Member of Morris Group International
About Us
Today and Tomorrow
A Lens on the Next Century
The Montgomery campus has grown into a major manufacturing and distribution hub for Morris Group International, supported by advanced automation and a diverse workforce spanning multiple states and countries.
Today and Tomorrow
A Familiar Place and a Changing One
Yet the core expectations feel very much like those described by long-term employees: keep your promises, look out for one another, and treat the company’s success as something shared.
Our Story
Built a Business Resilient Enough to Span a Century
Reliability and fair dealing were not slogans; they were how the company weathered economic ups and downs in its first decades.
The Early Years: The 1920s - 1970s
In the early years, the company’s story was measured less in square footage and more in promises kept. First in his New York basement and then in a modest New Jersey shop, founder Jay L. Smith built his business one order at a time, listening carefully to what customers needed and then finding a way to deliver.
Growing Up: From Small Shop to Extended Family
The move from New Jersey to Montgomery in the late 1970s marked the beginning of a new chapter and, in many ways, a new company. Long-time employees, all hired within the first year in Alabama, remember “growing up together” at Smith in those years.
The Morris Connection: From Reps to Family
By the 1950s, another part of the Smith story was unfolding on the opposite coast. In California, a young rep named Earl Morris represented Smith products through the Earl L. Morris Corporation (Elmco), building a strong West Coast market for Smith’s drains and specialties.
Today and Tomorrow: A Lens on the Next Century
“We are preserving a century of strength by harnessing data and analytics to guide our path to the future. This allows us to make informed decisions while retaining the intuition and people-first culture that have shaped us.”
Barrett Morris, President, Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.
Looking ahead, Barrett describes the opportunity as one to build on what generations have already proven and give new employees the same chances to move up that all those 40 and 50-year veteran employees experienced.
What Endures
Keep your promises, look out for one another, and treat the company’s success as something shared.
That means continuing to invest in automation and AI while staying nimble in niche markets and holding onto the simple commitments that started in a New York basement: do the work well, keep your word, and make it a place where people want to spend a lifetime, if they choose.
Built Something That Would Last
From the beginning, Jay L. Smith set out to build something that would last: a company whose promise meant something to customers, and a workplace that invested in its people.