Smith Ford has been one of the mainstay businesses in the Conway area since its founding by former cotton broker and merchant S.G. Smith in 1916.
More than that, the dealership has been one of the local community’s most loyal partners, a tradition that extends to today, as Cate Ketcheside-McConnell, S.G.’s great-great granddaughter, prepares to assume the chairmanship of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce.
“From the very start, our family understood the responsibility of service to our community,” she said.
S.G.’s wife, Ellen, was one of the original members of the board of directors for what has become the Conway Regional Health System. In 1921, Ellen Smith made history when she was elected to the Conway Public School Board, making her the first woman in the state elected to office.
Cate Ketcheside-McConnell represents the fourth generation of her family to serve as the chamber board chair, a lineage that dates to S.G. Smith and includes Cate’s great grandfather, S.T. Smith Sr.; grandfather S.T. “Ros” Smith Jr.; and her father Kenne Ketcheside.
S.T. Smith took over the family dealership after WWII and, in addition to his board chairmanship, served on the board of the Conway Corporation, among others, and was a founder of the Conway Development Corporation. Grandfather Ros Smith continued the corporate stewardship as a founding member of the Faulkner County Fund, which became the United Way of Central Arkansas, and his own work on the Conway Development Corporation board.
Cate Ketcheside-McConnell can recall hearing her grandfather’s stories about Conway’s growth.
“Many of his stories included pulling up to a two-way stop and knowing everyone at the intersection,” she said. “But his stories also told of the trajectory of Conway as those two-way stops turned into four-way stops and turned into stoplights and are now roundabouts.”
Conway, she said, has been good to the family business and she noted its growth and the current roles of her brother, Sam Ketcheside; her uncle, Ted Smith, and her parents, Kenne and Cathy Ketcheside, in the Smith Ford operation.
“Our family is thankful to the Conway community for allowing us to continue to work and serve for over 106 years,” she said.
The Smith family has made it a point to be involved with Conway and its continued plans for growth and economic development in the same way the city has supported Smith Ford.
“With each generation, my family has understood the importance of serving the community that has supported us through the years,” Ketcheside-McConnell said. “It’s why, in 2014, when I was approached by [chamber CEO and president] Brad [Lacy] about serving on the chamber board, I jumped at the opportunity.”
As a board member in 2017, when the chamber celebrated its 125th anniversary, Ketcheside-McConnell helped identify growth and beautification projects that included creating new startup space, beautifying the local roundabouts with art, expansion of the local trail system, interstate beautification and the Grand Theatre restoration.
The projects were begun in cooperation with the Conway Development Corporation, the Conway Downtown Partnership and the Conway A&P Commission.
“In some cases, our commitment would be to advocate for the projects with our partners in city government, while others like the Grand Theatre would be a direct financial contribution,” Ketcheside-McConnell said.
She noted that, in Smith Ford’s 106 years, the nation has seen two world wars, the Great Depression, recessions and other challenging times that include the COVID-19 pandemic. Smith said that for a small, local business to thrive through so much requires good leadership, for which she credited the family ownership for its role in the community’s progress and future.
“From an early time, my family recognized that for our business to succeed, Conway must succeed, too,” Ketcheside-McConnell said. “Just as any business needs sound planning and meaningful investment, so too does our city and the organizations that power its growth.”
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