Nate Smith, the third sibling of the fourth generation of the Smith family to run DSC, is celebrating his 38th anniversary with the company this month. As he and his siblings, Teresa and Enoch, usher a new generation into the company, Nate’s role has shifted from working with the crews at the job sites to working with family in the office. 

 

He explains that the prep work required in construction is a lot more rigorous today than when he first started out when he was just 17 years old. With increased regulations, stricter safety measures and environmental concerns, a lot more paperwork is required to keep jobs running. “Back then when I started out, it was just working. I liked to work outside and be busy and loved being around the guys and learning new things,” he said. “Now I am not in the field as much, so the work has changed. I do miss working outdoors but I still get to enjoy interacting with the crew and my family every day.”

 

Nate says that his shift from the field to the office was a natural progression—and that field experience is a must to run a construction company. “You have to know the work; that’s number one. You have to have a foundation working the jobs so you know how to bid them because it’s not always as it looks on paper,” he explained. 

 

He says that field experience is also important when it comes to managing people. “You also have to have that experience to gain a perspective of the guys,” he said. “You have to be flexible and work with different personalities and working styles. You have to know the work, do the work, and manage people well. It’s not just about production, it’s about the people as well.”

 

Nate started as a Laborer during the company’s first southern push through Central Utah into Mantai, Ephriam and St. George. He worked on miscellaneous jobs like concrete and crumbing ditches (the removal of loose stone and dirt). Then he learned to fuse and worked as a fuser. 

 

He says that he was mostly out of town for the first 10 years with the company. He recalls the summers he spent working in 100-degree weather on the asphalt crew and working on high pressure projects in Tremonton, Nephi, Beaver, and Flagstaff. “It was so hot that when I got back to my 89-degree room at night, that was cool to me,” he said with a chuckle. 

 

Despite working outside in the elements—hot, cold, dirt, mud—Nate has always enjoyed the work and learning on the job. One of the biggest influences on Nate during the first couple of years, when he was working on the southern push jobs during the summers, was Jerry Peck. Nate says that while some of the guys didn’t like working for Jerry, he enjoyed learning from the knowledgeable foreman. “Jerry was a real taskmaster, an old-school foreman…he was a hard-working dude.” Nate would meet Jerry for coffee an hour before the crew showed up to help him prep the jobs and would then help close them out at the end of the day. He admired Jerry’s work ethic. “He would get more done than anyone I ever worked with, and people have said he was the best pipe hand they had ever seen,” Nate said. 

Reflecting on the past 38 years, Nate says that he is proud of the family-run business and what they have built together. “It’s hard work, but it’s fun and rewarding. Our hours are fair, and we provide steady work. We’re not laying off in the winter and starting up in the spring.”

 

He is also proud of the fact that his sons, Brady and Jake, are carrying on the family tradition. “I am excited that my sons are coming in and taking things over—keeping it in the family for another generation. I look forward to expanding our horizons as they come on board and take over different tasks.”

Although he is mostly in the office and not out in the field working on jobs much these days, Nate still has a need to get his hands dirty. In his free time, he likes to work on projects at his house and help his dad around the house. “Projects are always fun for me,” he said. “It clears my mind.” He also enjoys snow skiing, water skiing, 4-wheeling in Moab, and camping.

 

Please join us in congratulating Nate Smith on his long and successful career with DSC and wishing him continued success in the years to come!