1919 saw Herbert Smith return from the task of helping to produce aircraft in Norwich for Mann Egerton. The job he had left as a carpenter on the Honingham Estate did not exist by this time, so with four young children and a wife to support he started work on his own account, having just £50 capital, a will to work and a shrewd mind, the ten years of the 1920s spent by building a few houses, and carrying out small works contracts.

The 1930s saw an improvement in the volume of available work and produced substantial growth, Herbert Alfred Smith, son of the founder, was taken into partnership, many Local Authority houses were built by the firm during this period. 1939 was the beginning of the pause during the war years, although Herbert 'senior' carried out a large programme of bomb damage repair work in Norwich. In 1945 sons Herbert and George returned from the Armed Forces, and the three formed the partnership of H. Smith & Sons. From then many large housing contracts were undertaken, but sadly 1958 saw the death of the founder.

Herbert and George formed a new partnership which carried on successfully until 1970 when Herbert retired.

After a short period Alan and John, sons of George, joined the partnership, seeking and undertaking larger and more profitable contracts. The photograph to the left shows from left to right, John, George and Alan Smith, the current partners. In 1974 the Limited Company of H. Smith and Sons (Honingham) Ltd was established, since then nursing homes, houses, schools, industrial work, renovation and refurbishment's have all been accomplished within the scope of our operations.

George retired as Managing Director of the Limited Company in January 1990 and carried on as a consultant for two years. The Smith family also run a Partnership enterprise, which incorporates the Quarry Works Industrial complex of six units.

The partnership is also responsible for the new office building which is in part for the Limited Company use, and six offices for letting, all of this in the quiet village of Honingham.

In 1998 we embraced the Internet with both our website, originally at www.h-smith.quarry-works.co.uk, and head office email facilities. Since this inital launch the Limited company's website has moved to www.hsmithandsons.co.uk and the partnership has established a website at www.smithproperties.co.uk

In the year 2000 due to an increasing demand for space to store stock materials and plant machinery a satellite yard was purchased on the Frans Green Industrial Estate, this allowed much of the stock that required long term storage to be removed from Quarry Works. This created two distinct sites, one solely a ‘builders yard’ the other a base for the growing demands on administrative duties.

The fourth generation of Smiths' have started to work within the Limited company. Kimblery Smith joined the accounts department in 2006 and continues to further her knowledge in this field.

Jonathan Smith joined the company in 2007 after successfully completing a Batchelor of Science Degree in Construction Management at Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford.

We are self financing, have possession of our own plant and therefore consider ourselves to be a modest sized Company capable of carrying out large contracts.