This article was published in the May 28, 2024 edition of the Le Mars Sentinel.

LE MARS — A celebration of 30 years of business in the Le Mars area was held at SmithCo last Wednesday. Founder Greg Smith spoke about how much the company has grown since the early years of building trailers and how there are 25 employees going on 10 plus years of employment at SmithCo.

SmithCo started in 1994 at a location just north of the current plant that was built in 1999. Smith sold the plant and retired in 2019. 

“We went from producing three trailers in the first year and now produce 500 a year,” said Scott Lovell, president/CEO of SmithCo, who started with the company in 2000. “We have done 600 per year, but the economy has slowed down. It is showing signs of picking back up.”

There are 119 full time employees at SmithCo helping create a product that been sold in every state of the United States along with Canada, Mexico, Guam, South America and the United Arab Emirates. The trailers originated as general dump body style and have evolved into different kinds of trailers for applications and material thickness. 

“We used to have spring suspension trailers and now the trailers are air ride,” said Lovell. 

Growth and expansion are part of SmithCo’s seven year plan to double sales to 1,200 trailers produced per year. Lovell said if the goal is reached the plant will expand by 300 feet by 75 feet to the west of the current facility. The painting and metal fabrication departments will be expanded. 

Lovell also said staying involved with the Le Mars community is important to SmithCo.

“We want to be seen as a community member,” said Lovell. “We’ve been able to partner with the city on projects including the Le Mars daycare center.”

“Le Mars is seen as the ice cream capital of the world, but someday we want to be seen as the side dump capital of the world,” added Lovell.