Contributors: Matt Yarder, Yarder Manufacturing, Emily Dammeyer, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce
Four generations of Yarders have intentionally chosen to make it in Toledo. The Yarder Manufacturing Company is a four generation family business specializing in sheet metal fabrication for B2B manufacturing needs. Headquartered on Philips Avenue in Toledo, the company has thrived for nearly 100 years. Across 50,000 square feet, 65 talented engineers, welders, and skilled workers collaborate to “make metal matter.”
Four generations of Yarders have intentionally chosen to make it in Toledo. The Yarder Manufacturing Company is a four generation family business specializing in sheet metal fabrication for B2B manufacturing needs. Headquartered on Philips Avenue in Toledo, the company has thrived for nearly 100 years. Across 50,000 square feet, 65 talented engineers, welders, and skilled workers collaborate to “make metal matter.”
Matt Yarder (Vice President), along with his cousins Jeff Conlan (President) and Amy Conlan (CFO), are the great-grandchildren of Stanley Walter Yarder and 4th generation leaders of Yarder Mfg. Matt attended Miami University and graduated with a B.S. in Business while Jeff and Amy graduated with Bachelor’s degrees at the University of Toledo in Business and Accounting respectively. Together they have grown their business in Toledo and continue to develop long term growth plans for this area. In 2015 the company was inducted into the EBE Hall of Fame and received the Excellence in Family Business Award. Matt has quickly become a leader in the manufacturing industry in Toledo and is very involved in the community. In 2014 Matt was one of the 20 young professionals awarded the prestigious 20 Under 40 Toledo award and in 2016 he served as the Chairman of the EPIC Toledo Advisory Council. Currently Matt is on the Board of Trustees of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce and is committed to giving back to the community. All three are excited to continue to help move the company forward by innovating, while staying true to their mission: to responsibly use metal in a way that makes them, their customers, and their community happy. The company operates on four core competencies: workforce, a culture of reinvestment, family and customer service.
The leadership team at Yarder Manufacturing truly believes that people make the difference. They recognize that people are who are going to ultimately take care of the business, and emphasize that workforce is the biggest resource that a company can invest in. Says Matt, “Machines are great, but they break and without people they are pointless.” Yarder Manufacturing supports a Teen Tech Program and works with the local education systems to continue to develop the future workforce of the Toledo Region.
The leadership team at Yarder Manufacturing truly believes that people make the difference. They recognize that people are who are going to ultimately take care of the business, and emphasize that workforce is the biggest resource that a company can invest in. Says Matt, “Machines are great, but they break and without people they are pointless.” Yarder Manufacturing supports a Teen Tech Program and works with the local education systems to continue to develop the future workforce of the Toledo Region.
"I enjoy working for Yarder Manufacturing. There are so many advantages to working for a small, hometown company. We strive to do great manufacturing of steel in Toledo as a company, but we also strive to be community leaders in our neighborhoods. Many of us are involved in coaching sports, community boards and EPIC Toledo, in addition Yarder provides us with opportunities to volunteer for charities and attend fundraisers. Yarder Manufacturing personifies the "It Matters Where You Make It" slogan because they believe in our growth as a company, as a community partner and our personal development as individuals." – Leslie Eff, Engineer, Yarder Manufacturing
Starting in the automotive industry in the early 1900s by building toolboxes for the workforce in Detroit, the company has grown to encompass many industries. Their niche job is a small to medium run quick setup, which allows them to adapt to serve clients across multiple industries each day. From installations in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and the Toledo Zoo to your neighbor’s grill grate, Yarder Manufacturing has a quality solution for all. Their top services include laser cutting, forming, welding, drilling, reverse engineering and finishing.
“I enjoy the diversity of products and industries that we get to work with. It is nice that we can do it here in Toledo. We have a lot of access to different markets and regions that we can get to quickly, which really enhances our business.” |  |
Annually the company invests in new machines to increase their efficiencies, decrease waste, and improve quality, and by doing so, must continually look to the local talent pool. Matt says that the strong manufacturing background in the area, paired with the proximity to major interstates makes the employment pool in Toledo strong. Another great aspect of doing business in Toledo for the Yarders is the cost of doing business. Affordability and accessibility are two major plusses for small businesses in the Toledo Region.
Sustainability is heavily encouraged at the plant on Philips Avenue. While the company serves clients across the nation, they are committed to serving their neighbors down the street. Going back to their mission to “responsibly use metal in a way that makes the community happy”, a culture of being eco-friendly is seen throughout the facility. Employees are committed to recycling from the front office to the production floor to help reduce the carbon footprint of the company. In addition to promoting a culture of sustainability and investing in new equipment, the leadership team made the conscious decision to invest in software that groups jobs in a way to lower environmental impact and cost for clients.
Sustainability is heavily encouraged at the plant on Philips Avenue. While the company serves clients across the nation, they are committed to serving their neighbors down the street. Going back to their mission to “responsibly use metal in a way that makes the community happy”, a culture of being eco-friendly is seen throughout the facility. Employees are committed to recycling from the front office to the production floor to help reduce the carbon footprint of the company. In addition to promoting a culture of sustainability and investing in new equipment, the leadership team made the conscious decision to invest in software that groups jobs in a way to lower environmental impact and cost for clients.
Please email Emily Dammeyer, Communications Manager, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce to submit a story for our blog.
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