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July 27, 2026
FOND DU LAC – For C.D. Smith Construction, building has never been just about bricks, steel and concrete.
As the company celebrates its 90th year in business, President and CEO Justin Smith said its greatest legacy is the impact it has made on the communities it serves.
“C.D. Smith is committed to creating a brighter future, not only for our family but for our community and future generations as well,” he said.
Founded in 1936 and headquartered in Fond du Lac, Sara Wild – senior marketing and communications specialist – said the commercial construction company has built a reputation for delivering complex projects with a commitment to quality, collaboration and innovation.
“Today, we deliver projects in health care, education, manufacturing and industrial facilities, food and beverage processing, corporate offices, entertainment venues and so much more,” she said. “C.D. Smith provides a full range of construction services for public and private clients throughout the Midwest and across the United States.”
Per cdsmith.com, the construction firm has several areas of expertise:
- Construction management – Overseeing projects from planning through completion, including budgets, schedules and subcontractor coordination.
- General contracting – Managing all aspects of commercial building construction.
- Design-build – Providing a single-source approach that combines design and construction under one contract.
- Preconstruction services – Assisting clients with budgeting, estimating, scheduling, constructability reviews and value engineering before construction begins.
- Self-perform trade services – Performing certain construction work with its own skilled workforce rather than relying entirely on subcontractors.
“We don’t work on residential projects – that is one thing we don’t do,” Wild said. “We work primarily in Wisconsin, but we have worked across the United States. For example, we’re preparing to kick off some projects in Pennsylvania. We have also worked in Washington and in Iowa.”
Though C.D. Smith has done work nationally, Wild said the company is proud to be a Wisconsin-based contractor.
“We are building your local schools, churches, manufacturing plants, hospitals, etc.,” she said. “We do a lot, and we’re proud of it.”
Standing out above all the rest
With a plethora of construction companies available in Northeast Wisconsin, Wild said it’s simply not good enough to fall back on nine decades of service.
“You have to stand out,” she said.
Wild said C.D. Smith’s greatest strength has always been its ability to build lasting relationships.
“Our ability to build relationships has really stood out to me, especially being somewhat newer to the company,” she said. “We never walk away from a job, and we are there for you even after the construction is done. If somebody needs something – no matter when – we are there.”
Wild said C.D. Smith’s emphasis on building strong relationships is reflected in its high number of repeat clients.
“I think that says a lot,” she said. “It’s one thing to have a first-time customer, but I think it means even more when they return. They know we are going to do quality work, and we’re going to do it right the first time.”
Being family-owned, Wild said, is also a big part of C.D. Smith’s success.
Those values and the fact that Justin Smith is in the office daily, she said, help prove her point.
“He’s very involved and very dedicated to the success and the future of the company,” she said. “I think that makes a big difference.”
A storied history
C.D. Smith Construction’s story began in 1936, during the height of the Great Depression.
According to the company’s website, founder Charles D. Smith was working as an estimator and project manager for a Fond du Lac construction company when he decided to take a chance on himself.
Believing he could achieve more on his own despite the challenging economy, Smith – per the website – launched what would become C.D. Smith Construction.
Five years after founding the company, Charles’ son, Donald, joined the business, prompting the firm to adopt the name C.D. Smith and Son.
In the years that followed, C.D. Smith continued to grow under the leadership of Thomas D. Baker and Donald’s son, Gary M. Smith.
“My great-grandfather started C.D. Smith Construction to provide the best value, quality and service in the construction industry while building strong relationships,” Justin said. “Today, 90 years later, we work hard to ensure that his philosophy remains our priority.”
The company’s website states that C.D. Smith marked another milestone in 2019 when it opened a new corporate headquarters in Fond du Lac and established additional locations in Madison, Milwaukee and La Crosse.
Give-back mentality
Using its platform to give back, Wild said C.D. Smith works closely with multiple nonprofit organizations throughout Northeast Wisconsin and in the other communities where it operates.
In the last 10 years, per the website, C.D. Smith has donated more than $4 million to businesses and organizations throughout the State of Wisconsin, from small community clubs to large nonprofit organizations.
“We take pride in our philanthropy work,” Wild said. “Being part of the community is definitely very important to us. C.D. Smith encourages its employees to be active members of their communities. Many of our employees serve as board members, officials or regular volunteers for local organizations they support.”
C.D. Smith also supports employee giving by matching charitable contributions dollar for dollar to approved nonprofit organizations – which Wild said includes Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a national nonprofit dedicated to building beds for kids.
Volunteers, community groups, schools, churches and businesses, she said, come together for “build days,” where they cut, sand, assemble and finish wooden beds.
“Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a big one for us because it involves building – just like C.D. Smith does,” she said. “We hosted Walleye Weekend [in early June] where the public came and built beds. We also do several events internally for employees, where they will volunteer for a weekend and sign up for shifts.”
Wild said C.D. Smith also supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fond du Lac County, where a recent employee presentation led a “good number” of team members to sign up as volunteers.
“They’re right down the road from us,” she said. “We also support the Boys & Girls Club [of the Tri-County Area] in Ripon as well. We just built them a beautiful facility. We are [also] completing renovation work on the Boys & Girls Club in Fond du Lac, as well as the YMCA in Fond du Lac, too.”
