AE Smith is a commercial air-conditioning and mechanical services contractor in Australia focusing on heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, electrical, controls,
fire protection
Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially Conflagration, destructive fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, Compartmentalization (fire protection), compartmentalisation, suppression and inve ...
, construction and commissioning. The company employs over 1,100 people today and was acquired by Spotless Group in 2015.
History
AE Smith was founded in Richmond, Victoria, Australia in 1898 by Albert Edward Smith (1871–1923). Albert Smith was a qualified plumber. The establishment of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) in 1891 and Melbourne's first underground
sewerage
Sewerage (or sewage system) is the infrastructure that conveys sewage or surface runoff ( stormwater, meltwater, rainwater) using sewers. It encompasses components such as receiving drains, manholes, pumping stations, storm overflows, and scr ...
system facilitated considerable growth in the
plumbing
Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses piping, pipes, valves, piping and plumbing fitting, plumbing fixtures, Storage tank, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. HVAC, Heating and co ...
industry and the success of the company itself.
Albert Edward Smith was succeeded by his son, Albert Edward Smith Junior (or Bert Smith). Bert served the company for over 40 years, in which time he extended the services of the business to include
heating, ventilation and air conditioning
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC ) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. H ...
. This significantly expanded the scope of the business and enabled it to take on larger projects.
Expansion
Bert Smith's son, Barry Smith, took leadership of the company in 1953, initiating an era which witnessed the expansion of the company across Australia and abroad. By the end of the 20th century, AE Smith gained significant recognition as a mechanical services company after taking part in many landmark projects involving shopping centres, hotels, universities hospitals in the city of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
. This success resulted in a new branch being opened in
Hobart
Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...
in 1967, followed by offices in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
,
Gold Coast,
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
,
Mackay Mackay may refer to:
*Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives
Mackay may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Mackay Region, a local government area
** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region
*** Mackay Airport ...
,
Townsville
The City of Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 201,313 as of 2024, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland and Northern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of ...
,
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
and abroad in
Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
.
In February 2015
Spotless Group Holdings
Spotless Group Holdings is an Australian listed company that provides 'integrated facility services' such as cleaning, security, catering and facility maintenance in Australia and New Zealand. The company, established in 1957, has a workforce ...
acquired AE Smith in order to strengthen their capabilities in air-conditioning and mechanical services.
See also
*
CIAT Group
References
External links
Official WebsiteAir Duct Cleaning
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ae Smith
Cooling technology
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning companies
Companies based in Melbourne