A Business That is All in The Family

Dan Gorsegnor did not plan to be in the family business at first.  He was following in his Mom’s footsteps to become an educator.  He studied kinesiology (the study of the mechanics of body movement) in college.  After graduating, Dan taught Physical Education in Fair Haven.  But after a few years, he realized it was not his passion.  At that point, his father and uncle needed help in the business.  It was an easy decision for Dan having grown up in the business and knowing all aspects of it.

Dan’s grandfather, John Sr. started the flooring business in 1951 after returning from WWII.  His grandfather, as a heavy machine operator, prepared the beaches six days before the invasion on Normandy Beach.  During that period, homes and developments were sprouting up in the suburbs and John Sr worked with builders to install the floors.  One of his signatures was to install a new penny in an inconspicuous area of the wood floor – drilling a small hole to place the penny into it.  Years later, Dan has found many of those pennies in homes that he would work on.   Dan’s father and uncle then took on the business and that is when it became Gorsegner Brothers.

In March 2020, the world changed, Dan decided to close on Friday, March 13.  Customers were cancelling and business dropped off considerably.  At that point, they could only work in vacant spaces, down to 25% capacity.  But as the months passed and people were staying home more – working, schooling and just hunkering down — they realized they needed to get work done in their homes and business slowly returned.  Dan is thankful for his tremendous team – the office staff, the field manager and his crews. Without them, he could not have gotten through this past 12 months.

Just For Fun:

Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.

My wife, Andrea (who he has been married to for 20 years) is the founder and President of Infinite Love for Kids Fighting Cancer and is my best friend.  Our two girls are Hannah, 13 years old and Natalie is 11.

Q: What is your favorite local restaurants and why?

We love Patricias in Holmdel and order takeout from them so often that we know everyone there and have become their unofficial VIPs.  It wasn’t until the pandemic that we started ordering from them weekly and we haven’t stopped since.  Andrea and I love their pizzas (which we order every Friday night) and can’t get enough of their short ribs, penne vodka, meatballs and their chicken milanese (just to name a few).

Q: How long have you lived or worked in Middletown?

I was born and raised in Middletown.  After getting married, we briefly lived in Belford and then we moved to NYC.  After Hannah was born, we built a house in Rutherford however shortly after Natalie was diagnosed with cancer (approximately five years later), we decided to move back to Middletown (2013).

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?

We would definitely hit the Caribbean.  Right now, I just want someplace warm and relaxing.  But Andrea and I would love to travel to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Q: What advice would you give to people?

Most conversations I have with people are about family.  The experience that Andrea and I had with Natalie being sick really put in perspective about what is important in life.  We knew this before her diagnosis of course, however seeing first hand just how fragile life truly is had us reevaluating how we chose to spend our time.  From that moment on we became very aware of the time that we were spending with our kids and wanted to make sure that we truly were putting our family before anything else.  So I would say, “Simply recognize and have a clear perspective about what is really important in your own life, then make the time to prioritize it.”

Q: What is something on your bucket list?

Two things – travel to some exotic places like South Africa for a safari and Heli-skiing in the Swiss Alps.

Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about Middletown?

Hobbymasters in Red Bank, brings me back to my childhood in an instant not to mention it was such a cool building.

Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community.

I love the proximity to EVERYTHING – the beaches, the mountains, the city, the parks and great restaurants.

Q: Who inspires you to be better?

My wife, Andrea and my parents.  My mom was a big influence on me – she is very intelligent, kind and is incredibly humble.  She is one of the best people that I have ever known.

Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?

Love, Laughter and Comfort. Being around my family, no matter where we are, makes it feel like home.