Former NH Yates Owner, CEO JR Yates Retires

N.H. Yates & Co. has announced the retirement of former owner and CEO James “JR” Yates Jr., effective March 31.

JR joined the family business in 1972, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, founder N.H. Yates, his grandmother Mary Yates, and his father and three uncles. JR worked for Yates for almost 60 years, taking a short hiatus to join Taco, now Taco Comfort Systems, from 1978-87.

In 1996 JR took on the role of president of N.H. Yates after purchasing the company with his brother Tom and colleague Jon Thomas. JR’s management led to rapid expansion of the business, taking it from $15 million in sales in 1995 to $150 million in 2018 and doubling its sales territory.