George Smith

George Smith is the Co-Founder of Wharton-Smith Construction Group. He has more than 50 years of experience in the construction industry. His strong operations background ranges from surveying, highway, and water to general building construction. His passion for finance, estimating, and operations has assured in-depth knowledge of all functions throughout the organization. George retired from his position as President and CEO of Wharton-Smith in April 2005 but is still active in his role as Chairman of the Board.

Alongside Bill Wharton, George founded Wharton-Smith, Inc. in 1984. He led the company’s growth from a first-year volume of $1 million to a current annual volume of more than $400 million. Prior to founding Wharton-Smith, George worked at Bay-Con Corporation, Inc. where he was hired as Project Manager in 1969 and was promoted through the positions of Vice President, General Manager, and Chief Operating Officer of the subsidiary Bay-Con General, Inc.

George held the following licenses: General Contractor, Pollutant Storage Systems Specialty Contractor, Ohio State-registered Professional Engineer, and was an Ohio State-registered Surveyor. George is still an active member of Associated General Contractors and Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc.

In addition, George has personally received the following awards: The Joseph A. Oritt Service Award, presented by the Central Florida Zoological Park; “Distinguished Alumnus” award, presented by Ohio State University’s College of Engineering and Knowlton School of Architecture; and a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Seminole County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Outside of work, George enjoys gardening and spending time with his two children and six grandchildren. He resides in Longwood with his wife of 57 years, Gretchen.