Business Spotlight – Yates Management

Main entrance at Townhomes of Liberty Ridge

 

Company Name: Yates Management

Employee Name and Role: Andrew Yates, Owner

 

About the company. What do you do?

Andrew Yates is a real estate developer and investor and established Yates Management in 2005. Yates’ goal is to offer upscale apartments with outstanding customer service to the Findlay community. There are currently 8 employees working at Yates Management.

He also surveys the market for development opportunities as well as acquiring other apartment complexes. Yates’ newest 16-unit apartment complex, Cascades Heights, is slated to open in early September. Other apartments he owns include The Townhomes of Liberty Ridge, a 92-unit complex; St. Andrews Apartments, 24 units; and 10-unit Lincoln Villas.

What do you enjoy about your work?

Yates’ goal is to offer people a pleasant place to live, where he and his employees can take pride in how well they treat tenants, as well as the quality of the living space.

“We want to provide a nice place to live and treat people well. We pay attention to detail and try to view everything through the eyes of a tenant, and what it would be like to live there, Yates said. “I also really enjoy the challenges (working in this field) and figuring out creative solutions for them – whether it’s existing or new construction.”

Yates used that creativity in 2023 when he acquired a 12-unit apartment complex on Grand Avenue in Findlay that was going to be demolished for future expansion of the Findlay Family YMCA. Moving the building a mile and a half to McPherson Avenue to build his new complex, Cascade Heights, saved costs over new construction. The building was quite a sight – and a rare one – as it slowly made its way down briefly closed Main Street to its new location. He was able to upgrade the building and add onto it to construct a 16-unit, beautifully finished product.

What is your Founding Story?

Yates’ father owned a plumbing and heating company, and in junior high and high school, he would often help with commercial and residential jobs. Yates also assisted family friends with projects at their homes and became familiar with the trades in general. As high school continued, Yates became interested in real estate, viewing properties with his dad, investing in real estate, and even reaching out to real estate agents.

“As soon as I got my (driver’s) license, I started reaching out to real estate agents to look at listings,” he said. “I also spent a lot of time self-educating, reading books about business and real estate. They were impactful books that made it clear that this is what I wanted to do.”

Yates followed up on his passion, pursuing an education in business management, and Yates Management was born.

Company Culture and Values – What makes you stand out?

“We are trying to provide a better-quality living experience and option to live in Findlay than currently exists,” Yates said. “We are very detail oriented. Almost anyone renting from us could buy a home – we want to offer an option that makes someone opt to rent.

“We also want to be as efficient as we can be when taking care of tenants and keep improving upon it. If you need something, we want to focus on that – a good experience for the tenant through great customer service. It makes our job easier when the product stands out. I want mine to stand out.”

Why did your company choose to locate in Findlay Hancock County / Why is Findlay Hancock County a great place to do business?

“From an economic development standpoint, (former FHCED Executive Director Tim Mayle) and current Executive Director Dan Sheaffer have done a good job drawing good employees and supporting existing ones,” Yates said.  “I wouldn’t do what I’m doing in Findlay, Ohio if there wasn’t demand and a good community. I’m very fortunate to be able to do it where I grew up.”

If there were one take-away you would want people to have about your company, what would it be?

“The customer service standpoint – that I want to treat others as I would want to be treated.”

To Learn More:

Visit yatesmanagement.net. for availability and further details.

For Job Opportunities:

If you are interested in working in property management, call Yates Management at 567-206-8196 for more information.