50th Anniversary Proclamation

P R O C L A M A T I O N

WHEREAS, it is fitting that the members of this legislative body should recognize and commend those exemplary businesses that, through an abiding commitment to excellence, have contributed greatly to this State for many years; and

WHEREAS, Smith Family Companies, with its corporate offices in the town of Moss in Clay County, is one such outstanding business, which will celebrate fifty years of dedicated service to the good people of Tennessee on October 27, 2018;

and WHEREAS, founded by Doug Smith, a Clay County native, and his father, Lemuel Smith, the company started production of broom handles in 1968 and converted to pallet production shortly thereafter;

and WHEREAS, in 1973, Doug Smith married the love of his life, Janie Smith, and the couple enjoyed many years of marital bliss before his passing in 2011;

and WHEREAS, today, Smith Family Companies is owned and operated by Janie Smith, along with Doug and Janie Smith’s children, Shane Smith and April Smith Patterson;

and WHEREAS, a highly successful enterprise, Smith Family Companies has created more than twenty businesses over the past fifty years, some of which have been sold, consolidated into other family businesses, or closed;

and WHEREAS, the impressive roster of businesses currently owned by the Smith family includes Honest Abe Log Homes, Southern Timbercraft, Barky Beaver Mulch and Soil Mix, GF Hardwoods, Moss Sawmills, Happy Trucking, Green Forest Products, The Wood Store, McFarland Creek Outdoors, Acres of Grace Farms, The Mill Storehouse, and A Southern Marketplace Barn Sale;

and WHEREAS, robust growth and economic vitality have been the hallmarks of Smith Family Companies throughout its illustrious fifty-year history; since its inception, the business – 2 – has created 1,000 jobs, bought and processed 1 billion feet of timber, shipped 100,000 trailer loads of lumber, and processed and sold 50,000 loads of bark and chips;

and WHEREAS, combined sales of all Smith Family Companies exceed $1 billion and provide an economic impact on the local economy of $100 million, with purchases ranging from fuel and batteries to general supplies;

and WHEREAS, the company has evidenced the highest levels of dedication and commitment to the communities it serves, contributing millions of dollars in charitable donations and providing generous community support;

and WHEREAS, Smith Family Companies has operated with acumen and integrity for fifty years, and the members of this legislative body find it appropriate to acknowledge and applaud this outstanding business for its ongoing commitment to excellence; now, therefore,

I, Randy McNally, Speaker of the Senate of the One Hundred Tenth General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, at the request of and in conjunction with Senator Mark Pody and Representative Kelly Keisling, do hereby proclaim that we honor and congratulate Smith Family Companies on the celebration of the company’s fiftieth anniversary, applaud its ongoing legacy of integrity and commitment to excellence, and wish it much continued success in the future. Proclaimed in Nashville, Tennessee, on this the 18th day of September 2018.

Randy McNally Speaker of the Senate

Mark Pody, Senator 17th Senate District

Kelly Keisling, Representative – 3 – 38th House District