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2008 Efforts on Behalf of the Industry Award
Bill Van Dyke brings diplomacy, quality and humor to the supplement industry through his work with B&D and CRN
Not many executives in the nutrition industry make themselves as available to help out wherever needed as Bill Van Dyke, founder and CEO of B&D Nutritional Ingredients, does. And even fewer copy their image on a 6-foot cardboard cutout and send it around the country in an effort to connect the industry with as many influential people as possible.
But the more you speak to people about Bill Van Dyke, recipient of Nutrition Business Journal's 2008 Efforts on Behalf of the Industry Award, the more you realize that this is a man who will do just about anything for the nutrition industry. And, as is demonstrated by "Flat Bill," the cardboard cutout of Van Dyke that can be spotted at industry trade shows and on Capitol Hill during Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) lobbying and education events, Van Dyke is not afraid to exercise creativity to get his work done.
But beyond his quirky sense of humor and ingenuity, Van Dyke is best known by his colleagues and friends for his unwavering commitment to building a strong supplement industry - one that takes seriously its responsibilities for helping heal and keep people healthy. "[Bill] is the quiet guy behind the scenes who you can go to, and he'll make things happen for you," said Tom Aarts, a principal with Nutrition Capital Network and co-founder of NBJ. "He very quietly helps many of the suppliers and companies figure out how to be high-end, upstanding, very respected supplement companies."
Van Dyke has been in the nutrition industry since his start as vice president of sales at Gillco Ingredients in 1987. In 1993, he created B&D Nutritional Ingredients, a distributor of high-quality supplement ingredients, including naturally sourced vitamin E. Known as a champion of vitamin E for his work with Eastman and ADM to increase its distribution, Van Dyke knows every angle of this antioxidant's history and still gets passionate about its attributes.
For almost the entire span of his time working in the industry, Van Dyke has volunteered in some capacity for the industry trade organization CRN. "From the beginning of my career, the significance of the CRN was clear," Van Dyke recently told NBJ. "We need the support of strong and effective trade associations to define a code of ethics and improve confidence among consumers, media, government leaders, regulators and healthcare professionals to build our industry."
Van Dyke has worn many hats in his work with CRN. He was chairman of the association's board of directors in 2001 and 2002. Van Dyke also served as CRN's membership committee chair and more than once as CRN's annual conference chair. In 2009, he will head CRN's political action committee. "To each position he's brought both dedication and diplomatic skills," said CRN President and CEO Steve Mister. "The association is stronger today because of his active involvement." As Mister sees it, Van Dyke's emphasis on relationships, listening and finding the middle ground has been especially valuable to the association. "He's someone who knows how to meld different points of view into an end game that works for the greater good," said Mister. "For an industry that sometimes engages in internal disagreements, Bill's talent of being inclusive has been priceless."
Facilitated in part by his work as a distributor, Van Dyke has played a particular role as a bridge between larger and smaller companies. "One of the things Bill does so well is communicate the concept that all companies, regardless of size, can find common ground in our industry by being committed to the responsible marketing of science-based products," added Mister. Van Dyke has also worked diligently for high standards both in his company and in the industry as a whole. Said Rob Carlstrom, B&D's vice president of new business development, "Bill doesn't look for quick profits - he doesn't follow the dollar. Instead he takes the right path." B&D requires supply companies to maintain best business practices and back their ingredients with research that supports how and why their product can provide a unique health and nutritional benefit, explained Susie Hays, senior marketing director at B&D. And every ingredient distributed by B&D has some kind of proprietary element to it.
"Bill is really a high-class guy," concurred Aarts. "He's an upstanding businessman - a straight-shooter in this industry where there is a lot of controversy. … He's worked hard to get the standards up. And he's exemplified that in [how he runs] his own company. He's a small player, but I think he's one of those guys behind the scenes who does things right as an example to everyone else."
Van Dyke's secret weapon for taking on sometimes touchy issues, such as ingredient standards, is his sense of humor, which was reflected in the "man on the street" interview video he created last year to kick off CRN's 2008 Annual Symposium for the Dietary Supplement Industry. Van Dyke's conversations with surfers, whose supplement regimen consists of Flintstone vitamins, and with seniors, who were vocal about their skepticism of supplement benefits, were greeted by the CRN audience with hearty laughter. Yet, Van Dyke's last lines in the video were completely serious and indicative of his commitment to supplements and the nutrition industry. "I have a mission," he said in the video. "I'm out on the street, and I'm going to make my way to a city near you. I'm trying to convert everyone into supplement users."