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Compare how recession-proof Walter E. Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. Revenue: $100 to $500 million (USD) Competitors: Linly Designs, Rieke Office Interiors, 57st Design. The company began in 1945 as Tone Appliances and Furniture, a single store on Belmont Avenue in Chicago. ", Instead they talk about the U2/iTunes takeoff, the brothers' version of "The Apprentice" or the Olympic parody from last year. Subscribe to one or more of our free e-mail newsletters to get instant updates on local news, events, and opportunities in Chicago. 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. How could they ensure the 75-year-old brand would be sustainable for decades to come? They pointed out how affordable the pieces are. The Empire Carpet Guy, of course. The implication was that he was doing/looking at something inappropriate. I havent seen the Tile Outlet lady in a while!! A few bucks later, the clunker is off to Victory's Bensenville lot. We've got the radar out for that," Tim Smithe says. "But we've also gotten some really nice feedback from people who are happy to see four working women on their TV.". Newlyweds can now register for exclusive honeymoon stays and experiences at 23 of Auberge Resorts Collections luxury hotels and resorts worldwide More, With two movies out this winter, the actress and producer Salma Hayek Pinault is at the top of her game More, The star of A Beautiful Noise, which just opened at the Broadhurst Theatre, is a big Neil Diamond fan More, The writer and actor makes his Broadway debut in his just-opened play Aint No Mo More, After flying high in the hit sequel Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell stars in the new film Devotion, out now More, It's not enough to just be smart. - 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. "I think it's time for us to get out of these TV commercials," Walter said. Hope, once a Smithe designer and store manager, now lives in Colorado with her husband. I dont think anyone in the furniture industry does advertising well. Weird. Meghan was hired in 2013 and now serves as director of sales strategy. Its unjust to think that women can somehow balance it all, Colleen adds. /r/Chicago is the place to discuss and stay updated on the daily happenings of Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is a celebrity who is genuinely interested in how her furniture will do and be perceived, Maureen says. Today, they help oversee 10 showrooms, the warehouse and headquarters, working together (generally) perfectly. Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. Bob's proudly proclaims that it sells cheap garbage, Walter E looks like they're trying to sell you viagra and Penny Mustard radio commercials are justweird.. But the sisters also know they can always turn to the leaders who came before them. Mix together different, but complimentary, elements such as woods, metals and stonesand feel free to mix various metals together. "And I'd be yelling, `I can't breathe! We refer to Smithe.com as our 12th store, since many of our clients are doing their research online before coming to see us in person.. Assuming your a dude your not supposed to understand the commercials. Walter E. Smithe Jr's death was announced Thursday on the company's Facebook page. The journey from Point A to Point B started with an all-blooper and outtakes reel that O'Neil and Tim Smithe put together as a birthday gift for mom Florence. Find out where to go, what to eat, where to live, and more. "An hour and a half. "As needs within the business grew, positions opened up organically," Maureen said. Born in the heart of Chicago, we're a family owned and operated local business since 1945, now four generations strong. "We wanted to entertain people first, so then when we wanted to inform them they'd already be paying attention," Tim says of their advertising philosophy. 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. If you find the right furniture, it will last even through your kids, Colleen says. I love the attention I get as a local celebrity," Mark says. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie Smitheis shaking things up in a big way. Lewis Lazare. Or using a new high-tech application to keep couch fabric truly worry free from childrens spills, everything from spaghetti sauce to Kool-Aid. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. There is no rule book that says they all need to matchmetals always compliment one another. Instead, the Smithe sisters Colleen, director of advertising; Maureen, a buyer; Caitie, a designer; and Meghan, the marketing director help a Chicago couple with tastes that sometimes clash give their town home a new look before relatives show up for a visit. I only hear them on the radio. Rocketreach finds email, phone & social media for 450M+ professionals. "We had a common agreement that we had the best furniture in Chicago," Tim says, "but not enough people knew about it.". 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 . Brothers Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe -- the faces of Walter E. Smithe Furniture -- seem to have hit on something with their ubiquitous ads. Itasca, IL 60143. The 3rd brother, Tim Smithe, retired in 2016. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. "[5] Of the commercials, Tim Smithe has said, "We wanted to entertain people first, so then when we wanted to inform them they'd already be paying attention". Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. The Smithe sisters, all in their thirties, worked in the family business as teens but pursued different career paths in adulthood. Their dad, the company's president, continued filming his signature ads with his brother, Mark, for a short period of time, Colleen said. The company made its website easier to use and more modern-looking. Receive a 20 percent discount on sofas, love seats, sectionals, chaises, and more at Cassona (5241 N. Clark St., cassona.com) through March 13. Walter e smithe daughters. It's not included in a shorter version now airing on TV. Walter E. Smithe Jr. also earned a master's degree in Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago in 1980. "They go a long way with a limited budget through the use of creativity," he says. The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . 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. Young. Bringing new and various textures into a room can take it from plain and lacking in interest to exciting and memorable. Billy Corgan and Walter E. Smithe Wrestling. 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. But always start from a place where we love each other and enjoy working together., Between the ages of 10 and 18, former Barrington High School soccer, For Olympian Patrick Gasienica, ski jumping has been a part of his, Dr. Rekha S. Rajan has devoted her personal and professional life to, One of the most prestigious dance companies in the world, The Joffrey, Saint Anne Catholic Community Churchs Project Hope ministry, A night of sequin-studded disco fever, the 5th Annual Hoosier Ball was. His sons, Walter, Tim, and Mark, joined the company in the 1970s and 1980s. How, they wondered, would longtime customers respond to four new female faces on their television screens? Today. They've spruced up their styles, selling more contemporary pieces among their traditional designs. "It's a big responsibility. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Marketing Contacts Contacts (5/9) Name Title State; Walter S. President & Chief Executive Officer . As teens, the four sisters worked only part time in their fathers showroom or outlet store, selling furniture and earning their first paychecks along with other eager, cash-strapped teens. But learning how to work together while also juggling their busy personal lives -- they have 18 kids among the four of them -- can be a delicate balance. It couldn't have gone more perfectly, Maureen said. But it wasn't long before he approached his youngest daughter with a proposition. For example - my favorite large upholstered dining chairs are under $200. "If we'd done that with a large agency, it would have been flying people in from New York and storyboards and approvals along the way," he says. And it's those commercials, always informative and usually silly, that have the Smithe brothers walking in the footsteps of Linn Burton and the Empire Carpet Guy as Chicago TV commercial icons. ("Did you notice he used the wide-angle lens when he shot your [rear end]?"). This began a long series of lighthearted television commercials, which became increasingly elaborate over the next few years. Colleen Smithe, Director of Advertising Also would somebody please feed them? We dont always agree on things, Colleen says. Others have been parodies of reality television shows, such as The Apprentice and The Bachelor. Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. He attended the University of Notre Dame and earned a bachelor 's . Tim recalls Walt trying to smother him -- repeatedly, apparently -- with a bean bag chair. Am I the only one who just thinks he looks like Louis CK? He received a Bachelor of Philosophy in Commerce from the University of Notre Dame in 1958. "And they've been able to personalize a retail chain through the use of the brothers. Three generations are involved in the family-run Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, including Walter Smithe Jr. (far right); his sons Walter III (far left) and Mark; and his four granddaughters, from left, Maureen, Caitie, Colleen and Meghan. Since 1945, we have been Chicago's local source for quality furniture and expert design. To the Smithe sisters, the company has always been a piece of their identity, an integral thread of their childhood. That's a galaxy away from the current "Star Wars" parody. Personally, I dont want to stare at ugly furniture for all those years, Meghan says. The first order of business: ditch the longstanding, highly recognizable ad campaign featuring their father and two uncles. They've been able to weather the unexpected storm of the coronavirus pandemic. And Mark, 40, is Smithe's general counsel; he and his partner live in Lincoln Park with Petey, a 4-year-old bulldog. Chicago's Best Furniture and Expert Design. Ellen is very serious about design and had a definite voice in what this modern-rustic-meets-farmhouse collection would be. The announcement was merely an early April Fools' Day prank, although the Smithe brothers said they had received about one hundred emails from viewers who were not sure what to think. walter e smithe furniture inc. Primary Address. The Smithe sisters - Walter III's daughters Maureen, Meghan, Caitie, and Colleen - are also now executives at Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design and appear in the ads. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. And in between the entertainment were his folksy commercials for Courtesy Motors -- his cars were "honeys" and "sweeties" -- which at one point was the world's largest Ford dealer. A matte black bathtub, vanity mirrors and hardware pop against the airy walls in this modern primary bathroom. "We're kind of strategically positioned in different departments," Meghan said. The commercials were being shot at a studio in Northfield and would result in enough footage for dozens of TV ads to appear over the next six months. Last edited on 17 December 2022, at 02:33, https://incfact.com/company/walteresmithefurniture-itasca-il/, Walter E. Smithe gives royal treatment to Royal Manner. While a new recession may strike a particular industry, measuring the industry and . 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. (Last year, Walter E. Smithe resurrected the 1950s-era cartoon that was a holiday staple on WGN-Ch. 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. Then the commercial came on. The sisters laughed at hearing this family adage, knowing that home furnishing has been woven into the tapestry of their lives. Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. Walter has been known to take furniture for test drives, says Meghan. There is nothing like a day spent soaking up the sun and a good book or an evening with friends and good food and drinks under the stars. The Feldco guy creeps me out more. "And there's 10 televisions, all tuned to the same station. "That was the best part," she said. Walter E. Smithe Jr. died peacefully at age 86, his family said in a prepared statement. Those early Smithe commercials were straight-forward affairs, with each brother talking about his area of expertise -- Walt discussed the merchandise, Tim the company's designers, and Mark Smithe's delivery system and customer satisfaction -- and, of course, the furniture. And they represented Walter E. Smithe with a sense of drive and zeal that can only exude from the third-generation stakeholders of what has become a household name. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. Someone really needs a new marketing director/CMO/agency because they do not know what they are doing. 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 company has become known over the years in particular for its quirky TV commercials Chicago TV viewers have long known the jingle, "Walter E. Smithe, you dream it we build it." The CBS Chicago team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSChicago.com. One of the first opportunities to test their compatibility was through a partnership with interior designer and TV personality Jeff Lewis. Darvin is always yelling about discounts. One of my friends used to live near Fullerton and Western, and she would always tell people she lived near Tile Outlet. Now, a lot more people know about us than knew a few years ago.". "But these are guys who you'd go to dinner with, you know? The answer -- and the sisters' secret to success -- can be summed up in three key words: Fresh. The girls got the bedrooms; the three boys shared a room in the basement. Bargain-hunters, take note: Artistica (990 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, artistica.com) has gotten a jumpstart on spring cleaning and updated its clearance selection to include more than 600 items (including custom-painted majolica backsplash panels) discounted by 50 percent. Chicago Parent, as a Zoe Communications Group company, is certified as a Womens Business Enterprise by the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nations largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women. 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. By last year, though, each had returned to the company their great-grandfather founded. We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. officially retires, although he still enjoys visiting showrooms and meeting clients. The four women have been taking on bigger roles at the company and star in its new ad. In one of their most memorable ads, the four women get into a food fight -- spaghetti and red wine included -- and seemingly destroy a bright white couch, which is then scrubbed clean. And now with the company's 75th anniversary approaching in August, they're ready to push forward plans to expand and evolve. The brothers spend most of their time in the company's Itasca headquarters, which also serves as a warehouse, customer service center and point of departure for the fleet of Smithe trucks. Thats fast, but it shows what we can do. Let's go Cubbies! I was probably in elementary school when I would come in to work in the warehouse, sweeping for a nickel, Colleen says of the brand, which first opened in 1945. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie . They got on each other's nerves and learned to talk quickly at the dinner table if they wanted to get a word in. The Itasca-based company has 10 locations across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, where the sisters ply their fourth-generation talents. So much misogyny in these comments, their commercials have always been cheesy and annoying. Cindy went to college in Iowa and settled there after school. '", "The business steadily increased since we started the commercials," Walt says. It's pretty surprising they are still playing on these tired sexist tropes in this day and age. Opening Day is March 30. The company makes, sells, and repairs furniture, specializing in custom upholstery, and operates ten showrooms throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. It turned out so well that Tim carried along a copy to a speaking engagement. We strive to bring our clients the best in home furnishings for every style, budget, and stage of life. At that age, it was very exciting to come home and brag that we sold maybe hundreds or thousands of dollars in furniture, Meghan recalls. He was still spending weekends at Smithe furniture showrooms until recently and he volunteered for many years for Habitat for Humanity, building houses in the U.S. and Central America. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. is headquartered in Itasca, IL. Sometimes it does not pay to work with family. "We have wonderful clients who are my generation or older, but we have to figure out how we cater to this new generation that's setting up households now. "[7] Maria Coons, a marketing teacher at Harper College, has also defended the advertisements, telling a Daily Herald reporter, "Some people who aren't in that [30 to 60 year old] demographic might consider them dorky, but for their target market, they're not. portalId: "6766057", With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs Walter E. Maureen in 2002 Meghan in 2014 Caitie in 2015 and Colleen in 2016. walter e smithe furniture & design. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. All three attended St. Mary's College in Winona, Minn. Walt got an MBA at Notre Dame, Tim got one at Northwestern, and Mark got a law degree at Loyola. Their grandfather, who is in his 80s, remains active in the company, frequently visiting showrooms and making connections with clients. There have been more than a thousand of them since, and thanks to the magic of cable TV he is now a national celebrity. Through March 7, EuroFurniture (2145 W. Grand Ave., eurofurniture.com) is offering 15 percent off BDI media cabinets and consoles available in-store, online, and by phone. Contents. And they're not showbiz types. "So that drove us, I think, to be successes.". (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). The Bob's puppet is a far better actor than the Smithe girls though. Anyone got a link to the current commercial? Determine whether Walter E. Smithe Furniture grew or shrank during the last recession. There's a lot of blurred lines, and we have to learn when to defer to each other.". Walter E. Smithe wants to create a series of similar videos to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at their services and the company. Walter Smithe III and his brothers Mark and Tim helped make the furniture store a household name with clever commercials -- a tradition that's continued with Smithe III's four daughters, Colleen . Whoever said brick-and-mortar is dead hasn't met the Smithe sisters. "We're custom, so we can create everything, but we need to get the right mix out there to give people ideas," said Meghan Smithe, the company's director of marketing. Still, she never dreamed of working full time for Walter E. Smithe Furniture, even while growing up in Barrington with her three sisters, Maureen, Caitie and Colleen. So is there a `Wally and the Sofa Factory' in our future?". "KFC dances to beat of familiar drummers". The fourth generation of Smithe leadership is hoping that this young, fresh approach to advertising and marketing will resonate with a consumer base that hasnt yet shopped with Smithe before. - Nick Celozzi and Maury Ettleson: Starting in the early '70s, they waved fistfuls of cash at TV viewers and reminded everyone that Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet in Elmhurst was "Where you always save more money!". Regarded as top performer within the account and the Agency, as a result of consistent over-delivery, passion to grow the business . We are sad to announce that on October 9, 2022 we had to say goodbye to Walter E. Smithe Jr. of Chicago, Illinois. Shop the clearance. I'm so annoyed that I won't buy anything from there. McCarthy was married to grandson of Walter E. Smithe, Timothy Smithe Jr. in Paris, France in June of 2013. . This rating has improved by 10% over the last 12 months. Explore. Bloomingdale Plaza. For instance, finding that perfect piece of decorative furniture that creatively doubles as a toy box for kids games, toys and video devices. The Smithe sisters have heard it all before, and they've set out to dispel those misperceptions. Find employees, official website, emails, phone numbers, revenue, employee headcount, social accounts, and anything related to Walter E. Smithe Furniture. I love incorporating an unexpected element into a room. And it's not uncommon for their kids to make cameo appearances in advertisements or to help sort through fabric samples, "which would technically make it a five-generation business," Maureen says. Caitie Smithe is aDesigner, Design Coordinator + Stylist atWalter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. That collective experience comes in handy ahead of any major decisions. The best commercial -- at least the one viewers relished -- featured this grating kid getting hit in the face with a pie. - The Victory Auto Wreckers guy: Almost every night since 1981, on some channel, Bob Zajdel has barely escaped injury when the driver's door fell off his old Chevy. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years.