About Us

Hardware Stores & Protective Equipment, Since 1972

David Smith was born into the hardware business. From as early as eight years old, he was in the thick of the action at his family’s hardware store; doing everything from sweeping the floors to putting out stock to taking out the trash.

By age 10, he was running the cash register and becoming a master of rapid mental math (manually calculating and adding tax isn’t as easy as it sounds!) By age 13, he was on the floor doing sales before becoming a store manager at the age of 18. At age 22 his story came full circle; along with his sister and brother-in-law, they purchased the family business from their parents and built what was one of the largest home hardware stores in Canada.

Over the coming years, they continued to grow and build upon the company’s strong reputation of outstanding customer service and unparalleled quality products. Although they sold the business in 2011, David has continued to remain active in the industry by supplying protective equipment to retailers across the country. In 2020, he partnered with his sons to launch a new division, Smith Safety Group – to offer the products you see on this site today.

From Our Family To Yours

Much like their father, David, sons Gavin and Troy have fond memories growing up and visiting the family hardware store. They developed a love of interacting with the employees and customers alike (and especially loved visiting the candy storage room!). Having spent years helping out their dad - doing everything from fulfilling deliveries to helping with invoices – coming together to create Smith Safety Group was a natural coming-of-age for a family built on the principle of protecting & catering to other families and their businesses.