Johnathon Smith enjoys a deep connection to Davie County, where his parents and grandparents have been proud residents for several generations. He may not know everyone in the community, but chances are, almost everyone has eaten at his parents’ barbecue restaurant at one time. He and his wife, Anna, continue the legacy for their two sons, building their family home on ten acres of property in the County with creeks, woods, and lots of space for the boys to roam.
Working at residential construction for a friend from church starting at age 15, Johnathon spent 13 years learning his craft, building his skills, and collaborating with other area builders. Since his company specialized in framing, he occasionally worked as a subcontractor with a Davie Construction team, on projects including the swimming pool at Tanglewood Park and Davie Dermatology. Through this connection, he learned of an opening for a Project Superintendent at Davie and successfully applied for the job.
“I was ready for a change and already had much respect and appreciation for Carl’s commitment to his clients, subcontractors, employees, and their families. I wanted to expand my learning on the job, and I already had strong friendships with many team members.” His decision to move was further validated when he and his wife took their oldest son to a Davie family hayride at Tanglewood Park, shortly after Johnathon joined the company in 2014. “My son was only three or so then, but he fell in love with Carl. He didn’t want to come home with us! That connection between Carl, Teddy, and our family has always been strong. I’ve been working nights on the Davie Courthouse project, and Carl wants to be sure I don’t miss any of my sons’ baseball games, offering to go in my place!” said Johnathon.
Johnathon considers every moment of his time on the job an opportunity to learn more and teach others. “I watch what our subcontractors are doing. I’m not an electrician, but I’ve gained a good understanding of their work by observation. My responsibilities as the Project Superintendent include helping anyone on the team who needs it. I’m not better than anyone else out there, and if they need my help, I’m ready to go. I must monitor site safety at all times. We want everyone to go home with everything they came with! I work to instill confidence in the owner that we will advise him of any changes and that they can trust us to be transparent and immediately communicate any potential issues so that we can resolve them quickly and to their benefit. I have a team of experienced construction professionals back at the office, ready to bring all their wisdom to the table to find solutions. Every time I drive by a completed project, I am gratified, knowing we brought our client’s vision to life and helped them grow a successful business.”
Johnathon believes that Davie Construction’s thirty-plus years of growth are due to management’s emphasis on family/work balance for all. “We are never forced to choose between our work and our family. Here, you are a Dad, Mom, Son or Daughter first, and an employee second. This philosophy of business builds a team that is happy, healthy, grateful, and loyal.”
Baseball is the Smith family sport, and Johnathon supports Clemmons’ Southwest Forsyth Little League by helping out as often as possible. “They aren’t giving out any financial grants for Little League, and so many kids benefit from the lessons of youth sports. I want to be active not only for my kids but also for those who may not have parents who are involved. If I can help give the players confidence, skills, friendship, and kindness in a world that can be very cruel with bullying and mean kids, then it is well worth my time and energy.”
When they aren’t playing baseball, the Smith family pursues their mission of visiting all the major league ballparks in the country. This summer, they spent a week visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, and the Yankees Museum in New York City. They also enjoy spending time with Johnathon’s parents, who live five minutes away, and Anna’s parents in Shallotte, NC.