Charlie Smith

As one of the company’s longest-tenured employees outside the Dante family (30 years and counting), Charlie has played an instrumental role in its growth.

Before joining Dante Valve in 2006, Charlie was a successful distributor of Danco Valves, military products, and energy-industry solutions. In 2004, he was the first recipient of the Supplier Excellence Award from Northrop Grumman Newport News.

After a year at Dante Valve, Charlie oversaw the opening of the Norfolk, Virginia facility and transformed its operations from a distribution center to a manufacturing, assembly, and testing hub.

Today, Charlie is a key part of strategic planning, product design, and process improvement processes while also managing sales and development for the west coast arm of the company in Bellflower, California. He is also the General Manager of Dante Valve’s Norfolk facility. In 2022, he led the Norfolk facility’s expansion of its manufacturing capabilities to commercial and industrial customers.

Charlie is a member of the Navy League, Aircraft Industrial Base Coalition (ACIBC), and Submarine Industrial Base Council (SIBC).