Forty Under 40: Jeff Clapper
by January 1, 2015 12:00 am 208 views
Jeff Clapper says he is naturally inclined to help people.
“If I sense someone is stressed about something, I want to help them,” he explained.
8th & Walton does just that, offering training and education to retail suppliers so they can be better partners with what is usually their biggest customer — Sam’s Club and Walmart.
Clapper, a Chicago native, was previously a partner in the firm (founded in 2006) before transitioning to ownership last year. The company is now approaching 40 employees — there were six at the end of 2014 — revenue has doubled in the last year and the growth strategy includes expanded services to international suppliers.
The business also includes 8th & Walton Media, with a weekly show on local NBC affiliate KNWA-TV, as well as a weekly newsletter to more than 50,000 subscribers.
Clapper’s previous business successes include founding, building and selling an online video game company in 2011, just after relocating to Northwest Arkansas. He also led the restructuring and sale of his family’s 50-year old, niche consumer magazine business in 2006.
A double-major (economics and philosophy) at Ohio Wesleyan University, Clapper is also musically inclined. He plays trombone, guitar and piano, and has performed a baritone role in five operas, the first when he was just 19.
Clapper, who sits on the board of the Walton Arts Center Corporate Leadership Council, lives with his wife and two children in Bentonville.