2017 is Yaun Company's 94th Anniversary. I would like to share
with you some of our history.
The company was founded on the drive and abilities
of our founder R.D. Yaun. Mr. Yaun pioneered a new technology
"oil burning equipment" in his starting years and built
his business on superior service and customer satisfaction. In
those days, it was not an easy task, as oil burners were not as
trouble free as those of today. Many hours, sometimes days, were
spent on the set up and trouble shooting of these new systems.
This new technology was not broadly accepted either.
In the railroad towns, his customers were threatened with bodily
harm or loss of jobs if "one of those contraptions"
was installed. Remember their main income was from the transporting
of coal. The railroads weren't above the use of threats to keep
things as they were.
Over the years, the company grew and more people were
added to the payroll. In 1960, R.H. "Rich" Yaun assumed
the President's post and a change in the method of management
styles took place. R.H. realized that if the company was to continue
to grow, it would not be by his efforts and style alone, but it
would have to be a team effort. He knew the success of the company
would be based on its ability to develop and train its personnel
from the inside. Opportunity for advancement would be given to
those who produced and got the job done. His job was to train
and develop his people.
These ideas were not accepted readily by customers
then, either. Customers who were able to do business on a personal
basis with the owners of other supply houses felt that he was
ignoring them or did not want their business. These were hard
years for him, as customers were prompt to point out weaknesses
of his people and compare his service and philosophy to those
of the competition. Yet the company grew and surpassed in size the
very competition by whom it was measured.
In 1980 "Rich" Yaun retired from the management
of Yaun Company after surgery and left the company in the hands
of Richard H. Yaun Jr., Alan Willi, and Dan Yaun. In 1986 this
management team opened its first branch in Albany, NY. Alan Willi
was the Branch Manager. In 1988 Rick Yaun was named CEO and Alan
Willi was named President of Yaun Company. In August of 1999 the
third location was opened in New Paltz, NY with Ray Lukas as branch
manager. The new branch reflects the confidence in the future
of Yaun Company and the wholesale supply business serving the
plumbing, electrical and HVAC trades.
In 2011 Richard Yaun Jr. Resigned and retired from active participation in the business and has retired to the Myrtle Beach, SC area. In 2013
New Opportunities:
For Yaun Company to continue as a valid company it is important for Management to Identify
the next generation of Company Management. To that end in December of 2003 a decision was
made to begin a management and ownership succession program. Tom Zweck and Burt Robertson, longtime
employees and key managers, have been selected for a stock purchase program that would
allow them to eventually become the "Next Generation" of ownership. Other valued and
key employees may be given similar opportunities as this program develops.
Looking back, the reasons for Yaun Company's success
are:
1. Management's ability to provide opportunity for
people.
2. Staffing of personnel who want to grow personally.
3. The ability of the staff to meet the needs and service
requirements of its customers better than the competition.
4. A dedication to our company motto: "Service is our business". We try in
all things to recognize that our customer is the reason for our existence and trying harder to
meet the demands of our customer .
The company is the people who work here as part of
the team. We all work together to provide our customers the goods
and services they require. Our employees' efforts and responses
to our customers' needs have enabled us to grow in the past and
will help us in the future.
