Garland Smith Joins Stellar as Food Logistics Business Developer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (August 06, 2021) — Stellar, a fully integrated firm focused on design, engineering, construction, refrigeration and mechanical services worldwide, is proud to welcome Garland Smith as a business developer in the company's Food Logistics division.

Smith will focus on growing new and existing business relationships in the foodservice distribution, public refrigerated warehousing and retail supply chain sectors across the country.

Before joining Stellar, Smith spent 20 years in the construction industry, with most of his career as a senior manager directing and overseeing projects. He has worked on numerous successful food and beverage projects, including:

• A $72 million expansion and renovation of a food processing facility for Sugar Creek Packing Company in Indiana (named Food Engineering’s 2016 “Plant of the Year”)
• Managing LEED Silver certification for a new $78 million meat-slicing plant for Plumrose USA in Iowa (named Food Engineering's 2013 "Sustainable Food Plant of the Year")
• Serving as the owner's on-site project manager for the construction of a $200 million Coca-Cola bottling plant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Serving as an on-site project manager for the $130 million construction of a new headquarters and baby food processing facility for Beech-Nut Nutrition Company in upstate New York

Smith spent the first 10 years of his career working in the field as an engineer, superintendent and on-site project manager.

"That boots-on-the-ground experience is invaluable now that I'm on the business development side of things. Understanding a construction project's challenges and opportunities first hand means I can serve clients more effectively and better communicate with teams in the field," said Smith. "I look forward to leveraging that experience for an industry leader of Stellar's caliber."

"Garland understands the food logistics market and knows many of its major players," said Wyatt Payne, Divisional Vice President, Stellar. "He's a key addition to our team as we continue pursuing this market and building the facilities that keep our food supply chain humming."

Smith graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Commerce and Business Administration.