Community members in attendance at today’s Boardroom Breakfast, held in the Red Cross Building at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, heard from Yaculta Companies CEO Tim Price as he talked with Vancouver Business Journal Co-Publisher John McDonagh, and answered a variety of questions from the audience.
Price talked about his almost-40-year career, during which he has helped lead a wide range of companies, including Hollywood Video, The Limited, Kohl’s and more.
Here are 10 things we learned about Price and Yaculta Companies during the June 5 breakfast:
- After graduating from high school in Ohio, Price’s first job was at a local bank.
- While he attended college, Price said being exposed to people of different incomes and cultures was something that was very eye opening for him.
- After working as an accounts payable supervisor and then controller for The Limited, Price went on somewhat of a “road trip” to work with different companies, going to Denver, Wisconsin, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle.
- Price said some of his favorite work was during his eight years working with nonprofits, saying he learned more in that environment than any other. He also worked for three department store businesses, jokingly calling those “the dark years.”
- Price said he became involved with Yaculta Companies “somewhat serendipitously” during the summer of 2014. He called it serendipitous because he said he really knew nothing about the particular industry that Yaculta Companies works in.
- Yaculta companies is owned by the Nordstrom family. Yaculta supports Perkins Pacific, Pacific Power Group, Southwest Products and the Nordstrom Family Office by “providing leadership, finance, IT, accounting and marketing services to enhance the day-to-day operations at each company.”
- Price said there are seeing the most expansion and growth in the marine business area of what Yaculta does.
- Yaculta was first headquartered in Ridgefield, and later moved to the Vancouver area to be closer to Portland.
- Price said that the lack of skilled workers in the trades involved with the Yaculta Companies is the “single biggest issue that faces anyone who does what we do.” He said we have to have more people coming into these trades or they’re going to suffer.
- Looking forward five to 10 years, Price said his goal is to continue to narrow the focus of the business. Also, the company will continue to expand its territory in the marine business.
Boardroom Breakfast will take a break during the summer months. The next one will be Wednesday, Sept. 4.
