
Prospering under the third generation of Smith
management, the Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.®
has been developing innovative engineered plumbing and
drainage products for more than 80 years. This
prosperity is the direct result of the company’s
commitment to its customers, representatives, vendors,
and employees.
In the 1920s, Jay L. Smith, a New York salesman for the
National Lead Company, saw a growing need for brass and
bronze specialties. Arranging to have his products
manufactured by other foundries, Mr. Smith began his
fledging corporation in his basement on Manhattan’s 94th
Street in 1926. It was established on a solid foundation
of fair dealing and customer service. Mr. Smith called
his new business Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.®
after his son Jay R. Smith.
By the 1930’s the brass business
was growing rapidly enough to
justify the services of a
full-time employee. That first
employee was Mr. Smith’s
19-year-old son, Jay R. Smith,
who gave up his twin careers at
the time – semi-pro baseball and
professional musician – to join
his father in the brass fittings
business.
In the 1930’s, an expansion into
marine products precipitated a
move to Newark, New Jersey.
During a time of national
economic distress, the value and
commitment to customer
satisfaction resulted in further
expansion and continued success.
In 1942, with the war effort
only months old, management
shifted to Jay R. Smith
following the death of his
father at the age of 77. Growth
after World War II resulted in a
much needed move and expansion
to a new facility in Union, New
Jersey and later to Piscataway,
New Jersey.
Sixteen
years later, in 1978, Jay R. Smith retired and the
company moved to its present location in Montgomery,
Alabama. The plant is located on a 33-acre site in
Gunter Industrial Park. The facility contains over
225,000 square feet of office, manufacturing, and
warehouse capacity.
Today, Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.®
is headed and owned by the president Jay L. Smith,
grandson and namesake of the founder. Three generations
of family ownership, coupled with a nationwide network
of committed sales representatives and service centers,
have enabled Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.®
to meet the demanding requirements of wholesalers,
engineers, and contractors by adhering to its mission: “To
be The Company of Choice in the Specification Plumbing
and Drainage Industry.”