Nathan Cw Smith Email & Phone Number

Minneapolis, Mn, Us

Chaska, Minnesota, United States

At Newterra, we’re at the forefront of water treatment innovation, delivering solutions to address some of today’s most critical environmental and infrastructural challenges. I, alongside an exceptional executive team, have worked closely with our Board of Directors and Private Equity ownership to strategically align our corporate vision and operational focus to foster clarity, sharpen impact, and build a distinctive platform within the water industry—one optimized for sustained, long-term growth. This alignment laid the groundwork for a transformative Lifecycle Services strategy, unifying our approach to fully support the customer journey and drive value across every stage of service. Tasked with building and leading this new Lifecycle Services organization, I built a team to transform a fragmented set of business units and newly acquired assets into a cohesive, high-performing division that prioritizes the full customer lifecycle. Thus far we have achieved exceptional results, driving strong organic growth and positioning Newterra as a leader in water management and emerging contaminant solutions. Our media services business, a prime example of focused strategic execution, has expanded fivefold over the duration, underscoring the success of our approach. Guided by our dedication to the customer experience and a forward-looking vision, Newterra remains poised to set new standards in service and sustainability within the water treatment industry.

Chaska, Minnesota, United States

In Aeration Industries’ last year before re-organizing into a stronger, fully integrated Newterra, we accomplished tremendous and unprecedented success. After years of flatline performance, I am proud to have personally led a phenomenal sales team to 84% YoY orders improvement, 58% YoY backlog improvement and 38% YoY revenue improvement. And through superb operations and supply chain management we realized 270bps GM improvement and netted 81% YoY EBITDA improvement. Amidst it all, turnover during my tenure dropped from 25% YoY to 4%. We had a great time doing it.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Recruited by Marmon Foodservice Technologies to re-establish Silver King as an independent entity, we transformed what had been solely a manufacturing facility into a fully operational business with a clear strategic focus based on a clear-eyed examination of our markets and how we could best serve them. Our team revitalized Silver King by building a comprehensive framework, aligning mission, vision, and values with disciplined operational practices, and securing ISO-9001 certification and MNSHARP safety certification. We launched the first new product line in over a decade through a newly implemented product development program, restoring Silver King’s competitive position in the market.To support sustainable growth, we led a thorough supply chain analysis, delivering six-figure annual cost savings, and engaged closely with our European aftermarket partners in Düsseldorf to build a stronger global aftermarket business. In collaboration with Sagi, our sister refrigeration company in Italy, we worked to rationalize our product lineups to create a cohesive offering across Marmon’s portfolio. Additionally, a successful union contract negotiation strengthened workforce engagement and introduced greater flexibility, enabling us to eliminate overtime while enhancing efficiency. Together, these initiatives positioned Silver King for enduring growth in the competitive international refrigeration market.Sadly, much of this work was undone by Covid. The newly revitalized business entity was unwound and after more than 40 years of production in Plymouth, MN, Silver King production was moved to Mexico.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Over a three-year period, I led a comprehensive revitalization of privately-held Smith Foundry, a 90-year-old manufacturing facility, transforming it into a data-driven and customer-centric organization. We pursued a four-point strategy focused on data-driven decision making, operational excellence, workforce development, and customer alignment. By integrating analytics tools and rigorous cost accounting, we implemented a five-year repricing strategy that improved quote win rates by 30% and drove sustained profitability. Through ISO 9001:2015 compliance, Lean principles, and continuous Kaizen, we achieved 30% productivity gains and realized the first sustained operational profit in over a decade. In partnership with our union, we redefined the employee experience, expanding recruitment and training, launching an IMT apprenticeship program, and increasing year-one retention from 1% to 25%—a best-in-class achievement for the industry. To enhance customer engagement, we introduced an enterprise CRM and revamped sales practices, leading to Smith Foundry’s first year-on-year new product sales growth in over five years and a 44% revenue increase from 2016 to 2018, with 2018 marking its most profitable first quarter in company history.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

At Element Materials Technology, a global, private equity-owned provider of testing, inspection, and certification services, I managed P&L for laboratory operations across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, overseeing 120+ technical staff and 12 business lines. Tasked with supporting aggressive growth goals, I led strategic development initiatives to expand Element’s footprint in critical sectors like automotive, aerospace, and energy. Working closely with Element’s European-based executive team, I spearheaded our entry into the automotive OEM segment, engaging key accounts such as Chrysler, Ford, and GM to shape our approach to sector-focused service. This realignment was pivotal in Element’s global strategy, centering on high-impact, high-growth industries.Through a focus on key account management and strategic resource allocation, we reversed prior revenue declines, achieving 20% growth and a 40% profit increase in the first year. Sales continued at a 14% CAGR—double the industry average—driven by a 54% revenue increase from tier-one customers. Additionally, under my leadership, we reached a milestone of zero recordable safety incidents, marking the first incident-free year in the laboratory’s 20-year history.

Richield, Mn

At Best Buy, I transformed the Financial Services' Global Analytics team from a historical reporting function into a forward-looking predictive modeling platform that drove strategic insights for customer acquisition and revenue growth. Partnering closely with Sales and Marketing, I standardized strategic planning tools and KPI reporting, enhancing decision-making capabilities across the organization. I led a global initiative to develop a customized KPI-driven budget for over 1,000 stores, earning recognition from finance leaders as “the most intelligent budget [Best Buy] ever produced.” By leveraging big data assets, I generated actionable consumer insights, which, through new processes at the field level, resulted in over seven figures in annual revenue gains. Additionally, I launched the first data-driven customer acquisition campaign for the unit, achieving threefold yield increases and capturing high-value customers with calculated lifetime values significantly above the norm.

Burnsville, Mn

As Director of Finance and Acting COO, I reported directly to the CEO and played a critical role in stabilizing and restructuring PureChoice, a SaaS and manufacturing company navigating significant financial challenges. I cultivated relationships with debt and equity stakeholders, led accounting and FP&A functions, and oversaw manufacturing and assembly operations. To support sales growth, I renegotiated channel partner agreements and incentives, driving a 40% increase in monthly sales by expanding our share of wallet with existing customers. Additionally, I spearheaded a comprehensive recapitalization plan involving over 200 stakeholders and negotiated streamlined debt agreements to improve cash flow and secure the company’s viability. Leveraging market insights, I drove a “strategic change model” and launched a new product line—remote server-room temperature monitoring with fail-safe alarms—to expand our offerings and open new revenue streams.

Eden Prairie

As the founding member and a key part of Otoka’s Executive Management team, I built and led the team that transformed the company from concept to operational reality. In addition to strategic oversight of transactions and partnerships, I managed finance and information technology functions, working closely with private equity stakeholders to drive growth and secure capital. Key accomplishments included negotiating a $6 million initial equity investment from Edenriver Capital and collaborating with Golden Gate Capital to model long-term projections for multinational bio-energy projects. I also led successful negotiations with Dutch oil executives, securing an exclusive North American license for advanced cellulosic ethanol technology, and secured a $25 million development grant to support a third-generation bio-energy facility in Alberta, Canada.

US BioEnergy, a private equity-backed company, pursued an aggressive acquisition roll-up strategy to drive growth and solidify its position in the renewable energy sector. Initially hired as a Project Manager, I was quickly promoted to Director of Project Management, coordinating pre-construction activities—including permitting, engineering, and economic incentives—across projects in the US Midwest. Within months, I developed a long-term planning model that became the industry standard for transaction prioritization. Recognized for these contributions, I was promoted to Director of Corporate Development, overseeing the evaluation of strategic transactions and playing a lead role in enterprise FP&A. In this role, I regularly interfaced with the Board of Directors, the executive team, and investment banking advisors on various high-stakes transactions. I led due diligence efforts to assess asset performance and managed pre-deal and pro forma modeling to establish transaction values, including those for a landmark $1B+ merger between the industry’s two largest firms.The acquisition and eventual dissolution of US BioEnergy was both a testament to our hard work and a bittersweet moment, marking the end of one of the most collaborative and high-performing environments I’ve had the privilege to be part of.

Assumed numerous leadership positions and oversight of up to 110 personnel. One of the first officers to earn exemption to traditional surface warfare officer school due to record pace acquisition of technical certifications (recognized by Secretary of Navy). Led training and qualification processes as key contributor to command’s award of “Battle E.” Selected as training officer for original and historic “Sea Swap” experiment (personally selected by upper command to program-manage training and qualification of 400-plus sailors on three separate war platforms).

Mba, Finance

Ms, Strategic Management

Bs

Activities and Societies: Lightweight Crew.