Mr. Smith served as a product business manager for Strattec Security Corporation from 1997 until his retirement in 2019. In 2019 he was appointed one of three trustees of the Smith Family Voting Trust, which holds a controlling position in the stock of A. O. Smith, and he is a first cousin of fellow trustees Robert L. Smith and Bruce M. Smith. He is a member of the Smith family, which holds a controlling interest in the company.