First and best

By Jessica Britton

Alicia Smith never enjoyed school. She went to college for two years. While there, she decided she would rather learn on her own and work full time. Smith is now the Vice President of F&S Building Innovations, the President of Build Smart Institute, and the co-owner of Smith Home Inspections.

When she was two years old, her father would bring Smith and her siblings to job sites. That’s where she fell in love with hard hats and hard work. At 13, she began working part time in the office. She learned how to do administrative work and the ins and outs of the industry.

Smith’s father founded F&S Building innovations in 1976. She learned about leadership and servitude from him.

“He's been a great role model and taught me everything I know,” Smith says. “When I’m in a leadership position, you’ll find me asking how I can help.”

Smith believes a leader must be willing to get on the level of their employees and work with them to do the hard things. She is proud of the team of 90 employees she works with and works closely with team members whether it’s helping in the field, the office, or working with project managers.

As Vice President of F&S Building Innovation, Smith wears several hats. She handles all aspects of marketing, she is the resident interior designer, and directly manages the residential division, oversees residential projects, renovations, and custom homes. F&S has been regarded as the premier commercial construction company serving Central Virginia and F&S does several hundred projects a year.

“To us it may be project number 1,643, but to the customer, it may be the only time they need a construction company,” says Smith. “We do our best to give our customers the product that we promised to deliver.”