Green Eagle Ltd.
Green Eagle Ltd is a family-owned company devoted to owning, developing, and improving the downtown Canton, N.C area. This is being accomplished by purchasing, and rehabilitating buildings in the Canton Historic District into an updated multipurpose area for commercial retail, office, living, and vacation rentals, all with an eye towards Canton’s uniqueness as a historically industrial town. Our mission put simply is to improve Canton.
The story of Green Eagle Ltd. begins with the return of Pat Smathers to Canton to begin his law practice in 1979. After he married his wife Sherry, they began the business of acquiring downtown real estate and became active in revitalizing the town. The return to Canton by Pat and the decision by him and his wife to make Canton their home was a natural one: Pat being the seventh-generation Smathers to live and work in Canton. The Canton generational lineage is extended to nine now with their Son Zeb and wife Ashley, daughter Anna and husband Jonathan Jorstad, and new Grandson Stone born to Zeb and Ashley.
The name Green Eagle comes from the Green Eagle emblazoned on the Smathers’ family crest adopted decades ago by leaders of the Smathers family in Haywood County symbolizing the family’s Germanic history. The name changed from the original Schemetter when the family settled in the Dutch Cove (Deutch) area of Eastern Haywood with other German families. Pat and Sherry adopted the name, in part because green symbolizes new growth, and the Latin family motto on the crest “Alto Peto” which translates to “Aim High”. New high-quality growth for downtown Canton, is what we are about.
Mission
Improving downtown Canton while honoring our strong community spirit and history as a paper town.
Vision
Revitalizing the Canton historic district through community events, commercial retail, office, living, and vacation rentals.
Values
- New high-quality growth for Canton
- Honoring Canton's history
- A strong community spirit