The new year officially marks the 50 year anniversary of L. I. Smith & Associates (LIS). This monumental milestone signifies half a century of innovation and commitment to developing successful infrastructure and shaping communities throughout the region. 

 Since its founding in 1975, LIS has grown from a small surveying business to what is now a full service firm, specializing in land development, infrastructure design, and surveying services. In fact, what was once an operation of two is now comprised of a diverse staff of nearly 50 employees, spread throughout two office locations. The highly skilled professionals on staff hold licenses in 12 states. 

LIS President, Patrick Smith said, “This anniversary is a direct reflection of the trust and loyalty of our clients, the dedication of our team, and our unwavering commitment to providing precise and reliable land surveying and civil engineering services.” 

Throughout the last five decades, LIS has become a premier provider of professional services, supporting projects across the Central and Southeast regions of the country. The company has been recognized by prominent industry awards such as the Small Business of the Year Award by the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority in 2016 and the Engineering Excellence Grand Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) in 2019. Looking ahead to the next 50 years, LIS remains dedicated to embracing new technologies and making a lasting impact in the region. 

“Reaching 50 years in business is a testament to the vision, hard work, and values instilled by my parents, Larry and Lucile Smith, when they founded the company in 1975. I am honored to carry this legacy forward while embracing the challenges and opportunities of the future,” remarked Smith. 

For more information regarding our upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations, please follow us on social media.  

Two students from the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) were selected as the 2024 recipients of L.I. Smith & Associates’ (LIS) Larry Isham Smith Civil Engineering Scholarship and the Lucile D. Smith Land Surveying Scholarship. The students are the inaugural recipients, as the program was established in February of this year.

“These students are the future of the industry. There is no doubt the recipients will each make a tremendous impact on the field as they enter the workforce,” remarked LIS Vice President of Marketing and Communication Ashley Horn.

The LIS scholarship program aims to recognize and support outstanding, local students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and a commitment to making a positive impact in the civil engineering and land surveying fields. After a rigorous selection process involving careful review and evaluation of numerous applications, LIS was thrilled to announce Estefania Silva and Will Gallimore as the first recipients of the LIS scholarships.

Through a new partnership with the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM), L.I. Smith & Associates (LIS) is thrilled to announce the implementation of two new scholarships. The annual scholarships will be available beginning this semester, Spring 2024, and will provide financial aid to local students pursuing their education in the civil engineering and land surveying fields.

“With nearly 30% of our employees being alumni or current students, UTM has become indispensable in our pursuit of workforce development,” commented LIS President, Patrick Smith. “As the university attracts local talent to remain in the region, LIS is continuously utilizing this strategy to attract and retain local talent. I am excited to further our relationship with UTM by awarding scholarships to these students.”

The scholarships bear the name of our cofounders and were developed to highlight their esteemed legacies. The Lucile D. Smith Land Surveying Scholarship pays homage to our former president and cofounder. She was a trailblazer in the surveying field, becoming the first woman in the state of Tennessee to become a licensed surveyor by passing the state-specific examinations. This scholarship is offered annually to local students on the land surveying and geomatics track at UTM.

The Larry I. Smith Civil Engineering Scholarship will be awarded to a local student earning a four year degree in civil engineering. Larry, from whom we gained our namesake, became a Registered Land Surveyor (RLS) in Tennessee in 1975. This professional licensure marked the birth of LIS, as it provided Larry with the necessary certification to do survey work at the professional level. He went on to earn professional engineering licenses in numerous states throughout the region, which led to the implementation of the civil engineering department at LIS.

“We are excited and honored to have this partnership with L.I. Smith and Associates,” said Jeanna Swafford, UT Martin Interim Vice Chancellor for Advancement. “Scholarships are vital to our students and enable them to earn their degree with less or no debt. We are fortunate that corporations like L.I. Smith see the value in supporting higher education and the impact UT Martin graduates make on the workforce in West Tennessee and beyond.”

Each scholarship is valued at $1,000 and provides financial assistance for recipients. To qualify, students must be in good standing with the university, maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and be considered a sophomore, junior, or senior. Additionally, each recipient must be a native of Henry, Weakley, Carroll, or Benton Counties and will be required to job shadow with LIS once per semester.

“By launching this scholarship and requiring they job shadow with us, we hope to spur the interest of local students to the career options right here in Henry County and the surrounding area, while also providing financial support as they complete their studies,” commented LIS Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Ashley Horn.

Two members from the L.I. Smith and Associates surveying team, Aj Maxwell and Tyler LaPointe, were invited to visit the University of Tennessee at Martin campus in early December.   

In preparation for the annual Mid-South American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Symposium surveying competition, Maxwell and LaPointe spent two days setting up a control network. This consisted of 10 metal pins being physically placed into the campus grounds at various locations. Each of the metal pens have a GPS coordinate and elevation assigned to them.   

The competition will be held April 4-6 at the UT Martin campus, and the work conducted by Maxwell and LaPointe is vital to the competition for the students. 13 ASCE Student Chapters from the Mid-South Conference Region will attend the competition. Aside from students using these pens during the ASCE competition in April 2024, UT Martin surveying students and campus staff can use them throughout the following years to collect data. The data collected throughout the years will show changes in elevation of the land and other various characteristics.   

The work LIS has done with UT Martin thus far came into fruition from LIS employee Aj Maxwell, Land Surveyor in Training, having the desire to give back to his alma mater in a professional way that other land surveying students could benefit from. LIS has 10 other employees on staff that are UT Martin alumni and 1 full-time staff member that is currently a student. LIS also currently has an intern who just graduated from UT Martin in December.   

“As a UT Martin alumna myself, and with 10 other alumni on staff as well, this is an amazing opportunity to partner with a local higher education institution that several of us came from. It feels like we’re giving back to UT Martin and we enjoy aiding in providing academic resources for future students as well.”, added Ashley Horn, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at LIS.