Fourth-generation company creates a passion for plumbing

Similarly, all of the showrooms feature moveable product. “Nothing is bolted to the ground,” he says. “It’s all mobile. You can pull any faucet from any wall and pair it with any sink, which is displayed in its own ‘shadow box’.”

However, each showroom is styled according to its representative location. For example, those in northern Arizona have a more rustic feel, since many clients shop for products for their cabins. Conversely, Scottsdale is more contemporary, while the Phoenix location has a natural feel where one display features reclaimed barn wood that Smith had brought in from an old structure in his family’s home state of Illinois.

“It’s something sentimental to me,” he says, recalling stories he shared with his grandmother regarding the treasure hunt. “It really captures what I want design to be. For me, I want elements that remind me of people and experiences I love.”

That design philosophy bodes well with his passion for the business, and his desire to help people do more than just select a faucet. “So many companies are focused on one type of customer, the one that can give them an expensive sale,” he says. “But I like running the gamut of design. It isn’t necessarily all high end anymore. It used to be that if you wanted something beautiful, you had to spend money. As time has gone on, there are so many economical products that have taken design into new directions. It’s about bringing beautiful, interesting products to a wider range of income levels. The way I see it, I want to get more people to care about having beautiful products they interact with every day.”