George Yardley graduated with a degree in engineering from Stanford in 1950. After serving in the United States Navy, George played in the NBA for 7 years (he was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996), working for Fluor, Robertshaw-Fulton, and in other engineering pursuits in the offseason.
George started the company in 1960, shortly before playing in his last NBA All-Star Game. Today, the George Yardley Company is a manufacturer's representative for industrial, institutional, and commercial products, serving the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and the Western tip of the Republic of Texas.