Local Texoma company takes international spotlight in Italy

Since 1984, Smith Design and Manufacturing in Gunter has been providing high end custom pieces of architecture for people like Mark Cuban and even the Utah Governor's Mansion.

Their 30,000 square foot facility manned by roughly 30 employees teamed up to complete one of their biggest projects, a Mormon temple in Italy.

Patrick Thaden, the shop foreman at Smith Design said, "This was a large enough project, it incorporated most of the shop at times."

Smith Design got the contract for the job back in 2012, then completed the project in September of last year.

The local Texoma shop was chosen over an Italian company.

"Everything was loaded up crated, shipping containers, shipped over our tools, equipment. We spent about four and a half months with various people going over working on the install."

On Monday the LDS Temple in Rome opened for a media tour, with the Gunter products front and center.

The entry doors to the temple were made and installed by Smith Designs along with the exterior bronze railings, interior wooden hand rails and more.

"Some of the other people had never been and they were really excited about the opportunity to go and work in Rome, the architecture and history", said Thaden.

Workers like Miguel Montes have been working at Smith Design for years and says he is proud that their local work is being showcased to the world.

"Incredible that the work, the work from our whole team is in another country."

The Rome Italy Temple will begin to offer public tours on January 28.