Today RJ Smith Construction has more than 300 employees and three offices - its headquarters at 1711 Reymet Road in Chesterfield County, an office in Bealton and one in Isle of Wight County.

The business community is noticing [Richard Smith]'s accomplishments. The company recently won Chesterfield's 2006 First Choice Business of the Year Award and was a member of the Rising 25, an annual list of the Richmond area's fastest-growing private, independent businesses, sponsored by the Greater Richmond Chamber, the accounting firm of KPMG and The Times-Dispatch.

Career highlights: 1995, started RJ Smith Construction Inc.; commercial excavation; 2000, started RJ Smith Containers Inc.; 2002, started RJ Smith Utilities Inc.; 2003, started RJ Smith Demolition; 2004, started RJ Smith General Contracting; 2005, started Chesterfield Commercial Realty