Richard Smith



Richard Smith

Owner of R.D. Smith & Associates

Manufacturer’s Representative for Santana/Comtec/Capitol Industries

Rich grew up in West Oak Lane, Philadelphia, and graduated from Dobbins Vocational Technical High School where he studied auto mechanics.

After graduation, he joined the Navy and served as an aircraft handler on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Kearsarge, CVS 33 from 1961 through 1964. He trained for but did not see action in his adventures through Asia, visiting Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Hawaii. He was present when the Kearsarge picked up two astronauts, Wally Schirra, Jr. and Gordo Cooper, respectively, after their space voyages on the Sigma 7 in 1962 and the Faith 7 in 1963.

Rich was honorably discharged and decided to put his auto mechanics education to work in a gas station. After only two weeks, the boss recognized his flair for interacting with people, and posted him at the gas pumps to sell ‘extras.’ When his next paycheck arrived, it included something he had never heard of before, a commission check, that was larger than his regular pay. It was an epiphany that changed his life and his career; he has been in sales ever since.

In the early 1990s, after several successful ventures, Smith came onboard with Comtec Industries, a company that manufactures and distributes plastic toilet partitions and lockers. He owns his own company through which he is the regional manufacturer’s representative. Having recently purchased their only competition, Comtec is currently the industry leader in the world.

His sales experience has made him an oracle at company headquarters, where he is invited to speak to his colleagues about his unparalleled success and the strategies and techniques that have made him a paragon in the industry.

In the 1970s and ‘80s, Rich drove Super comp racecars in the Mid-Atlantic region. For one entire day, he held a drag racing speed record of 158 mph.

His proudest accomplishment is raising six children and spoiling six grandchildren. He lives in Westmont, NJ with Jean, his wife, best friend and traveling companion.

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