Additional partnerships with the likes of Cynthia Rowley and Ellen Degeneres have exposed the company to a new customer base. Feb 20, 2022 - The 4th generation of Walter E. Smithe family stops by to visit Bob and Marianne. Colleen Smithe - Director of Advertising - Walter E. Smithe Furniture The Smithe sisters now serve as the face . Woven Roman shades, a jute rug and a blonde wood vanity usher texture and warmth into the otherwise minimalist design. 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. Who are these guys? Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design Reviews - Glassdoor It was an organic transition for each of us, says Colleen, the youngest sister. Sisters Take Smithe Spotlight, More High-End Barware, and a Sofa Sale, 2020 Chicago magazine / A Chicago Tribune Media Group website, map of participating First Friday locations, Design Controls - Facebook Instant Article. In recent years, Smithe enjoyed his time with extended family. Their dad, the company's president, continued filming his signature ads with his brother, Mark, for a short period of time, Colleen said. Were really excited about this program, explains Meghan. Then there's their father, a hardworking industry expert who leads by example and walks into any work setting saying, "We check our egos at the door.". Their camaraderie is genuine, and they can easily share ideas and bounce between conversations. The Smithe sisters, all in their thirties, worked in the family business as teens but pursued different career paths in adulthood. Walter E. Smithe Trade In Sale - YouTube It was a natural fit, she said. As the oldest sibling, Maureen was the first to officially join Walter E. Smithe in a professional capacity in 2004. Customers were more concerned with what we were selling versus the people who were selling it, she adds. It's fun to be part of Chicago in that way.". 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. They can really do great things. And yet, as they went off to college and moved into the next phase of life, they were never expected to someday return full time. Haute Living is a network of luxury publications with bimonthly regional editions in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco. But one by one, they followed Maureen's lead and rejoined the family business. It turned out so well that Tim carried along a copy to a speaking engagement. As their father, the company president, has told customers for decades, Life is too short to sit on uncomfortable furniture.. Shop the label. Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. And they wanted a way to build the brand. "So that drove us, I think, to be successes.". Walter E. Smithe Furniture is a company located in Itasca, Illinois, United States. Shop now. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design is a family-owned furniture retailer, founded right here in Chicago, back in 1945. '", "I was at a gym on a treadmill," Mark says of the first time he caught one of the commercials. They look hungry. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Corporate Profile - Winmo Please enter valid email address to continue. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe . '", "The business steadily increased since we started the commercials," Walt says. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). WALTER E. SMITHE FURNITURE Revenue, Growth & Competitor Profile How could the Itasca-based company break the mold and reach a new audience while still carrying its message into a fourth generation? Is she OK? He began working in the . They pointed out how affordable the pieces are. "I was invited to speak to 300-some designers in Oak Brook," he says. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. "Still hard for me to imagine.") Over the last 12 years, one by one, Walter's daughters have been hired on at Smithe in an official capacity. In 2002 they brought in director Bill O'Neil to help them. Sisters Colleen, Caitie, Maureen and Meghan Smithe, from left, are breaking the mold as fourth-generation leaders of the 75-year-old Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design. Our dad always put an emphasis on hard work, and it stuck with us.. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. "You think a huge corporation is going to have pencil pushers and button touchers," says Lynn Hamilton, vice president of the Shirley Hamilton Agency, a Chicago talent agency. - 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. About. As mothers, all of us have cleaned up a childs spill, or even their vomit, from our furniture, Colleen jokes. Others have been parodies of reality television shows, such as The Apprentice and The Bachelor. October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM The process starts with Tim Smithe, Pam Thorson (the company's director of advertising) and director/editor Bill O'Neil of O'Neil Productions of Wilmette. 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. William Hageman and Tribune staff reporter. 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. Over the past 76 years, the company has grown to include 10 Chicago area showrooms. Weird. Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up on the Northwest Side in Belmont Central. Jeff Lewis's collection of vignettes is available at Walter E. Smithe's 11 showrooms in Chicago, and online. Lewis Lazare. With 16 1/2 children among them (Colleen is due with her third baby this month), the sisters also find work as a time to be togethersans children. The Smithe family announced that their patriarch died this past Sunday with his wife of 64 years, Florence Flynn Smithe, by his side. This initiative calls for all hands on deck. Furniture store patriarch Walter E. Smithe Jr. dies at 86 We simply never had that conversation, Meghan says. Our learning curve has been steep and long, with a lot of challenges, says Colleen, flanked by her sisters at the familys Lincoln Park location, a 10,000-square-foot boutique store. That cartoon of Bob has BDE and you can't deny it. Updating your home theater? Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. is headquartered in Itasca, IL. "That was the best part," she said. A few bucks later, the clunker is off to Victory's Bensenville lot. When the boys took over from their father, there were about a half-dozen stores. 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. The Walter E. Smithe + Jeff Lewis showcase certainly fits the bill. Getting the Smithes in front of the camera wasn't easy. They've relaunched catalogs showcasing their furniture in fully designed spaces. "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. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs, Walter E. Smithe is a local furniture icon. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design (Old Orchard) 17 miles. Walter e smithe daughters. 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. The 3rd brother, Tim Smithe, retired in 2016. Sometimes we present to our dad as a united front and other times we need him to be a tie breaker. To the Smithe sisters, the company has always been a piece of their identity, an integral thread of their childhood. 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. Walter E. Smithe is a furniture company based in Itasca, Illinois. View a map of participating First Friday locations. "An hour and a half. Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. 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. Dont burden yourself with the boredom of a matching wood set. Now its only the wives and zero about the furniture. His sons, Walter, Tim, and Mark, joined the company in the 1970s and 1980s. Meet The Walter E. Smithe Furniture Sisters - Luxe - Design Walter E. Smithe Near You in Vernon Hills, Illinois - furniture Be sure to visit Sawbridge Studios, which will showcase sustainably harvested, live-edge furniture by David Stine. So I'm speaking, and they're half listening, you know. Smithe's three sons the Smithe brothers Mark, Tim, and Walter III became executives in the business and were regularly featured in the commercials. The Feldco guy creeps me out more. 74% of employees would recommend working at Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design to a friend and 70% have a positive outlook for the business. Chicago's Best Furniture and Expert Design. So is there a `Wally and the Sofa Factory' in our future?". Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "And of course this summer's blockbuster is supposed to be `Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' They've spruced up their styles, selling more contemporary pieces among their traditional designs. The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. 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 they've been able to personalize a retail chain through the use of the brothers. portalId: "6766057", With 10 years of advertising industry experience, Smithe Parker, daughter of President Walter E. Smithe III, has worked with high-profile advertising agencies in Chicago. Were not trying to portray an image that working mothers can pull off everything without something falling through, Maureen says candidly. And they're not showbiz types. 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." It also featured an appearance by Dutchie Caray, wife of the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray. It was like the empire jingle. "We're kind of strategically positioned in different departments," Meghan said. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie Smitheis shaking things up in a big way. McCarthy was married to grandson of Walter E. Smithe, Timothy Smithe Jr. in Paris, France in June of 2013. . Bloomingdale Plaza. The answer -- and the sisters' secret to success -- can be summed up in three key words: Fresh. The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . You may also light a candle in honor of Walter E. Smithe Jr. or send a beautiful flower arrangement to the funeral . Its a constant toggle between work and family talk, notes Colleen, but at the end of the day theyre focused on creating a furniture company that helps clients truly curate a home. Eric Clark email address & phone number | Walter E. Smithe Furniture "But these are guys who you'd go to dinner with, you know? Is anyone else annoyed with the new generation of Walter E Smithe Now, the Itasca-based furniture and interior design company wants you to get to know the Smithe sisters. In a new seven-minute "Smithe Family Makeover" video, you'll only see one Smithe brother and you'll only hear the new version of the familiar jingle if you watch all the way through to the credits. 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. Their advertising is creative, it's timely and it's interesting, so people remember it and they like it.". Even if you weren't sure that Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe were brothers -- yep, those Smithe brothers, of "Walter E. Smithe, you dream it, we build it" fame -- their banter at a recent commercial shoot was a dead giveaway. However, Lewis Lazare, the Chicago Sun-Times' advertising critic, has defended the commercials. He entertained the youngest generation of the family playing banjo and singing folk songs such as "The Rock Island Line," and telling stories of Tiny Tim and the Magic Gumball Machine, his obit said. The Smithe sisters have heard it all before, and they've set out to dispel those misperceptions. Margie, who used to be a buyer for Smithe, moved to St. Louis with her husband, who worked for Anheuser-Busch's ad agency. To make up for it, she woke up early to make heart-shaped pancakes. Walter e smithe is a high end furniture store, no surprise their ads are geared towards middle aged women from high income households aka suburban moms. It's not included in a shorter version now airing on TV. Tim offered Walt brotherly support after a just-completed scene. It takes work and sacrifice.. "It's a big responsibility. Caitie was a manufacturers' representative before becoming a stay-at-home mom. And youll see each of my sisters doing what they do best.. 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 e smithe furniture & design. One of the first opportunities to test their compatibility was through a partnership with interior designer and TV personality Jeff Lewis. Born in the heart of Chicago, we're a family owned and operated local business since 1945, now four generations strong. You have this sense of passion and responsibility for it. 9615 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL 60077. They hammer out a script, call in O'Neil and start filming. 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.. They have a younger brother, who lives out of state, and plenty of younger cousins who have yet to join the team, though the sisters say there's still time. "Smithes have fun at the old ballpark". For the most part, that relationship translates well in the business world, they say. He also hosted telethons. The Empire Carpet Guy, of course. 1428, hollyhunt.com) has expanded its Great Plains textile offering with the Foreign Affair collection, which has a mix of warm and cool neutrals. The sisters get together at least twice a week, traveling from their homes in Chicago, Barrington and Riverside, leaving behind their children, husbands and home duties. 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. Multi Location Business. 177 East Army Trail Road, Glendale Heights, IL 60139. To see these serious, stuffy guys laughing and having fun someone yelled out, `You should use that as a commercial. What are they up to?' This is useful in estimating the financial strength and credit risk of the company. Walter E. Smithe Jr. also earned a master's degree in Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago in 1980. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. By last year, though, each had returned to the company their great-grandfather founded. Find employees, official website, emails, phone numbers, revenue, employee headcount, social accounts, and anything related to Walter E. Smithe Furniture. And then fate gently tapped them on their shoulder. Only a year apart in age, the lively, fast-talking Smithe sisters consider one another best friends. The sisters left for college with a few prized furnishings and a work ethic that became a permanent fixture in their lives. Regarded as top performer within the account and the Agency, as a result of consistent over-delivery, passion to grow the business . Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. Hell stand on things, jump on them, do his best to break dining chairs. Nearby is a mangled lamp that will never find its way to a Smithe showroom floor. "There was some physical violence between the brothers," Walt says with that satisfied look of a big brother who got to dish it out. It worked really well for a long time, but post-recession, we saw peoples sensibilities had changed, says Meghan. Meghan was hired in 2013 and now serves as director of sales strategy. "They were loved," said Colleen Smithe, the youngest daughter of Walter Smithe III. The Bob's puppet is a far better actor than the Smithe girls though. 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. One of my friends used to live near Fullerton and Western, and she would always tell people she lived near Tile Outlet. Create Comparison. There's a certain time and simplicity factor, so from the time of the idea to the time we shoot it can be as short as a week.". His line was, `If you can talk you can breathe.'". An added factor in the commercials' success are the brothers, who come across as regular guys. 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. Walter E. Smithe III, the company's president, and his four beautiful Holly Hunt (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, Ste. "If you think of furniture commercials, it's always just panning a showroom with obnoxious graphics," says O'Neil, who has directed all the Smithe commercials. This article originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of Chicago Parent. Sometimes it does not pay to work with family. A new collection at Holly Hunt, discounts at EuroFurniture, a First Friday event at Hubbard Woods Design District, and more. View info about Walter E. Smithe Furniture (smithe.com). Even with little ones underfoot, the Smithe sisters make balancing their family furniture business and their growing broods look effortless. Were a Chicago company that was given national exposure. Instead of starring third-generation brothers Walter III, Tim, and Mark, the new ones put the spotlight on fourth-generation sisters Caitie, Meghan, Maureen, and Colleen. Hope, once a Smithe designer and store manager, now lives in Colorado with her husband. . Find locations. 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. Walter E. Smithe Furniture - Employees, Contact info, Overview - Wiza "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years," Meghan said. Timothy Smithe Jr. (m. 2013-2018) Kyla Lynn McCarthy (born October 8, 1986) is the daughter of politician and former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. Whether bringing in color as an accent or making a big statement with a lot of color, your home will feel instantly transformed and personalized. "In what seems to be their unending and over-the-top zeal to self-promote, they just may be helping drive traffic," he wrote, adding, "If nothing else, the advertising suggests the chain has some suits with personality attached. From 5 to 8 p.m., select retailers will offer refreshments while highlighting unique designers. "That's F-A-M-E, with an E". Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. College was a turning point for the sisters, who now call one another their best friends. No outside agency required. We see this country chic trend currently happening as a design emergency, says Maureen. As they grew into their teens, there were the usual summer jobs -- caddying, yard work, selling ice cream from a motorized three-wheeler.
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