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Nation’s Best has announced the retirement of regional vice president Greg Smith, marking the conclusion of a 50-year career in the building materials and home improvement industry.
Smith currently serves as regional vice president of Nation’s Best’s South Central region, overseeing operations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and California. During his five years with Nation’s Best, Smith has played an important role in supporting the company’s continued growth, strengthening store operations and developing leaders across a diverse and expanding network of businesses.
“Greg represents the very best of this industry,” says Chris Miller, president and CEO of Nation’s Best. “He understands the business from the ground up because he has done virtually every part of it during his career. More importantly, Greg understands that this business is ultimately about people and relationships. His experience, integrity and commitment to his teams have made Nation’s Best a better company, and we are incredibly fortunate that he chose to spend the final chapter of his remarkable career with us.”
Smith began his career with E.C. Barton & Company as a part-time yard hand and truck driver. Over nearly 34 years with the company, he held positions spanning accounting, warehouse operations, sales, purchasing and operational leadership. His roles included general manager of warehouse operations, district manager, vice president of operations and chief purchasing officer. Smith also served on E.C. Barton’s board of directors for the final 17 years of his tenure.
Smith later joined Kodiak Building Partners, where he was part of the company’s operating leadership team and served as president of Gulf & Basco in the Houston metropolitan area before ultimately joining Nation’s Best.
Over the course of five decades, Smith has developed a reputation for deep industry knowledge, operational leadership and an ability to build strong, lasting relationships with employees, customers, vendors and fellow industry leaders.
As regional vice president for Nation’s Best, Smith has helped guide businesses across multiple markets while supporting the company’s model of maintaining the local identities and relationships that made its partner businesses successful in the first place.
“The building materials industry has put food on my table my entire life, but what it has given me goes far beyond that,” Smith says. “It has given me lifelong friendships, valuable lessons, unforgettable experiences and opportunities I could never have imagined when I started. I leave this chapter with a thankful heart, wonderful memories and great excitement for what comes next.”
In retirement, Smith plans to spend more time with his wife, Stacy, their family and friends, travel and enjoy the people and activities that often had to take a back seat during his career.
“Fifty years is an extraordinary milestone, but Greg’s legacy is about so much more than the length of his career. It’s in the people he has mentored, the leaders he has developed, the relationships he has built and the impact he has made along the way,” says Amber Little, chief human resources officer of Nation’s Best. “I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Greg for the past five years, and I’m personally grateful for the experience, perspective and friendship he has shared so generously. He has made Nation’s Best better, and he has made the people around him better. We couldn’t be happier for Greg and Stacy as they begin this very well-earned next chapter.”
