Few people are lucky enough to live in the same neighborhood where they grew up—let alone on the very same street. RJ Smith is one of those rare and fortunate people. He and his wife, Robin Smith, are raising their two sons on the street where RJ spent his childhood. His dad, stepsister and several lifelong friends all live there too, creating the kind of close-knit community that’s increasingly rare.
A South Redondo native, RJ starred as a catcher at Redondo Union High School before earning a baseball scholarship to UC Santa Barbara, where he transitioned to center field. Laughing about the position change, he describes himself simply as “a little guy, really fast.”
After graduating, he spent a season playing professional baseball in Sweden before heading to Hawaii, where he surfed, worked at Kona Brewing Company and enjoyed one last adventure before settling into his career back home.
“I decided it was time to start doing something,” RJ says. Returning to the South Bay, he joined his stepdad, a builder for more than 40 years, and his mom, an interior designer, in their custom design-build business.
Construction may not have seemed like his destiny at first. RJ spent countless summers digging ditches and doing labor-intensive jobs, convinced the hard work was exactly why he was going to college.
1st Street project
“Then after I was out of school,” he says with a laugh, “I still got into construction.”
Looking back, he credits his mom, dad and stepdad for instilling the work ethic and values that shaped both his career and his life. After seven years in the family business, RJ spent three years working for a local developer before launching RJ Smith Construction.
“It was time to do it our own way,” he says.
More than 15 years later, that decision has paid off. The company remains very much a family business. Robin, who formerly worked as a dental hygienist, became a licensed real estate broker and cofounded the company alongside her husband. Today she works with Compass while remaining active in RJ Smith Construction’s development projects. RJ’s retired father is also part of the team.
At the heart of RJ’s and Robin’s lives is family. Their sons, James, 14, and Duke, 12, keep them busy with club baseball and soccer, and RJ coaches both of their baseball teams.
When they’re not on the field, the Smiths love traveling together. Whether it’s a stay at their home in Bend, Oregon, trips to Mexico or Hawaii, or a recent family adventure through Australia from Sydney to Brisbane, RJ treasures the uninterrupted time together.
“Traveling as a family is super cool,” he says. “As the boys get older, those moments become even more valuable.”
Raising his children in the same community that shaped him is something RJ doesn’t take for granted. South Redondo has changed dramatically over the years, but he hopes his boys understand the history behind the place they call home. He wants them to appreciate the grit and character that once defined the neighborhood and to stay connected to where their family came from. He still remembers his mom handing him $5 to ride his bike to Hibachi for a chicken bowl, with strict instructions to come straight home.
1st Street project
Giving back is another priority. RJ Smith Construction proudly sponsors ART 310, the annual fundraiser supporting Indivisible Arts and helping restore art and music programs in local schools. Despite the area’s growth and prosperity, he believes there’s always room to invest in the community that has given so much to his family.
Recently, RJ Smith Construction completed a company rebrand centered around its philosophy of guiding clients “from beginning to forever.” Rather than simply building homes, RJ describes the process as holistic. Whether clients are purchasing land, evaluating a property, remodeling an existing home, buying a spec house or seeking ongoing home maintenance, his team remains involved every step of the way. Their reputation, he says, is built on quality craftsmanship and clear communication.
The walls of the firm’s headquarters showcase hand-painted illustrations of completed homes by two local artists. One painting is kept for the company, one goes to the design team and one is presented to the homeowner as a housewarming gift.
For RJ, however, the houses themselves are only part of the story. What matters most are the relationships built along the way.
“I always tell people that you’re picking a friend,” he says. “It’s a two-way street.”
Some of those relationships last well beyond construction. In one memorable project, a remodel evolved into a custom home, and the client eventually became RJ’s business partner and one of his closest friends.
As someone who hasn’t strayed far from the street where he grew up, that’s exactly the kind of lasting foundation RJ hopes every project creates.
