History

The insurance agency that is today known as Sluiter Agency, Inc. was founded in Margaretville in 1914, but the Sluiter name did not become associated with the company until 1950. That year, William Sluiter purchased a 50% interest in the agency owned by Arthur Close and the company Close & Sluiter, Inc. was formed.  Mr. Close retired in 1968 and Bill Sluiter operated the business on his own until 1975 when his eldest son Douglas joined the firm.  In 1984 another son, Peter, joined the agency and when Bill Sluiter retired in 1986, Doug and Peter formed Sluiter Agency, Inc.  In 1995 Doug’s son Matthew joined the agency, acquiring a minority interest in 2003.  Today, in addition to the three owners / producers, the agency employs a service staff of four and, with the help of a state-of-the-art agency management computer system, Sluiter Agency serves the insurance needs of over 2,200 individuals and families and 300 businesses.

Sluiter Agency, Inc. is located in rural Delaware County in the northern Catskill Mountains of New York State.  Just a 2 ½ hour drive north from New York City, it is an unspoiled area of woodlands, fields and streams.  It is common to see whitetail deer, black bear, wild turkeys and bald eagles.  The region has four distinct seasons with a fall foliage season that is especially beautiful.  Margaretville is located near the headwaters of the Delaware River on the edge of the Catskill Park, a 700,000 acre preserve of private and public land, much of which has been declared “forever wild” by New York State.  We are in the New York City watershed where several large reservoirs including the Pepacton, Ashokan, Cannonsville and Schoharie supply most of New York City’s drinking water, so pure that it requires no filtration.  Along the Catskill streams which feed these reservoirs is where the sport of fly fishing originated.  Hunting, hiking, biking, golf, skiing and snowmobiling are also popular.  While dairy farming was once the dominant business in Delaware County, it is being replaced by tourism, recreation, country inns, second homes, farmers markets and antiquing.