Mark A. Smith

Mark A Smith, the Vice President of Operations, brings over three decades of expertise in diverse manufacturing, specializing in electrical distribution equipment production. His background began while serving in the Army’s 82nd Airborne, where his leadership training started as an NCO. Mark has honed his skills in leadership, discipline, and strategic thinking, which he seamlessly applies to his responsibilities at JST. His scope of responsibilities spans HR, HSE, Operations, Engineering, Project Management, Supply Chain, Quality, and Production, where he adeptly aligns the company’s objectives, consistently achieving stretch goals in safety, revenue growth, and quality through a continuous improvement mindset.

Mark’s operations career started as an hourly employee with Westinghouse, moving into Supervision with Eaton Electrical, followed by pivotal roles as Operations Manager with ABB, where the Team not only surpassed EBIT targets and achieved positive Operating Cash Flow (OCF), but also maintained an impeccable safety record. While at Eaton Electrical in Fayetteville, NC, Mark streamlined Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) production, implemented lean processes, and drove substantial enhancements in efficiency and customer satisfaction, setting monthly/yearly output and productivity records at Eaton & ABB that still stand to this day.

Mark describes his educational background as “The school of hard knocks” through “on the job training (MBWA/MBWTT)”, he was able to break the paper ceiling (STARs), achieving his first middle management role, before getting an associate degree in applied science in Business Administration – Operations Management from Fayetteville Technical Community College. Alongside he achieved certifications in computer science, Lean, Six Sigma, QMS, ISO & OSHA, currently pursuing additional training in human resources.  Mark has effectively integrated the spirit of QBQ! by John G. Miller into his leadership. He encourages and embodies servant leadership through his “3 simple rules” at work. (Rule #1/ Be Safe, #2/ Be Productive, & #3/ Have a little Fun) His unique combination of military training, work experiences and diverse learned skills position him as a seasoned leader for empowering employees to make meaningful contributions to the future of “Outstanding” Organization(s).