About Smart Systems

Veteran-owned. Chattanooga-based. Engineering connected spaces since 2002.

Who We Are

We don’t sell equipment. We engineer environments.

Smart Systems has been designing and installing audio visual systems across Tennessee and Georgia since 2002. We are veteran-owned and operated, based in Hixson just outside Chattanooga, and we have spent 24 years building a reputation on work that keeps running long after the install crew goes home.

Our approach starts with understanding how a space actually gets used, then engineering to that. An executive boardroom that has to hold a flawless video conference at 8am has different demands than a sanctuary running live streams with volunteer operators, or a home cinema built for genuine immersion. We design each to be as intuitive to use as it is impressive to experience.

That work spans six markets and 127 published installations — from stadium video boards and municipal council chambers to whole-home audio and tiered private theaters.

Smart Systems is the trading name of Smart Homes Chattanooga, Inc., founded in Hixson, Tennessee in 2002. The company began as SmartHomes Chattanooga, acquired competitor Matrix Installations in 2013, and rebranded as Smart Systems in 2014.

Independently rated

4.8/5 on Google (39 reviews)4.9/5 on Houzz (8 reviews)BBB rating A+two-time CEDIA Electronic Lifestyles Award winner (2008, 2011)

Verified 2026-09-13All reviews and profiles

24+
Years in business
127
Published projects
215
Current certifications
4
Contractor licenses
Credentials

What sets us apart

Dealer council and beta partners

We sit on the dealer councils for Crestron, Control4 and Lutron, and beta test their platforms before general release — so we are working with the hardware and firmware our clients will run months ahead of the field. Our team currently holds 215 manufacturer and industry certifications across 166 distinct programs.

Smart Care proactive monitoring

Smart Care watches your systems remotely from our Chattanooga headquarters. Rather than waiting for a call, we see a device drop offline, a projector lamp degrade, or a network path fail — and address it, often before anyone on site notices.

Fully licensed and insured in two states

We carry full liability coverage on every project. Licensed and insured in Tennessee and Georgia (TN General Contractor #70582, GA Low Voltage #LVU406690, Chattanooga Low Voltage #LELV-00422, Hamilton County Electrical #C-559).

Leadership

The people behind the work

Steve Nicola

Founder & President

Steve founded the company in 2002 as SmartHomes Chattanooga and has led it since — through the 2013 acquisition of Matrix Installations and the 2014 rebrand as Smart Systems. A U.S. military veteran, he keeps the firm veteran-owned and operated from its Hixson headquarters.

LinkedIn profile
Licenses

Contractor licenses we hold

Each number is printed exactly as the issuing board prints it, so it can be checked against the register.

  • Tennessee General Contractor License#70582

    Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors

  • Georgia Low Voltage Contractor License#LVU406690

    Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board

  • City of Chattanooga Low Voltage License#LELV-00422

    City of Chattanooga

  • Hamilton County Electrical License#C-559

    Hamilton County, Tennessee

Manufacturer standing

What the platforms say about us

Dealer designations as the manufacturers themselves list them, with the date each one was last checked.

  • Control4 Pinnacle Dealer

    Verified 2026-09-13 · listed in Control4's integrator search for ZIP 37343

  • Control4 Assist Authorized

    Verified 2026-09-13 · listed in Control4's integrator search for ZIP 37343

  • Control4 Centralized Lighting Certified

    Verified 2026-09-13 · listed in Control4's integrator search for ZIP 37343

  • Crestron

    Crestron authorized dealer; dealer council member and beta program participant

  • Control4 (Snap One)

    Control4 authorized dealer; dealer council member and beta program participant

  • Lutron

    Lutron authorized dealer; dealer council member and beta program participant

  • Sony

    Sony authorized dealer

  • Sonos

    Sonos authorized dealer

Awards & recognition

CEDIA Technical Design Awards

Both awards were presented to SmartHomes Chattanooga, Inc., now trading as Smart Systems, and reported by The Chattanoogan.

Markets

Where we work

Commercial

Boardrooms, conference rooms, digital signage, video walls

Residential

Smart homes, home theaters, whole-home audio, networking

Government

Council chambers, courtrooms, secure facilities

Education

Classrooms, lecture halls, auditoriums

Healthcare

Clinical spaces, waiting areas, training rooms

Houses of Worship

Sanctuary sound, live streaming, stage lighting

Certifications

What our technicians are certified on

215 current certifications across 166 programs, held by 11 members of the team. Bodies where we hold two or more are listed below; verified 2026-08-20.

  • Crestron42

    23 programs · 7 team members

  • Control420

    13 programs · 7 team members

  • Shure Audio Institute20

    20 programs · 2 team members

  • Biamp15

    13 programs · 2 team members

  • Harman Professional14

    14 programs · 1 team member

  • CEDIA11

    9 programs · 3 team members

  • JADE Learning10

    10 programs · 1 team member

  • AVIXA9

    6 programs · 5 team members

  • OSHA7

    2 programs · 6 team members

  • Cambridge Sound Management6

    6 programs · 1 team member

  • Liftoff5

    2 programs · 4 team members

  • Alarm.com5

    3 programs · 3 team members

  • ESPA (Electronic Systems Professional Alliance)4

    3 programs · 2 team members

  • Araknis4

    4 programs · 1 team member

  • Atlona4

    4 programs · 1 team member

  • Audinate4

    4 programs · 2 team members

  • Avigilon4

    2 programs · 2 team members

  • NTS (The National Training School)4

    2 programs · 2 team members

  • Unique Firestop Products3

    3 programs · 2 team members

  • ESA (Electronic Security Association)3

    2 programs · 2 team members

  • VIT (Videoguard Integrated Technologies)2

    2 programs · 1 team member

  • QSC2

    2 programs · 1 team member

  • Dante2

    2 programs · 1 team member

  • Symetrix2

    2 programs · 1 team member

  • Imaging Science Foundation2

    2 programs · 1 team member

  • Kramer2

    2 programs · 1 team member

  • MEWP Lift2

    2 programs · 2 team members

Headquarters

2705 Kanasita Drive
Hixson, TN 37343

Service area

Greater Chattanooga, Middle and East Tennessee, and North Georgia — Chattanooga, Hixson, Ooltewah, Signal Mountain and Cleveland in Tennessee; Ringgold, Fort Oglethorpe and Dalton in Georgia. We also take on select projects regionally and nationwide. See every city with a published project.

Get in touch

(423) 877-8195info@smartsysinc.comMon–Fri, 8am–5pm ET