A well respected tradesman with 26 years of experience in the residential and commercial construction industry, Mike has proven leadership, critical thinking, decision making and problem solving skills to take the worry out of the building process.
In his role, Mike’s main goal is to work diligently to simplify the construction process so that clients have a transparent view throughout the entire project.
Mike was previously the head project manager at NorthShore Custom Living, Inc. for 3+ years. Leading luxury custom projects, including a variety of LEED, green building and alternative energy efficient solutions to meet client needs.
Prior to that role, Mike was the Vice President of Leix Construction, Inc. for 9 years, a company which specializes in residential and commercial construction and development. In this role,Mike was responsible for all aspects of building administration, including; management of planning, development, contracting, site acquisitions, permitting, budgeting, time management and code compliance.
Although currently focused on the entire building process, Mike previously worked as an electrical foreman on residential and commercial job sites for Wooten Electric for 10 years. Through this role Mike gained extensive knowledge of codes and code compliance as well as experience with all forms of electrical; wireless lighting systems, controls, rf communications, pumps, boiler systems, and geothermal.
A family man at heart Mike and his wife Katie have two sons keeping them busy. Mike is the head coach of a traveling baseball team and someday hopes to save up enough to buy a "baseball only" truck for all the gear he hauls around for games.
Michael J. Kelly
Head of Field Operations
A creative and reliable professional with 15 years of experience in the residential and commercial construction industry, Dave’s an expert at managing multiple responsibilities and deadlines from both the office and the field.
In his role, Dave will take your vision and make it a reality while delivering a clear and concise budget with no hidden costs. He will use his architectural background and unique ability to relate to architects, designers, and project consultants to help guide a positive project result. Dave was previously a project manager with NorthShore Custom Living, Inc. where he was responsible for the company’s speculative construction division. In his brief tenure there he over saw $2 million+ in construction.
Prior to that role, Dave was a project engineer for 7 years at Eriksen Armstrong Corporation where he managed high-end residential and commercial construction projects. Dave attentively managed all aspects of the projects for the entire duration of work, starting with the estimating through to field supervision. With a passion for carpentry, Dave also spent time as a general contractor, securing multiple home renovation projects where he was able to design, budget and schedule all facets of work including demolition, carpentry and all finishes.
Dave is a proud alumni of the University of Illinois, where he completed a degree in architecture, including a summer internship with 4240 Architecture. This experience provided a deep understanding of all the project phases from schematic design to construction, with significant effort towards shop drawings, material research and consultant coordination. After graduation, Dave spent 4 years with OWP/P Architects working collaboratively with design principals and lead design staff on corporate-office, education, healthcare, science/technology, retail, commercial-residential, and master planning projects.
Dave is a proud new dad, him and his wife Lori are spending much of their free time rediscovering the world through the lens of a young boy. When not working, you can find Dave outdoors either playing frisbee with their dog Arya or sailing on Lake Michigan.
Dave T. Smith
Head of Office Operations
Guiding Principles
Kelly | Smith Construction is founded on an “up front” approach to building that guarantees integrity and transparency.
Mike and Dave strive to deliver unrivaled service to their clients while maintaining a complimentary, seamless process with architects.
The subcontractors Kelly | Smith Construction use are qualified, insured, and share their commitment to craftsmanship and safety.
Experience
Mike and Dave are both second generation builders /craftsmen, learning from their fathers at an early age. Instilling in them a strong work ethic, determination, and sense of personal pride for a job well done.
Due to their early start in construction, Mike and Dave have over 40 years of combined industry experience though they are only in their forties themselves. Through these many hard-earned years of on-the-job training, they have come to appreciate, experience matters.
Though there’s broad overlap between experiences, both Mike and Dave’s unique backgrounds offer areas of specialization that compliment each other. Allowing Kelly | Smith Construction to deliver unmatched results for their clients.
More detail of Mike and Dave’s individual experience can be found under the links to their personal bios above.
Engaged
All of Mike and Dave’s years of industry expertise are brought to each and every project. There are no other project managers, foremen, or employees charged with the primary role of overseeing construction. You are dealing with the owners of Kelly | Smith Construction every step of the way.
Kelly | Smith Construction offers open-book pricing and is willing to work with clients on any budget. They do this through competitively pricing trades, collaboratively working with clients and architects to generate value engineering (VE) options, and by using their in-depth industry knowledge to help determine the best value for their clients.
They are not a “low number” general contractor. This means they will never put a “too good to be true” number in front of their clients in the hopes of getting a job, and change ordering the difference after the project has started. They will not substitute unspecified materials, omit scopes of work without notification, or force their hardworking tradesmen to unfairly reduce their wages – jeopardizing quality.