Rodney I. Smith

Rodney Smith, a native of Fauquier County, Virginia, co-founded Smith-Cattleguard Company (later to become Smith-Midland Corporation) with his father in 1960. Capitalizing on the success of their new line of precast concrete agricultural products, the company soon expanded, adding underground utility products, highway safety barrier, utility buildings and sound wall to its product lines. These products were patented and equally successful. It was Rodney’s entrepreneurial spirit that put the company on a path of constant innovation that continues to this day.

Rodney became the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer in 1965. He has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors since 1970. Always looking for new ways to do business, Rodney founded Concrete Safety Systems in 1977. It was the first company formed to lease precast concrete highway safety barrier to contractors and state highway departments. In 1978, he formed Easi-Set Industries, the first full-service multiple product licensing company for the precast industry. Today, there are nearly 70 Easi-Set licensees in 42 states and nine countries. Also in 1978, Rodney led the establishment of Smith-Carolina Corporation, expanding the company’s manufacturing reach to North Carolina. Midland Advertising + Design, an in-house advertising agency for Smith-Midland Corporation (DE) and Easi-Set licensees, was another of Rodney’s innovative ideas. He served as president of the National Precast Concrete Association in 1979. He was named Virginia’s Small Business Person of the Year in 1980 by Jimmy Carter. He is a member of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete institute and the American Concrete Institute. He served more than 30 years on the Board of Trustees of Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Virginia, and has been an active leader in several local civic and charitable organizations, such as Midland Christian Academy.