Economy

Obituary: Craig Yarde, Yarde Metals

Written by Tim Triplett


Craig Yarde, founder of Yarde Metals in Southington, Conn., died Jan. 25 at the age of 71.

Yarde was known for his “out-of-the-box business philosophy” and entrepreneurial approach to managing the metal distribution and processing company he founded out of his home in Bristol, Conn., in 1976. After the service center was sold to Reliance Steel and Aluminum Co. in 2006, Yarde founded YardeZone, a business consultancy.

“It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of our founder, Craig F. Yarde. Craig positively impacted everyone he came into contact with, and his principles of dignity and respect for all Yarde Metals associates, customers and suppliers have become the cornerstone of our company values,” Yarde President and COO Matt Smith said in a Facebook post. “We are forever grateful that we have today an institution in Yarde Metals that embodies his principles and ideals. We pledge to keep his memory alive and to pay it forward every day in the way we conduct our business.”

By Tim Triplett, Tim@SteelMarketUpdate.com

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