Smith Challenger Manufacturing & Services, Inc.

By Jeff Winke

Smith Challenger Manufacturing & Services, Inc. (SCM), which is headquartered in Lakeland Florida SCM designs and manufactures industrial sweepers for the construction and paving industries.

Founded in 2009 by inventor, entrepreneur Keith Smith and Betty Smith, the married couple brought decades of valuable experience in the industrial sweeping industry.

“Our goal from the start was to build the best sweeping machines possible,” stated Keith Smith, SCM Head of Equipment Development. “Innovation along with experience and common-sense heavy-duty construction is what gives us the edge over our competition.”

Smith Challenger Manufacturing & Services utilizes the hydraulic quick-change brush system that Keith Smith engineered and patented in 1990 . “I’ve been involved in the sweeper industry from a very young age, so I’ve made sure that all the sweepers SCM builds take into account the cost of maintenance on the sweeper and the time it takes to change the brush. The quick-change brush system allows a brush to be changed in five minutes or less on site, saving significant cost over the life of the machine and also money and time saved on jobs that that would otherwise be delayed or shut down just to simply change the brush.”

SCM offers a complete product range that includes:

• SCM 100 Tractor Front Mount Sweeper, which has been used in the construction industry for over 30 years on construction sites, asphalt plants, runways, raceways, warehouses, parking lots.
• SCM 200 Skid Steer Mount Sweeper, which is designed for bucket replacement applications and is engineered to be an asset on any job site.
• SCM 210 Bucket Replacement Sweeper can be used on tractors or small wheel loaders.
• SCM 300 Pan Sweeper features a terrain following coupler system and adjustable brush float system, which is designed for milling operations, asphalt plants and parking lots.
• SCM 220 Scarifier, which is purposely designed for cleaning joints along barrier walls and critical joints in preparation for paving. Features a bi-directional brush head, up to 180 degrees of pivot left to right pivot, hydraulic pressure gauge, and steel or poly brushes–adaptable to any skid steer loader.
• SCM 257 Dozer Broom is specially built to move dirt on the most demanding sweeping jobs.
• SCM 78 Flex Blade is designed for road surfaces, with the means to flex when it comes in contact with obstacles such as manholes.
• SCM 400 Self Propelled “Super Broom” Sweeper is designed to be the most innovative self propelled sweeper on the market. From the visibility in the cab to the accessibility and ease of engine maintenance, it is an all-around valuable asset to road construction projects, including milling operations, and more.

“We expect to provide our dealers and end users with every type of sweeper needed in the market,” said Betty Smith, SCM CEO. “SCM has more than 12 models currently and five new models in the prototype stage, so we are aggressively developing products designed to fulfill our customer needs. We also take on custom sweeper requests that very often turn into a new model.”

The other Smith Challenger Manufacturing & Services family members that share the same drive as Keith and Betty to make the company successful is daughter Loni Smith (CFO), son Kyle Smith (Production Manager), and daughter-in-law Jodie Smith (Purchasing and Parts Manager). Strategically thinking long term is a goal for everyone at SCM.

What does the future hold for Smith Challenger Manufacturing & Services?

“Our goals are simple,” Keith Smith stated. “Build the most innovative, longest lasting, and user-friendly sweepers possible. Distributed by a top-notch dealer network that provides the support needed by the customers and to provide a first-class company that people are proud to be affiliated with.” SCM is currently structuring a dealer network including Kelly Tractor Co. in South Florida, Ring Power Corp. in Central and North Florida, Carolina CAT in Western North Carolina, and Gregory Poole Equipment in Eastern North Carolina. With other dealers soon to follow.

SCM will be showcasing many of the sweeper models at the 2022 World of Asphalt, March 29-31, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee, Booth #3822

For More Information, please visit www.smithchallenger.com or call (863)-248-2624.

Jeff Winke is a business and construction writer based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He can be reached through jeff_winke@yahoo.com