Topeka Business Hall of Fame | Donald "DL" Smith

Photo by JOHN BURNS

DL Smith is a man of faith. He has faith that God will keep him on the right path; faith in the love and support of his family; faith that his business would be successful through good times and bad; and faith in strength of the community that he loves.

“God should be part of everything you do,” DL said. “Faith improves all aspects of your life.”

DL’s faith has served him well over his 80 years of life, and it just keeps getting stronger.

A FATHER’S WISDOM

DL grew up knowing the value of hard work. The son of two working parents, he also knew the value of a dollar. When he was 12, DL’s father bought him a lawnmower so he could earn some extra money in the summers. His dad would line up the customers and handle the money. At the end of the summer, when DL went to collect the money he had earned through many a sweat-filled day, his dad just shook his hand and said, “Congratulations, you just about have that mower paid off.”

“That taught me a valuable lesson. That business is more complex than just doing the work,” DL said.

FALTERING FOOTSTEPS

After graduating from Hayden High School, DL went on to attend Washburn University with the intention of pursuing some form of engineering degree. Like many students who head off to college, he had a really good time. So good in fact that he ended up on academic probation.

“I don’t hide from my faults,” DL said. “They are part of what made me the man I am today.”

After his second year of college, with a new wife at home, DL decided he needed to get a little more serious about his future and start supporting his family. Some electricians he knew encouraged him to do a four-year apprenticeship program to become a journeyman electrician.

“That apprenticeship was wonderful. I learned on the job, and it got me excited about electrical engineering again,” DL said.

He embraced that excitement and even though he was working as a project manager at a small electrical company in addition to taking night classes at Washburn, he enrolled in a summer class at Kansas State to explore the electrical engineering program.

“This time I was a little more serious,” DL said with a chuckle. “I now had three kids at home and couldn’t afford to goof off.”

DIVINE INTERVENTION

In the midst of juggling all those commitments, DL’s father- in-law came to him with a business idea. His friend owned a small electrical business, and he was ready to sell it. He told DL, “This is a good opportunity and I think you should do it.”

DL wasn’t quite so confident. Yes, he was an electrician, but he wasn’t a businessman, at least not yet. And it would be hard on his family. His wife, Suzy had just quit her job to stay home with their three children, and DL would have to leave his job with benefits and a regular paycheck. However, he agreed to meet with the owner and discuss the terms of sale.

“He offered me the business for $6,000,” DL said. “I told him I didn’t have $6,000. He offered to lend me $7,500, and I thought to myself, ‘If not now, when?’”

He took the proposal back home to Suzy, whose first reaction was panic. As the conversation went further into the night, panic gave way to possibilities.

DL and Suzy chose the now. They accepted the offer and in 1972, DL Smith Electric opened its doors for business. That first month was enlightening. DL learned the hard way that just because you have customers, it doesn’t mean they pay their bills on time. Thankfully, he had that extra $1,500 in the bank.

“I was scared to death, but I had to have faith,” DL said. “I didn’t know what I was doing, but I surrounded myself with people who did. I found a good accountant and an attorney and a banker that I could turn to for advice.”

PILLARS TO LIVE BY

DL hired another electrician and began the hard work of growing the business. Beginning with mostly residential projects, their reputation for excellence helped them grow into commercial and small industrial services.

As a man of faith, DL wanted to grow a company built on integrity, trust and communication. To that end, he established a set of core values that the company continues to operate under 50 years later.

“We perform best with a TEAM-APPROACH to deliver our services, are ACCOUNTABLE to each stakeholder within a project, EXPECT EXCELLENCE from each of our peers and partners, constantly look for INNOVATIVE ideas to improve our performance, and put a priority on RELATIONSHIP-DRIVEN opportunities.”

FAMILY FIRST

Continued success resulted in the addition of more employees, and that meant more responsibility for DL.

“I would wake up in the middle of the night worrying because I realized the people working for me were relying on me to support their families. Sometimes that was a heavy burden. I didn’t want to fail them,” DL said.

As most entrepreneurs know, nurturing a successful business takes an incredible amount of work and sacrifice. Time spent growing a business is time away from family. DL often found himself working from dawn to the wee hours of the morning, but his wife supported him. She only had one rule: he had to be home for dinner with the family and help the kids with homework. After that, he could go back to the office.

“I couldn’t have done this without the support of my family,” DL said. “Suzy is a strong, wonderful woman who did more than stand behind me—she pushed me forward.”

FAITH IN THE FUTURE

DL officially retired in 2005, after 32 years running the company, but remains advisor to son, Shawn, who took over the business. Throughout the transition process, DL was still thinking about his extended work family, so he consulted psychologists and business transition specialists to guide his steps.

“I wanted to make sure those people who had been with me on this entire journey and helped to make the company a success felt like they were still important and valued,” DL said. “I guess it worked because no one quit. Those long- time employees stayed until they retired out of the company.”

Today, DL’s faith is stronger than ever. When he looks back at his life, he can see the hand of God everywhere. And that gives him hope for the future. That is also why he feels it is so important to use the blessings he has received to give back to others.

“Someone helped me get to where I am, and I hope my actions help someone else,” DL said. “That is why the work the Junior Achievement does is so important. It benefits not only the students, but the businesses that participate in the program.”

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