A Strong Foundation and Growing Legacy – Celebrating 50 Years of LIS

From humble beginnings to industry experts, we’ve spent the last five decades growing, innovating, and shaping communities through engineering and land surveying. As we celebrate 50 years of innovation, we look forward to building an even stronger future together.

For 50 years, LIS has provided innovative services to Henry County and the surrounding communities. The family-owned business, named after cofounder Larry Isham Smith, has expanded throughout the decades from a part-time surveying company to the renowned full-service civil engineering and surveying company you see today, having won 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.

The Beginning

LIS cofounders, Larry and Lucile (Sherrod) Smith, met at the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) in 1970 and were married in October of that year. The pair later transferred to Tennessee Technological University (TTU), where Larry completed his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering while Lucile earned a degree in business education.

Shortly after graduating, Larry became a Registered Land Surveyor (RLS) in the state of 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. At the time, Larry was working within the construction industry and pursuing survey work part-time.

1980–2000

In 1980, Larry decided to pursue his surveying career full-time. As the workload increased, Lucile began to take an interest in the field and began accompanying him on job sites.

Larry and Lucile moved to Henry County in 1981 where they ran the, now full-time, company from their home for several years. When the company began to grow in 1986, the pair built a 2,000-square foot building behind their home. and continued to work from there. Their children, Jennifer, Patrick, Nathan, and Shannon, helped with the family business, both in the field and in the office.

Lucile, now the President of the company, and Larry, Vice President, turned their professional company into a corporation in 1996. During this time, Lucile became the first woman in the state of Tennessee to become a licensed surveyor by passing the state-specific examinations.

LIS changed office locations one last time, moving from the Smith’s backyard to its current location on North Caldwell Street in Paris.

2001–2018

To contend with the ever-changing industry, Larry and Lucile began exploring other services to offer, such as construction layout and engineering services. Coverage areas also grew with the addition of Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi. As these new service areas were added, offices were established throughout the region, with the current Nashville branch opening in 2004 to accommodate demand.

At the end of 2017, Lucile retired and Larry became part-time, still holding his position as Vice President. Their son, Patrick Smith, took over the company as President on January 1, 2018. Patrick is a Professional Engineer (PE) and Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) and holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Mississippi State University. Throughout his career, Patrick has received various awards such as the Young Engineer of the Year Award, Outstanding Individual Service Award, and Featured Engineer of the Year.

Patrick has held many positions in the company over the years, from working in the field as a child to becoming President. Through his leadership and renewed focus on engineering services, he has carried on the surveying tradition while expanding the company’s services and expertise.

2019–TODAY

With a fresh perspective, LIS has continued to embrace new technologies developed within the engineering and surveying world such as drone mapping, aerial mapping, and laser scanning.

The company has expanded to a staff of nearly 50 staff members, including a team of Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors, field crews, and office support staff, all of whom work together to provide multistate coverage for projects of all sizes throughout the Central and Southeast regions of the United States.

LIS continues to combine industry expertise with new, cutting edge technology to provide innovative solutions to real-world problems.