murphy formed a new business corporation called ARI
Services Limited. ARI stood for
auctions, real estate, and insurance.
During this time, Rich attended classes and by correspondence with
the University of Indiana-Bloomington, he obtained a Certified Auctioneers
Institute Designation. This
designation was obtained in 1984.
In 1985 the business partnership of ARI Services Limited was
dissolved and, while continuing to operate out of the same building, Rich
formed a new company, Vander Werff Auctioneers.
It was around this time that Orlan Lux and Todd Hattermann joined the
company as auctioneer associates.
In 1987 an auction building was constructed at the newly acquired
auction lot located east and north of Sanborn.
Rich had begun running machinery consignment auctions in 1982.
From a historical perspective, the first sale consisted of eight
consignors with 32 pieces of machinery.
A recent machinery consignment sale brought in 1200 items from over
200 plus consignors.
Vander Werff Auctioneers continued its
growth through the late 1980’s with the addition of several real estate
sales people. Also the appraisal
business begun by Rich in 1980 began to grow.
By this time appraisals were being completed for estates,
individuals, corporations, lenders, with the primary focus of the appraisal
business being residential and agricultural properties.
In 1991 the federal government mandated the certification of
appraisers. In conjunction with
this mandate, Rich obtained his Certified General Real Property Appraiser
Designation and License. Also in
1991, Vander Werff Auctioneers purchased the building which had already been
their home for nearly twenty years.
The building was completely renovated to accommodate the company’s
growth. In October of 1993,
Vander Werff Auctioneers, Inc. changed their name to Vander Werff &
Associates, Inc. to more closely reflect the broadening nature of the
business. In 1995, additional
renovation of the building occurred to accommodate the business’ continued
growth. By 1995 Vander Werff &
Associates, Inc. was handling small commercial, agricultural, complex
agricultural, and residential property appraisals within a fifteen county
area of Northwest Iowa. Real
estate and auctions have also played a prominent role in the business
success of Vander Werff & Associates, Inc.
Additional staff was added to the Appraisal, Auction, and Real Estate
Divisions as growth continued.
In 2001 additional building expansion occurred when Vander Werff &
Associates, Inc. purchased the adjacent building and renovated it for office
space. The company’s appraisal
division is now comprised of three certified general real property
appraisers, two certified residential real property appraisers, one
certified associate general real property appraiser and two non-certified
appraisers. Rich is licensed in four states (Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and
South Dakota), however has completed appraisals in ten states via temporary licensing. As of January 1, 2013
the company has completed appraisals in 88 of Iowa's 99 counties, 36 of
South Dakota's counties, 36 of Nebraska's counties, 30 of Minnesota's
counties, 3 of Missouri's counties, 5 of North Dakota's counties, 1 of
Wyoming's counties, 3 of Kansas's counties, 1 of Pennsylvania's
counties, 5 of Wisconsin's counties, 1
of Georgia's counties, 2 of Vermont's counties, 1 of Indiana's counties,
1 of Illinois counties, and 2 of West Virginia's counties. The range
of these appraisals is broad and includes all types of complex commercial,
business, complex agricultural, residential, and chattel appraisals...the
real estate division specializes in farm land sales---auction or private
treaty, however also sells commercial and residential property at private
listing or auction. The auction division employs two auctioneers and
specializes in farm land at auction, however sells all types of farm
equipment, industrial and commercial equipment, real estate, antiques, household items,
vehicles and more.
JRB (Jon Hoogers, Brent Vander Werff, and
Rich Vander Werff) owns and manages residential properties in 14 northwest
Iowa communities. JRB also offers mini and warehouse storage in several
northwest Iowa communities.
While some of the staff perform more than one function within the company, the company has grown from Rich alone in 1972, to over forty full and part time positions today.