This winter will bear unique significance for more than just Sun Valley Resort, which will celebrate its 75th ski season, more than any other destination ski area.
One of the world's premier ski-goggle makers, Smith Optics, has reached 45 years in business. And despite growing from just one orthodontist building goggles at his kitchen table using dentistry tools into an empire selling its products in 50 countries and employing about 400 people, one thing hasn't changed. Smith's headquarters remain in remote Ketchum.
Smith's 21,000-square-foot building on Northwood Way doesn't look much different than any other office building. Its lines are plain, quiet and clean. It has reflective window after window on each floor. But waiting in the lobby, one can hear what sounds to be a large dog lapping water out of a bowl. A man walks out of a nearby office wearing shorts, flip-flops and a baseball cap. Within two minutes, three others walk by, each led by dogs. The pony-sized pup, looking to be predominantly chocolate lab, must've been the thirsty one.
This atmosphere speaks to the attitude of the company started by San Rafael, Calif., dentist Bob Smith, who was just a "total ski bum and a ripper" at heart, in the words of Greg Randolph, Smith's "publicly relating communicating manager," according to the title on his business card. Everything about the company—the founder, employee attire and even the light-hearted business cards—speak to why Smith is synonymous with Sun Valley. Smith's leaders don't just make eyewear for downhillers. They are their clientele, the active outdoors adventurers.
"This is where the people are," Randolph says. "I think the people are the company. To move would change what it is. Smith has been very successful here. We don't want to mess with it."
He said the small town can make recruiting difficult, but "once you get someone here, they usually stay."
Turnover for the office of 68 employees stands at about one person a year, Randolph claims. This summer, Outside magazine ranked Smith as the fourth best place to work in North America, an honor received for three straight years. Ranking is based on confidential worker surveys gauging satisfaction with benefits, compensation, management style and other topics. Employees receive extended lunch hours meant to prompt workers to get outside. Employees also receive an annual $1,000 stipend to offset the cost of a ski pass or pretty much anything else that can be loosely tied to "product testing."
Randolph said the valley and Bald Mountain are a great testing ground for the company, which has broken ground several times since Smith and his friends developed the first thermal-lens, foam-vented ski goggle in 1965 to prevent fogging. Smith sold the handmade goggles to pay for lift tickets during ski trips to Utah.
Founder Smith eventually headquartered the company in Sun Valley after it started to make headway in the early 1970s.
"Sun Valley was the ski-bum town," Randolph said. "The place was full of ski-bum shredders."
Since then, Smith Optics developed the Turbo Fan Constant Air Management System for goggles and the Slider 01, the first dual-lens interchangeable sunglasses.
Several industry icons, such as Powder magazine, were also born here. In 1972, two brothers launched the first issue of Powder from an old Ketchum cabin. Powder, however, left.
Randolph said Smith has been able to stay, especially as of late, because technology has enabled connectivity despite chasms in physical distance.
"In today's world, location is irrelevant," he said, referring to a company's headquarters. He said the Internet has, obviously, enabled this more than anything.
The Ketchum office is responsible for product design, finance and company leadership, but manufacturing is done in Clearfield, Utah, about 20 miles north of Salt Lake City. That's because location does matter in manufacturing because of the materials and shipping services needed.
The company has grown a great deal since a skiing dentist tried his hand at goggles to pay for his passion.
"However, we're not growth-focused, but success-focused," Randolph said.
He noted that Smith isn't making watches or a bunch of other apparel, using the brand to sell the items, but keeps its eye on eyewear. In that realm, the company does continue to evolve. After seven years of manufacturing ballistic eyewear in an exclusive agreement with Ketchum-based ESS, Smith was registered this year as a certified and approved supplier to the U.S. military.
Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com
Smith Optics timeline
1965: Bob Smith and friends develop the first thermal-lens, foam-vented ski goggle.
1966: Bob Smith hand-builds goggles in his garage and sells them to skiers during weekend ski trips to Utah.
1967: Bob Smith strikes a deal with Klaus Obermeyer of Aspen, Colo., to sell goggles through his sales force. Deal lasts one year.
1969: Bob Smith starts producing the "Original" Smith goggle in Rifle, Colo., with a contract manufacturer.
1971: Bob Smith strikes a deal with Scott USA and a Scott/Smith goggle is produced in Scott's facility in Ketchum. The "Original" goggle is still produced in Rifle.
1978-9: Smith Optics invents and patents the Turbo Fan Constant Air Management System.
1995: Smith Optics releases the Slider 01, the first dual-lens interchangeable sunglasses. This turns the sport sunglasses market upside down and makes Smith a major player in the industry.
2006: Smith Optics enters the winter-sports helmet market with integrated helmet-goggle technology, "AirEvac."
2008: Smith enters prescription eyewear market.
2010: After seven years of manufacturing ballistic eyewear in an exclusive agreement with Ketchum-based ESS, Smith becomes registered as a certified and approved supplier to the U.S. military and is listed on the Approved Safety Eyewear List.
Image courtesy of Smith Optics
In part, Smith built its reputation with the trust of ski racers such as Phil and Steve Mahre, shown here in a 1980s-era advertisement.
