Smitty’s CRD Concrete Services launches
Local concrete expert starts his own business -
After nearly three decades in the concrete industry, Fort Wayne native Maurice A. “Smitty” Smith decided the time was right to put his experience to work by starting his own company. In March, he founded Smitty’s CRD Concrete Services, Inc. to offer a full line of services related to Commercial, Residential and Decorative concrete (thus, the CRD in his business name) as well as concrete repair services.
Smith is the only minority union concrete contractor licensed and registered in Fort Wayne. This puts him in a unique position to serve as a subcontractor for union contractors needing to fulfill the 10 percent to 15 percent minority participation clause in their construction contract, in addition to running jobs through his own superintendent’s and contractor’s license.
During Smith’s 26 years in the concrete business, he has acquired a vast array of experience while moving up the construction ladder. He started out as a laborer in the field of residential concrete installation and after just two years was promoted to a foreman. After 10 years in the industry, Smith became affiliated with the Laborer’s Union Local 213 and the Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ Union Local 692, making him a union contractor; and, for the past 16 years, he has worked as a concrete foreman for commercial contractors, including Michael Kinder & Sons in Fort Wayne, Bowen Engineering in Indianapolis, and Walsh Construction in Chicago.
All of this experience has provided Smith with a solid foundation (no pun intended) in the concrete industry. In addition to concrete flatwork and basement foundations, he has constructed high-rise buildings, bridges and roads, as well as installing decorative concrete. “There’s not much in concrete I don’t know, and my policy is to never settle for less when it comes to quality and taking care of my customers,” he says. He points out that because he does it right the first time, he has never had to go back and fix any of the concrete he has installed.
Smith worked with Scot Goskowicz of the Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center to get his business off the ground. “Scot’s been great – he worked with me on with my business plan, ran financial projections and helped me get everything in place.” The SBDC also provided him with confidence and encouragement. “You’ve got everything going for you,” Goskowicz told him. Smith plans to start his company out slowly, hiring subcontractors as needed, and eventually become a prime contractor once he gets the business built up. “I have my trailer, work truck and tools and am ready to roll!” he says.
For more information on Smitty’s CRD Concrete Services, call (260) 602-4884 or send an e-mail to smitty7820@verizon.net. To learn more about the services available through the Northeast Indiana SBDC, visit www.isbdc.org or call 260-481-0500.
Hello,
I would just like to commend Smitty on becoming a black business owner. My husband Lorenzo Taylor worked with Smitty on several different occassions with just about every construction company here in Ft Wayne.
While I loudly and graciously applaud Smitty for his great accomplishment, I am also proud that he stepped out on faith to do what God has willed him to do.
What is unfortunate is that my family has to relocate because there is “no work” for the Concrete Finishers which works out of a Union Hall. All of the
construction that had been going on in the downtown area (almost at our back door)my husband was constantly being told that there was “nothinhg going on” by the BA of the union hall. Not to mention the Mayor going on TV stating that the out of town contractor from Indianapolis that was overseeing “Parkview Field and the Hotel” project would hire 50% of the workers from the union hall here in Ft. Wayne. My husband walked to the work site on several occassions and talked with the foreman and was told that he had to put in an “application” with the contractor out of Indiananpolis. He did so and I personally faxed everything to their office and he never heard a word. Not to mention I work accros the street and I can count on two fingers how many black men I have seen at on this project. In every attemp to call the Mayors office regarding his promise to the city and union hall, we were referred right back to the job site (Interesting).
So Smitty, now that you have broken through some of those bariers I pray that you will put some of our black men in the construction business to work so that they will not have to depend on unemployment conpensation to pay their mortgage payments, lose their homes, or have to leave everything behinde to be able to provide for their families.
May God bless you, your business and your family!! Congratulations to you!!!
Bridget Taylor