Company History

It started back in 1925 when E.J. Smith founded one of the country’s first golf course equipment distributorships.  Knowing very little about the fledgling turf care industry, he accompanied the representatives of the Toro Manufacturing Company to the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis to see a revolutionary new approach to moving the fairways.  Rather than trotting out the horses, this time five mowers were mounted behind a Toro Bull Tractor.  It was the very first application of mechanized golf course maintenance equipment and he immediately understood that this would be the future of the industry.  After starting out in Jacksonville, Florida, he relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina six years later with his son, Wayne Smith, Sr.  E.J. Smith knew for his new business to be successful, it must rely on four basic principles:  integrity, innovative products, exceptional service and an absolute commitment to the customer’s success.  Those four elements would become the benchmarks of the company and form the foundation upon which Smith Turf & Irrigation was built.  Four generations later, those timeless principles still steer this customer-focused business as Chairman Wayne Smith, Jr., President Steve Smith and Executive Vice President Anna-Lindsay Yarbrough continue the legacy of E.J. Smith. 

Today STI has over three hundred employees supporting and servicing our customers in North and South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Bermuda. STI corporate headquarters is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, with regional distribution centers in Richmond, Virginia and Nashville, Tennessee. Over twenty branches are strategically located throughout our territory for local support of residential and commercial irrigation, lighting and water garden contractors. Additionally, STI operates outdoor power equipment dealerships in our territory under the STI Turf Care Equipment banner. The TCE stores carry a complete line of commercial and residential lawn and landscape maintenance products, and each store has a comprehensive parts and service department as well.

STI’s products are market leaders in every category, assuring quality, reliability and performance. Service groups are staffed with experienced, factory trained and certified professionals and many have been nationally recognized for outstanding customer support. Our other resources include the largest mobile service fleet in the industry, STI’s extensive e-commerce site, and a passionate commitment to continued industry-related education through our exclusive STI and TCE University.   

The value propositions in partnering with STI are extensive. We offer the finest product choices across our market segments, as well as a wealth of knowledge, experience, invaluable resources and a lifelong history of unmatched service and support.  Smith Turf & Irrigation’s family owned and operated business has over 80 years of dependability, serving our customers with integrity, innovative product lines and an absolute commitment to their success.  And while a lot has changed since those early days in Minneapolis, thank goodness a lot hasn’t.