HIGH POINT, N.C., May 7, 2018 – Local business owners and High Point University alumni David and Amy Smith are investing $600,000 into HPU’s continuous growth.
David and Amy graduated from High Point College in 1981 and 1984, respectively. The Smiths’ daughter, Ansley, graduated from High Point University in 2013, and their son, Charles, in 2015. David is owner and president of High Point-based Smith & Jennings, Inc., where both Ansley and Charles are involved in operating the business as well.
Earl Smith, David’s father, and Chet Jennings founded the company in 1947. Today, it remains family-owned and operated, employs 100 people and specializes in all aspects of the grading and utility industry. David Smith has worked at the company from top to bottom since he was in high school and took a leadership position after he graduated from High Point College. The company has helped HPU transform over the years, from assisting in the construction of Smith Library in the 1980s, to the campus transformation that began in 2005 when HPU President Nido Qubein arrived.
“High Point University is part of our family’s legacy, and we are proud to support the future of the institution that brought us together and transformed our lives,” said David Smith. “The synergy in HPU’s growth excites us, and we want to continue being part of it.”
The Smiths are avid HPU Panthers fans and regular attendees at athletic games. They have previously supported the Panther Club and the annual HPU Prayer Breakfast for more than a decade.
“Alumni are some of HPU’s strongest advocates, and the Smiths are impressive examples of that,” says HPU President Nido Qubein. “The university prepares graduates for a life of success and significance, leading them to frequently and generously support HPU throughout their lives. We are grateful for the passionate advocacy we receive from the Smith family.”
Inside the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena, Conference Center and Hotel, the David and Amy Smith Hospitality Suite will be named in honor of the family’s success in business and their commitment to HPU. The Smiths are the third alumni couple to be recognized in the $130 million facility, for which construction will begin this summer.
The facility is named in honor of HPU President Nido Qubein and First Lady Mariana Qubein, both of whom graduated from High Point College. The basketball court is named in honor of Tubby and Donna Smith, also High Point College graduates. NCAA Championship-winning coach Tubby Smith recently became the head men’s basketball coach at HPU.