Sometimes its the only quiet I get.. Not as long as they keep the commercials clever and topical, O'Neil says. What she does: I make spaces beautiful for clients homes, our catalogs and showrooms, and play couples therapist for clients who cant agree on a sofa.. A family affair: How four sisters are bringing a 75-year-old store into Walter Smithe, president of the furniture company, climbs the stairs March 21, 2017, at the Walter E. Smithe furniture store in Oak Brook, alongside his four daughters, Colleen, from left, Caitie, Maureen and Meghan. "And there's 10 televisions, all tuned to the same station. Smithe brothers aim for 'Sex' appeal in latest quirky commercial, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_E._Smithe&oldid=1127865487, This page was last edited on 17 December 2022, at 02:33. officially retires, although he still enjoys visiting showrooms and meeting clients. Get Eric Clark's email address (e*****@smithe.com) and phone number at RocketReach. Let's go Cubbies! Dazzling Divas Glam Mansion Offers the Ultimate Diva Experience, Family Guide to Attending a Chicago Cubs Game at Wrigley Field, Pelvic Floor Therapy Growing in Popularity for Women, 10 Non-Candy Items for Your Kids Easter Basket. Explore. Mix together different, but complimentary, elements such as woods, metals and stonesand feel free to mix various metals together. Further confused by the commercials now. It said he passed away peacef My sisters and I loved being a part of it.. My hope is to inspire people to slow down enough to talk with a designer and hopefully buy something.. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design - Chicago's Furniture Store and Updating your home theater? walter e smithe furniture - inc. walter e smithe furniture. Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, - Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. [3], The company has become well known in the Chicago area for its television commercials, which for decades starred the three Smithe brothers, and now star the four Smithe sisters. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. Edit: I have been informed that they are the daughters, not the wives. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. My sisters and I represent the viewpoint of our younger clientele, Meghan says. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design - Home - Facebook I was probably in elementary school when I would come in to work in the warehouse sweeping for a nickel Colleen says. Billy Corgan and Walter E. Smithe Wrestling. We all trickled back in, and it happened really organically, says Meghan of the industrious quartet, who collectively has 17 children. You have this sense of passion and responsibility for it. Smithe Family Takeover - Country Magazine We don't take that lightly.". "Instead we did it on the turn of a dime. 2023 Zoe Communications Group | 332 S. Michigan Ave., Suite #LL-M974, Chicago, IL 60604 | 708.386.5555 | Website by Web Publisher PRO, ParentEd Talks: Free Virtual Speaker Series, A Concerned Parents Guide to Gun Violence and Gun Safety. But even as likable as the brothers are, do they run the risk of oversaturation or going to the well too often? Walter Smithe III and Mark Smithe (the Smithe Brothers) are the sons of Walter Jr, and serve as President and VP/Legal Counsel, respectively. His four daughtersMaureen, Meghan, Caitie, and Colleenare now the new faces of this historic Chicago brand, a spot he and his brothers held for decades. Were not trying to portray an image that working mothers can pull off everything without something falling through, Maureen says candidly. But one by one, they followed Maureen's lead and rejoined the family business. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie . Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. It's all a part of an effort to hang on to the company's loyal customers while persuading younger shoppers that Walter E. Smithe isn't just their parent's go-to store. The store, which has 10 locations in the Chicago area, has been open for nearly 75 years and has faced all the challenges of . Receive a 20 percent discount on sofas, love seats, sectionals, chaises, and more at Cassona (5241 N. Clark St., cassona.com) through March 13. Chicago, IL. "That's F-A-M-E, with an E". We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". They hammer out a script, call in O'Neil and start filming. Lewis Lazare. "We're dreamers and we have big ideas," Meghan said. Rocketreach finds email, phone & social media for 450M+ professionals. ", Instead they talk about the U2/iTunes takeoff, the brothers' version of "The Apprentice" or the Olympic parody from last year. }); Chicago Parent is Chicagolands trusted parenting hub since 1984. Walter E. Smithe Jr. Obituary. Take dress up and glam up a notch with a self-care day at this luxurious spa for kids and tweens. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design advertising has featured everything from parodies of "The Price Is Right" to a 2013 classic in which the Smithe brothers got into a wrestling ring with Billy Corgan. ", Says Tim Smithe, "Pop culture is always changing and so are we.". It took the mother of six children a few years to figure out how to juggle her demanding career and busy home life. As mothers, theyve learned its not only possible, but preferable, to have a functional yet beautiful home. Smithe's wife of 64 years was by his side when he passed, and he . The Smithe brothers are following in the footsteps of other memorable Chicago commercial icons: - Jim Moran: Starting in the late '40s, "The Courtesy Man" sponsored wrestling programs, late-night movies, a country-and-western music show and his own variety show. Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. They've relaunched catalogs showcasing their furniture in fully designed spaces. "And a woman was there with her daughter, and she nudged her and I heard her say, 'That's the Walter E. Smithe guy.' Then when I plugged it in, the place went up for grabs. Main Telephone (630) 285-8000. Walter E. Smithe is a family business in every sense of the word, the sisters say. Walter E. Smithe III, is the President of family owned and operated Walter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. Eric Clark email address & phone number | Walter E. Smithe Furniture Multi Location Business. Then they brought in the wives. I can't breathe!' No outside agency required. What she does: "I make spaces beautiful for clients' homes, our catalogs and showrooms, and play couples' therapist for clients who can't agree on a sofa." Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. When I first came on board, our industry was very much a good old boys club, says Maureen, who regularly travels to marketplaces around the country to buy merchandise. Luxury Hotels, Travel, Dining, Lifestyle - Haute Living While their father and grandfather are still actively involved in the day-to-day, the women have taken over the companys marketing, design, advertising and buying effortsand immediately went about altering brand perceptions. Some ways to do this include mixing fabrics and leathers such as pairing linens with velvets, shag rugs, fur throws, organic elements such as rattan and bamboo even the reflective-ness of chrome can add texture to a room! His sons, Walter, Tim, and Mark, joined the company in the 1970s and 1980s. Today. Draftfcb. A new collection at Holly Hunt, discounts at EuroFurniture, a First Friday event at Hubbard Woods Design District, and more. My wife and I were just talking about this yesterday, we truly hate the Walter E Smithe commercials with the daughters. Explore more of the publications in our portfolio here. Am I the only one who just thinks he looks like Louis CK? Jeff Lewis's collection of vignettes is available at Walter E. Smithe's 11 showrooms in Chicago, and online. His four daughtersMaureen Megan Clarke Caitie Jisa and Colleen Parkerare now the new faces of this historic Chicago brand a spot he and his brothers held for decades. This led to the development of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. A wake will be held at Ryan-Parke Funeral Home in Park Ridge on Friday, Oct. 21, and a funeral mass will follow on Saturday, Oct. 22, and St. Paul of the Cross Church in Park Ridge. Is anyone else annoyed with the new generation of Walter E Smithe In recent years, Smithe enjoyed his time with extended family. It's pretty surprising they are still playing on these tired sexist tropes in this day and age. How could the Itasca-based company break the mold and reach a new audience while still carrying its message into a fourth generation? Now its only the wives and zero about the furniture. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR, When Maureen Smithe returned from maternity leave after giving birth to identical twin daughters last August (children number five and six for those keeping count), she was puzzled by the pained looks she received from some of her colleagues. Weird. Customers were more concerned with what we were selling versus the people who were selling it, she adds. Sibling revelry; Their offbeat commercials have made the Smithe brothers cult heroes. Walter E. Smithe Furniture founder, Walter E. Smithe Jr., dies at 86 She had been a buyer for Abercrombie and Fitch for a few years after college when a job opened up in the Smithe merchandising office. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. And then fate gently tapped them on their shoulder. Walter E. Smithe Furniture: Contact Details and Business Profile Three years later, she recruited Colleen to become advertising director -- a position she accepted without hesitation. This is useful in estimating the financial strength and credit risk of the company. Walter E. Smithe Furniture - Employees, Contact info, Overview - Wiza Walter Smithe, president of the furniture company, climbs the stairs March 21, 2017, at the Walter E. Smithe furniture store in Oak Brook, alongside his four daughters, Colleen, from left, Caitie, Maureen and Meghan. It's fun to be part of Chicago in that way.". Growing up, she and her sisters held various roles at the furniture and design firm, earning their first paychecks and gaining job experience and exploring interests that would later launch their careers. To the Smithe sisters, the company has always been a piece of their identity, an integral thread of their childhood. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. walter e smithe furniture & design. - Timmy: Dressed as an old-time newspaper boy, 10-year-old Timmy appeared in dozens of commercials in the '70s for his uncle's Long Chevrolet dealership in Elmhurst. It was a natural fit, she said. For decades, the public faces of the privately owned company have been the sisters father, Walter E. Smithe IIIthe 59-year-old grandson of the businesss namesakeand the sisters uncles, Mark and Tim. At Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, we are committed to helping our clients love their homes through expert design, quality furnishings, and exemplary service. (He's now semi-retired, having turned the business over to his sons about 10 years ago.). . "KFC dances to beat of familiar drummers". The answer -- and the sisters' secret to success -- can be summed up in three key words: Fresh. Meghan and Colleen spent several years working at advertising agencies in Chicago. Find locations. Its no longer that way.. Plus, they seem like nice guys. This style is out there and we need to respond and get it on our floor. That was the extent of his pitchman career. "He'd come up from behind and drop in it on us," Tim says. Then the commercial came on. It stuck in your head. The Smithe sisters now serve as the face of the firm, offering a female perspective that better reflects the company, the industry and the country today. Bloomingdale Plaza. But they still manage to get out to their stores about once a week, touching base with their employees, surprising customers or hosting events such as book signings or wine tastings. The transition took place over the span of 12 years as key positions became available in the company, starting with Maureen who became a merchandise buyer. The commercial, Colleen's brainchild, aimed to show off the company's new "worry-free" performance fabrics that repel stains, a trend Maureen recognized at a major industry trade show and brought back to the Chicago market. It also featured an appearance by Dutchie Caray, wife of the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray. For the most part, that relationship translates well in the business world, they say. Like their brothers, the four Smithe sisters were all in the business when they were in high school. The commercial included the tagline "Change the Name, Change the Luck", a reference to the Cubs' decades-long struggle to reach the World Series. We strive to bring our clients the best in home furnishings for every style, budget, and stage of life. Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. It worked really well for a long time, but post-recession, we saw peoples sensibilities had changed, says Meghan. Walter E. Smithe, Jr. joined the business in the 1960s with his brothers Gary and Tomm, and began phasing out appliances to focus on custom upholstery. Walter E. Smithe told me they work with many designers but Jeff was really able to get a lot of value into the pieces in his collection and that its why . E. Smithe sisters Caitie, Colleen, Meghan and Maureen were introduced to the business at a young age. Chicago Furniture | Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design | Meet the Smithes The first order of business: ditch the longstanding, highly recognizable ad campaign featuring their father and two uncles. "Pam, Bill and I are always on the watch for pop culture. Lewis Lazare. "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". Walter E. Smithe Furniture is a company located in Itasca, Illinois, United States. I love the attention I get as a local celebrity," Mark says. It couldn't have gone more perfectly, Maureen said. "We had a common agreement that we had the best furniture in Chicago," Tim says, "but not enough people knew about it.". What are they up to?' You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. She also sees more demand for curation: Rather than walking into a store and getting an entire matching bedroom or dining set, people are mixing and matching and getting a look thats uniquely theirs., The new ED Ellen DeGeneres furniture collection (now available at all 11 Walter E. Smithe showrooms) allows for just thatand it includes versatile pieces that transcend their typical use. 1E, kneenandco.com) continues to add to its Robbe & Berking assortment with the new Martel Bar collection, which features bar cart staples like handmade silver tumblers and cocktail coupes as well as bottle openers and nutcrackers. Primary Address. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Corporate Profile - Winmo However, Lewis Lazare, the Chicago Sun-Times' advertising critic, has defended the commercials. Happy Hour With Jeff Lewis + Walter E. Smithe - fountainof30.com October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM The Smithe brothers commercials Chicagoans are used to were great for getting the Walter E. Smithe name out, but the new ads put the focus back on the furniture and design services, said Meghan Smithe. And now with the company's 75th anniversary approaching in August, they're ready to push forward plans to expand and evolve. "I think it's time for us to get out of these TV commercials," Walter said. The business grew in popularity as they approached adulthood, at which point friends would regularly sing the jingle and colleagues would ask about the creative TV ads. What happened to the Walter E Smithe guys? - Cowetaamerican.com Determine whether Walter E. Smithe Furniture grew or shrank during the last recession. Calkins says that by minimizing production costs and media costs and doing those quick turnarounds, Smithe gets a bigger bang for its advertising buck. "They were loved," said Colleen Smithe, the youngest daughter of Walter Smithe III. During a stint in the Army, Smithe attained the rank of captain and became an expert in the field of computers. The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. And youll see each of my sisters doing what they do best.. The two renamed the store Smithe and Shanahan, but Bill Shanahan eventually sold his share to Smithe's brother Charlie. The company's commercials were originally straightforward descriptions of their products and services, but in 2003, the brothers decided to include outtakes from past filmings, which showed the brothers stumbling over words and laughing at each other. The Empire Carpet Guy, of course. Assuming your a dude your not supposed to understand the commercials. The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen. Tim, 41, is the vice president of sales; he and his wife have four kids and live in Winnetka. CHICAGO (CBS) -- Walter Edward Smithe Jr., the founder of Chicago's Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86. Their interactions were zany, their dialogue lighthearted, their catchy jingle -- "you dream it, we build it" -- recognizable throughout the region. They decided on an ad campaign that would, simply, pitch their product. The boys' first ventures into the working world included Walt's daily paper route -- 70 Tribunes, three or four Sun-Times and a couple of Wall Street Journals -- that Tim helped him with ("I got 1 cent per paper, and I'd give Tim 10 cents for helping me"), and collecting beer cans that they resold at a Park Ridge flea market. But when they finally decided to accept, they knew they needed to come up with a unique and effective way to introduce themselves to the Chicago market as the new faces of Walter E. Smithe. But I never forget that these are my sisters and I completely respect them. Sometimes you have to act fast. Ellen is very serious about design and had a definite voice in what this modern-rustic-meets-farmhouse collection would be. The 4th generation (Walter III's daughters) join the business after careers in their respective fields; Maureen in 2002, Meghan in 2014, Caitie in 2015, and Colleen in 2016. Someone really needs a new marketing director/CMO/agency because they do not know what they are doing. Dont burden yourself with the boredom of a matching wood set. Warehouse workers go over every piece of inventory awaiting delivery with a fine-tooth comb, looking for things an untrained eye would never see. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe . Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. That can help Walter E. Smithe differentiate itself from the growing number of lower-priced furniture retailers that have moved into the Chicago area in the past couple of years, Walter Smithe said. Falling asleep. You may also light a candle in honor of Walter E. Smithe Jr. or send a beautiful flower arrangement to the funeral . Walter E. SMITHE corporate office is located in 1775 W Rand Rd, Arlington Heights, Illinois, 60004, United States and has 382 employees. At-a-glance. Still, the Smithes have had to weather various challenges since joining the company, including the retirement of their uncle, Tim. Around the same time, Caitie was ready to return to the workforce as a designer and stylist, a skill she had honed early in her career. That collective experience comes in handy ahead of any major decisions. with Maureen Smithe Brusznicki and Caitie Smithe Jisa at Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. There are so many cool and unique materials being used to manufacture furniture these dayssuch as capiz shells, bone inlay, faux shagreen, concrete, rope and slate. Walter Smithe, president of the furniture company, climbs the stairs March 21, 2017, at the Walter E. Smithe furniture store in Oak Brook, alongside his four daughters, Colleen, from left, Caitie . But shes quick to point out that the business is still very much a multigenerational effort, noting that their 81-year-old grandfather still regularly meets with clients. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. "That was the best part," she said. Walter E. Smithe Near You in Vernon Hills, Illinois - furniture - Linn Burton: He started selling appliances in Polk Bros. ads in 1953, but the majority of his 35-year TV career was spent hawking cars -- Kaisers, Frazers, Joe Rizza's Pontiacs and, most famously, Bert Weinman's Fords.