HUNT VALLEY, Md. — James “JR” Yates Jr., CEO and former co-owner of N.H. Yates & Co., a manufacturers representative firm and a distributor of HVAC, plumbing, and hydronic products in the eastern U.S., is retiring at the end of March.

Yates 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. He worked for Yates for much of his career,  taking a hiatus to join Taco Inc., now Taco Comfort Systems, from 1978-1987.

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

Having steered the company through good times and bad, Yates often muttered, “Murphy was an optimist,” the press release said. In 2018, Yates led a successful ownership transition when Jon Thomas and Dan Kelbaugh fully acquired the firm.

“As evidenced by well over 50 years in the business, JR loves our industry and has enjoyed continued customer engagement since selling his portion of the company to us in 2018,” said Thomas, president and co-owner of the Yates Companies. “It is a fitting tribute to JR that we are celebrating his retirement in the same year that we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of N.H. Yates and the 50th anniversary of Hydronic Modules.”

Thomas added that, unlike his father before him, JR had actually planned to retire. The company said he looks forward to gardening, playing golf, traveling with his wife, Nancy, and spending time with his three grandchildren.