Click here for Part I

Hand-crafted shutters adorning prominent buildings and homes throughout the U.S.

Rick Skidmore is the CEO and founder of Timberlane Shutters. Since 1995, Timberlane has furnished its customers’ homes and business buildings with built-to-order, hand-crafted exterior shutters and hand-forged hardware. The company has created shutters for prestigious clients such as the White House, Disney, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and its products are favorites among set designers for major Hollywood motion pictures. Timberlane has been featured on PBS, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Curb Appeal, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, and Katie Brown Workshop. Aside from leading Timberlane, Rick is also the bestselling author of Smart Business Growth: 12 Case Studies on Ways to Grow Your Business in a Timely, Yet Prudent Way, for Small Businesses.

EDWIN WARFIELD: You’re involved with the Philadelphia Young Presidents Organization (YPO), which was the impetus for your recent article in Inc. Can you talk about your work with the YPO? What value does it provide your business?

RICK SKIDMORE: YPO has been an incredibly powerful resource for me as a business professional but also as an individual. It’s cliché, but it’s kind of lonely at the top, and as a business leader, there’s only a small percentage of people that you commiserate with or go to when you have issues or problems.

Unless you’re really walking in similar shoes, it’s very, very hard. There are a lot of well-intentioned people that are very compassionate and empathetic, but they really don’t understand what it’s like to run a business or deal with an employee issue or deal with a strategy issue or bank issue.

YPO has created this community of like-minded individuals from all different walks of life, but there’s a common thread and there’s a commonality in terms of how we view the world. YPO is based on lifelong learning, and I’m a strong advocate of that. YPO has built a community of people that help you grow and help you learn. It’s been just a phenomenal resource.

Connect with Rick on LinkedIn

ABOUT OFFIT KURMAN

Offit Kurman is one of the fastest-growing, full-service law firms in the Mid-Atlantic region. With over 120 attorneys offering a comprehensive range of services in virtually every legal category, the firm is well positioned to meet the needs of dynamic businesses and the people who own and operate them. Our eight offices serve individual and corporate clients in the Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Northern Virginia markets, as well as the Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City metropolitan areas. At Offit Kurman, we are our clients’ most trusted legal advisors, professionals who help maximize and protect business value and personal wealth. In every interaction, we consistently maintain our clients’ confidence by remaining focused on furthering their objectives and achieving their goals in an efficient manner. Trust, knowledge, confidence—in a partner, that’s perfect.

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Edwin Warfield, CEO of citybizlist, conducts the CEO Interviews.

If you're interested in reaching CEOs, please contact edwin.warfield@citybuzz.co

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