When Tony Smith was hired on as a crew chief and project surveyor at R&R Engineers-Surveyors, Inc. in 2013, the company was about to be fired from three different projects by three different clients. He immediately jumped into the business to find out what was going wrong in order to examine what he and his team could do to improve the current state of the firm.

 

“My first 18 months involved 60+ hour weeks in order to create structure and build back our client base,” said Smith. “Those three clients still work with us today.”

 

Smith didn’t plan for a long career with R&R. In fact, he only planned to work at the company for two years to gain experience and expand his knowledge of surveying. However, after 18 months, he was promoted to survey manager and realized that this career was one he enjoyed.

 

Smith began to make subtle changes to the company that created expansive growth and success. “We had a department of 12 with a small client base, a small reputation and a revenue of $1.2 million,” he said. “Over the next 24 months, we grew to 30 people, $4 million in revenue and our reputation exploded.”

 

 Through these efforts, Smith also experienced professional growth and was promoted to COO in 2017, eventually assuming the role of president in 2019. He said one of his biggest accomplishments has been placing more focus on mentoring and developing the company’s employees.

 

“We placed focus on applying balance to employees, clients and the company to move forward together as a united front,” he said. “From when I was hired on at R&R to our current state, my direct actions have resulted in a decrease in staff turnover of more than 50%.”

 

Smith’s work has gained him honors and respect in the community, too. He was a top 50 Winner of the CoBiz GenXYZ and recognized as a 40 Under 40 Winner by the Denver Business Journal. Smith’s employees have also recognized his contributions to R&R. According to his staff, “Tony leads with not only a keen business sense, but always with empathy. Not all leaders have a genuine interest in their staff, but Tony does.”

 

While it’s easy to get stuck in a rut and have a mentality of “that’s just how we run the business,” Smith has taken a different approach and constantly collaborates with the company’s leaders to keep R&R at the cutting edge.

 

“Leaders sometimes have to think quickly on their feet and have a tendency to say something to avoid conflict,” said Smith. “This can cause a disruption if you don’t stay true to your word. I learned this early on, but it has stuck with me. I always try to keep my word.”

 

For his determination, ability to think outside of the box and lead by example, Smith has been named a Titan 100.