has multiple issues . please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . learn how and when to remove these template messages this article is an orphan as no other articles link to it . please introduce links to this page from related articles ; try the find link tool for suggestions . october 2013 this article contains content that is written like an advertisement . please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view . october 2013 learn how and when to remove this template message learn how and when to remove this template message n.f. smith & associates logo type privately held industry electronics founded may 7 1984 ; 32 years ago 1984 05 07 founder robert ackerley leland ackerley headquarters houston tx u.s. number of locations 13 offices as of september 2013 area served worldwide products products list electronic components passive active and electromechanical electronic components computer products and peripherals number of employees 350 website www.smithweb.com n.f. smith & associates is an independent distributor of electronic components headquartered in houston texas . contents 1 history 2 products and sourcing 3 services 4 quality 5 sustainability 6 references 7 external links history edit in 1984 brothers robert and leland ackerley founded smith & associates 1 which is the largest independent distributor of electronic components 2 offering sourcing and supply chain solutions to customers worldwide in the semiconductor and electronic components industry . the 1990s saw dramatic growth for the company with its workforce and footprint growing rapidly alongside of its sales . in 1992 smith s annual sales were 30 million ; by 1998 they had topped 470 million due to the company s growing customer base and the expansion of its business into new regions industries and service offerings . to support this expanding customer base and to enhance logistical efficiency the company invested in facilities and moved into a new 60 000 sq. ft. headquarters building in houston in 1997 followed by the opening of its first major international office in hong kong in the same year which bolstered the company s growing international business and exposure . smith established a european presence with the opening of its amsterdam office in 1999 . by the end of the decade the company s online presence was established as well with the launch of its website and smith marketwatch online market analyses and updates . 3 in 2000 the company dedicated a 15 000 sq. ft. warehouse to expand its ability to handle oem and cem consignment and excess inventories . additionally smith opened offices in seoul silicon valley and guadalajara followed by office openings in new york in 2003 and shanghai in 2004 . by 2004 global sales exceeded 500 million a first for any independent electronic component distributor . in 2008 the company expanded its asian presence by opening an office in shenzhen china . 3 in 2010 the company unveiled an enhanced in house anti counterfeit laboratory to address growing concerns surrounding counterfeiting and quality issues in the global electronics supply chain and launched its smithsecure quality framework in concert with the dedicated laboratory expansion . 4 5 the company expanded its footprint by opening offices in taipei singapore and denver in 2011 followed by an austin office in 2013 . smith has grown to thirteen offices worldwide . 3 products and sourcing edit smith & associates offers sourcing of active passive and electromechanical ic components as well as computer products and peripherals such as hdds processors memory modules and video cards . serving customers in a broad range of industries including consumer electronics enterprise electronics server hardware automotive telecommunications medical oil and gas energy and aeronautics and defense the company sources both obsolete and in production parts to bridge gaps or disruptions in clients supply chains and to support uninterrupted production . the company cites its global reach vendor network and long standing staff of commodity experts as key elements underlying its sourcing strategies . smith is ranked as the largest independent distributor of electronic components and maintains a network of thousands of suppliers worldwide to support its product sourcing . 6 services edit over time the company has expanded on the shortage sourcing that characterized its earliest business model 7 in order to diversify and offer additional supply chain management options for customers that address the challenges of inventory sourcing quality ownership management and disposal . 8 the company places emphasis on its ability to individually tailor solutions for specific oem and ems customers who face global sourcing challenges . services offered include options such as customizing inventory programs through vmi or eol models shortage planning procuring product compliant with global environmental regulations such as rohs and weee dispositioning and managing excess inventory in line with international sustainability standards arranging reverse logistics and participating in ppv purchase price variance arrangements . 8 9 quality edit smith s quality procedures operate under the principle that effective vendor screening and management not only serve to maintain reliable flow of quality product but also provide a first line of defense against counterfeit components . 10 this screening ensures that all suppliers are formally selected and continually evaluated based on quality metrics specified in smith s customized vendor rating system vrs . the company s vrs assigns each supplier a rating and incorporates ongoing evaluations and evidence of qualification . additional steps in the vendor management process include completion of a vendor application vendor audits and management approvals . 10 once the company sources components from its approved sources they are put though a formal visual inspection by degreed quality engineers ipc certified technicians and other inspectors to examine parts from the outer packaging inward . 11 parts that pass visual inspection may move on to the next level of inspection . smith & associates was one of the first independent distributors to build an in house sophisticated electronic component testing laboratory . the company uses their in house lab resources to confirm product quality origin and conformity . smith places emphasis on continuously upgrading equipment and expanding capabilities to reflect current developments in quality testing and anti counterfeiting . the company s testing resources include decapsulation disambiguation needed chemical testing x ray testing x ray fluorescence microscopic inspection solderability testing counterfeit ic testing c sam acoustic microscopic inspection and functionality testing for a range of components . 11 the company s anti counterfeit laboratory located at its houston headquarters is accredited under iso iec 17025 12 as is its hong kong laboratory . 13 additionally the company is certified to iso 9001 14 ansi esd s. 20 20 15 ccap 101 16 and as9120 17 and is a member of isa 18 c tpat 19 and erai . 20 sustainability edit since 2011 smith & associates has been committed to work toward becoming a climate neutral zero waste to landfill distributor . 21 the company s cycleit asset disposition program is the product of this initiative providing asset disposition services that ensure that e waste and scrap material is re purposed rather than sent to landfills using epa compliant certified third party recycling . 22 smith began placing a heavy corporate emphasis on sustainability in 2008 when an iso 14001 audit revealed deficiencies in the company s environmental program . the company used these results as a catalyst to undertake improvements including switching out lighting using only 100 % recycled packaging for shipments and focusing on reducing energy consumption . 21 in 2011 smith completed a sustainable renovation of its headquarters building including a 140 kw solar installation and the installation of a cool roof and efficient hvac system . in addition the company instituted internal programs for recycling resource reduction and sustainability training . 23 on april 8 2012 smith was named overall winner greatest implementation of green building innovations in the city of houston s 2011 green office challenge the nation s largest green office challenge for 2011 . 24 smith has recognized sustainability as a core corporate value and continues to promote these efforts internally . 25 smith s headquarters have been certified to iso 14001 26 since 2005 3 and the company has been designated an e stewards enterprise . 27 references edit smith & associates executives . kickham victoria fraza april 30 2013 . top 50 distributors 2013 . global purchasing . retrieved september 16 2013 . a b c d smith & associates history . smith & associates quality . hartzell matt december 19 2012 . counterfeit parts have real consequences . computerworld . retrieved october 8 2013 . welcome to smith fact sheet staff editor march 5 2012 . smith & associates ready to take on europe . evertiq . retrieved september 16 2013 . a b secureservice fact sheet smith & associates supply chain strategies . a b securesource fact sheet a b securetest fact sheet smith & associates iso iec 17025 accreditation smith & associates far east limited iso iec 17025 accreditation smith & associates iso 9001 certification smith & associates ansi esd s. 20 20 certification smith & associates ccap 101 certification smith & associates far east limited ccap 101 certification smith & associates as9120 certification smith & associates isa membership certificate smith & associates c tpat membership certificate smith & associates erai membership certificate a b ackerley robert april 25 2012 . city and corporate sustainability burn bright in houston america s energy hub . national geographic news watch . retrieved october 8 2013 . smith & associates announce cycleit asset disposition program press release . n.f. smith & associates l.p. may 19 2011 . retrieved october 8 2013 . smith & associates teams with ontility to undertake solar and energy efficiency greenovation project press release . n.f. smith & associates l.p. october 12 2011 . retrieved september 16 2013 . city of houston . houston mayor parker announces green office challenge winners . iclei usa sustainable cities and counties blog . retrieved september 16 2013 . smith & associates going green . smith & associates iso 14001 certification smith & associates certificates and affiliations . external links edit official website retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title n.f. smith % 26 associates & oldid 743465814 categories computer hardware companieselectronics companies of the united statesnetworking hardware 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