Emory Smith and Robert Emery saw a need to create an independent testing laboratory in San Francisco to provide chemical testing services for agriculture and industry.  Together they established Smith-Emery in 1904 in San Francisco, California.

The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake forced the laboratory to be temporarily relocated to Oakland, California.  Following the earthquake, engineers became increasingly interested in the quality of construction materials and geotechnical engineering, which led Smith-Emery into testing and determination of physical properties for all construction-related materials.

In 1910, a second laboratory opened in Los Angeles, California.  In 1919 this organization was incorporated as Smith-Emery Laboratories.

Today, Smith-Emery Laboratories is the oldest and largest independent testing agency in the Western Region of the United States.  With over 100 registered licensed deputy inspectors, supported by an educated staff of civil, geotechnical, and chemical engineers and technicians, Smith-Emery has earned the reputation as the leading independent testing and inspection agency in California.