Being on the side of the road in the summer of 1975 was a watershed moment. An equipment breakdown, due to a supplier failing to deliver the right parts, created a chain of events that resulted in loss of life. I will never forget that moment and it’s what drives my “get it right at all costs” passion today. Even naming the company SMITH gave me “no wiggle room” to let someone down. But that’s why I did it, and every day I challenge my employees to continuously improve and to look for solutions to end our customer’s frustrations and help them earn more, removing faster.
As a former striping contractor, I have experienced firsthand the many job frustrations that arise when working with a supplier that just doesn’t care. Doesn’t care enough to ask the right questions. Doesn’t care if what they sold is correct or even delivered on-time. Working with the wrong supplier can make a job that looks profitable on paper, a money-pit. So in 1990, I founded SMITH Manufacturing with the goal to make roadways and walkways safer by producing and delivering the most innovative tools to help users REMOVE-FASTER, safer and more cost-effectively with better surface finishes. SMITHing is a known industry practice to make surfaces last longer.
When I started the company, I used my experiences and connections as a former coatings manufacturer and contractor to find the best people to develop the right removal solutions to best help users meet their job requirements and eliminate their frustrations. Our customers come from many markets. striping contractors buy SMITH cutter tools to help them remove unwanted roadway and parking line striping. In snow country, stripers use SMITH equipment to groove a controlled width and depth slot to inlay permanent markings flush with the roadway to prevent snowplow removal. Concrete contractors use a SMITH to eliminate trip and fall injuries by grinding down raised surfaces like sidewalks. Flooring contractors use a SMITH to make floors level or remove old surfaces correctly. When older concrete or asphalt surfaces need to be replaced, a SMITH is used to prepare the surfaces with the correct texture to allow a permanent anchor for new surfaces or coatings to be applied permanently. Tennis and Basketball court cracks are rejuvenated when SMITHed. Fedex Trucking Terminals use a SMITH through contract services to assure worn or misplaced parking lines are permanently removed. When re-striping, a SMITH is used to create the right surface-prep texture so the new stripe becomes permanent to handle daily truck deliveries.
When users call SMITH to order product for their job, one of the first questions we ask is “When do you need it” because most need deliveries right away. Our company is built to serve our contractor customers that demand product in stock and delivered to their jobs right away. That’s why we designed our production facility to be able to meet our customer needs and deliver product same day without delay. Our customers are anywhere there is a concrete or asphalt surface and that can be anywhere in the world. That’s why we partnered with Fedex Freight and Fedex Overnight Services because we know that when the customer says he needs it tomorrow or next week, it absolutely has to be there. Its our reputation on the line and Fedex is always there to pickup on time and deliver to our customers on the date promised.
Each day, I challenge my company and suppliers to come up with better ways to help make it easier for our clients to serve their customers. We know the work they do is dangerous, thankless but very essential to us all. They need the right tools and support so their job can be finished right and on time. Delays effect us all. Our commute to work takes longer, our sidewalks become hazardous and the places we live, work and play may not be accessible. But ultimately if we all deliver, lives will be saved and our mission is complete.
For more information about ways to make our world safer through lasting safer surfaces visit Xtreme Removal Team.
Best removal,
Steven Smith
Steven Smith
SMITH Manufacturing Co, Inc.
Carbide Scrape-It-Away Holder (P/N: E-12400.2402A) for fast removal of mastics, glues, plastics, epoxies, paints. This holder contains an ultra-premium grade 8-sided sharp 100% tungsten carbide scraping chip held at a fixed angle for effective removal.
SMITH Manufacturing introduces the new and improved FS390h combination scarifier & grinder attachment for contractors looking for only one machine to quickly and cost-effectively groove-inlay, surface-prep and/or eradicate stripes using their skid loader.
