Smith is a family-owned business with a history spanning more than 40 years. Since its establishment, it has focused on optimizing processes, encouraging innovation, and enhancing employee skills. The company is dedicated to providing high-quality electronic components and supply chain solutions to customers. Smith has multiple offices worldwide with a diverse professional team that prioritizes employee training and development, ensuring every employee can reach their full potential.

Smith is a US-based corporation founded by brothers Robert Ackerley and Leland Ackerley. The Ackerleys accurately foresaw the future potential of the electronics industry decades ago and progressively built their independent-distribution company to become a global leader in the field. Today, Smith's main business includes supplying electronic components and tailored supply chain solutions to various customers worldwide. Smith has more than 20 offices across four continents, including nine in Asia in places such as Hong Kong and mainland China, and employs more than 900 people globally.

This year, Smith once again won the Employer of Choice Award and the Asia Pacific Outstanding Employer Award. Further accolades include the Corporate Training Award and the Employee Engagement Award. Mr. Dan Kong, General Manager of Smith・s Hong Kong office, expressed his gratitude to JobMarket for presenting these honors to the company again. He said, "These awards acknowledge our ongoing efforts to create an inclusive and efficient work environment. With the help of Smith・s comprehensive learning platform, our sales and supply chain experts can fully reach their potential and continuously advance."
Annual Technology Summit:

Gathering Insight and Wisdom

Dan said, "We are always exploring innovative ways to promote and support the growth and development of our global employees. Winning these four awards motivates us to keep progressing to become a better company and create more value and a brighter future for our employees, customers, and partners."

Since its establishment, Smith has been committed to optimizing processes, encouraging innovation, and continuously learning and improving. Dan mentioned the company holds an annual internal technology summit called ELEVATE. Representatives from different departments and levels across Smith・s global offices gather at the headquarters to brainstorm and discuss how to optimize proprietary technology software. The goal is to gain an in-depth understanding of the progress and outcomes of various technology projects.

"The annual ELEVATE technology summit helps our employees gather wisdom, share insights, and implement innovative ideas for process optimization. This year marked our third summit. Over the past two years, we have collectively pushed through and implemented more than 150 optimization projects. We showcased many significant improvements to help support our five operational hubs, including our locations in Hong Kong and Singapore."

Smith University as a Pillar for Holistic Employee Development
For years, Smith has been committed to continuously advancing employees' professional skills and knowledge reserves, laying a solid foundation for the company's sustainable development. Mr. Henry Wong, Sales Manager from Smith・s Hong Kong office, said the company understands the importance of training for organizational development. Through diversified training programs, the company helps employees achieve remarkable success in career development and skill improvement.

"For example, our online learning platform, Smith University, provides comprehensive and continuous learning and development support for employees, including onboarding training and various courses from basic to advanced levels. We aim to develop employees into industry-leading professionals, allowing us to provide high-quality service experiences for our global customers." Additionally, the company has built a robust internship program, holding career talks at universities every year to attract potential graduates and solicit new talent beginning at the undergraduate stage.

Henry further pointed out that the company values employees' health and safety, continually providing optimal office facilities and technical support. For example, all Asian offices are equipped with curved computer monitors to alleviate the strain on employees' eyes from prolonged computer work. "We also hire professional private tutors to offer integrated consultation and training courses for the Operations team, focusing on work-injury prevention. Additionally, the company offers CPR and AED training courses to arm employees with key skills for handling emergencies."

Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle

Other health and safety measures, such as an onsite gym at the Kowloon Bay operational center, aim to encourage employees to pursue a healthy lifestyle, thereby creating a positive and agile corporate culture. Furthermore, the company gives travel kits to employees as a token of support for leisure trips.

Speaking about the company culture, Henry said he appreciates the company's human touch. Many colleagues have been with the company for more than 20 years, with many that came to Smith for their first or second job after graduating from university. "Colleagues get along like family. They communicate harmoniously without office politics, fostering a strong team spirit."

Incorporating CSR Activities Into the 40th Anniversary Celebration
Last year marked Smith's 40th anniversary, and the company held a series of celebrations at its global headquarters and regional offices. Ms. Winnie Wong, Senior HR Manager, APAC at Smith, stated that activities promoting corporate social responsibility were a highlight among the series of celebration events. "In Hong Kong, the Smith team organized cooking and baking activities. Fifty colleagues and their families baked cookies and distributed them inside meal boxes for the elderly. At the US headquarters, nearly 300 colleagues from all over the world inspected, sorted, and sanitized nonperishable food items at the local food bank."

Working together, the team at the Houston event helped to provide more than 500,000 healthy meals for families in need. Winnie added, "We hope to continue to actively support social responsibility and give back to our global communities through collaboration with different organizations. We also encourage colleagues to bring their families and children to participate in these meaningful activities!"

Smith's other global offices also held various celebration events. Employees from the Singapore distribution center participated in a marathon charity event, and the South Korea office joined a 5K charity run, which not only raised funds but also raised awareness about mental health. Other CSR activities included blood donation, community environmental beautification, Earth Hour Week, breast cancer awareness activities, and more.

"Participating in CSR activities injects positive energy into our team, allowing us to work together to contribute to the community, enhance cohesion and team spirit, and boost our brand image and social reputation!" said Winnie.

Encouraging Employee Participation in an Array of Activities

Smith's team members come from different countries around the world, and the company is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment to enhance the sense of belonging for employees. Specific examples include inviting new employees from the Asia-Pacific region to Hong Kong to participate in cultural-integration activities and training programs to gain a deeper understanding of the company culture.
The Hong Kong Operations team holds monthly birthday celebrations and organizes parties during festivals such as Lunar New Year, Easter, and Christmas. To add more festive elements, the company also organizes couplet-writing competitions, rice-dumpling-making activities, Easter egg hunts, and more. Furthermore, the company conducts Chinese-calligraphy art activities, friendly badminton matches, war games, and other diversified team-building activities that combine dynamic and static elements.

Winnie concluded, "Hosting these activities helps improve employee engagement and retention, enhance their work enthusiasm and satisfaction, and make employees proud to be part of a socially responsible company!"