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. 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. High School," Walter says. Tomorrow, Hubbard Woods Design District (Green Bay Rd. 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. /r/Chicago is the place to discuss and stay updated on the daily happenings of Chicago, Illinois, USA. How could the Itasca-based company break the mold and reach a new audience while still carrying its message into a fourth generation? Then they brought in the wives. If you find the right furniture, it will last even through your kids, Colleen says. Walter E. Smithe Jr's death was announced Thursday on the company's Facebook page. 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.". Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta, Room Request: Four Seasons Hotel Bogota Casa Medina, New Restaurants and Bars in New York City, Clare V., Mulberry and More New Retail Openings in NYC, Tony Robbins Challenge to Provide 1 Billion Meals Nears its Goal, Get behind-the-scenes pictures on Instagram. [1] The 4th generation (the Smithe Sisters), all daughters of Walter III, are Maureen Smithe (buyer), Meghan Smithe (director of marketing), Caitie Smithe (designer, design coordinator and stylist) and Colleen Smithe (director of advertising). The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. Smithe says that doing everything in-house allows them to be quick on their feet. One of the first opportunities to test their compatibility was through a partnership with interior designer and TV personality Jeff Lewis. The Smithes stand out because they're doing silly things. "Pam, Bill and I are always on the watch for pop culture. It turned out so well that Tim carried along a copy to a speaking engagement. The Walter E. Smithe furniture jingle "you dream it, we build it" has been a longtime fixture in the firm's television ads, just as the Smithe brothers themselves have been. In recent years, Smithe enjoyed his time with extended family. 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. Relevant. But the sisters also know they can always turn to the leaders who came before them. At-a-glance. 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. They pointed out how affordable the pieces are. It was a natural fit, she said. Shop the clearance. Give yourself time to just be in a comfortable and beautiful outdoor space. 177 East Army Trail Road, Glendale Heights, IL 60139. Chicago, IL. I love the attention I get as a local celebrity," Mark says. Smithe's wife of 64 years was by his side when he passed, and he . Meghan can recall her pigtails bouncing as she ran through the Walter E. Smithe warehouse as a young girl, pulling sales tags in exchange for a nickel or dime from her grandfather, Walter Smithe Jr. 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. Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, - Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. E. Smithe sisters Caitie, Colleen, Meghan and Maureen were introduced to the business at a young age. Walter E. Smithe is a family business in every sense of the word, the sisters say. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie Smitheis shaking things up in a big way. Visit . "We had a common agreement that we had the best furniture in Chicago," Tim says, "but not enough people knew about it.". One spot was modeled after Apple's weird commercials. I love the one where they are drinking what looks like Tang out of wine glasses. So I'm speaking, and they're half listening, you know. While it may not be usable 365 days a year, the days that your outdoor space are in fact usable should be embraced. 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. Walter E. Smithe III, is the President of family owned and operated Walter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. Get Eric Clark's email address (e*****@smithe.com) and phone number at RocketReach. walter e smithe. Nah, I know a few of them. The company offer of a free DVD generated a huge response, and more than 60,000 were given away.). "Case in point, I was just this morning sketching out my first ideas for The Three Tenors, featuring, of course, the Smithe brothers in a coliseum. In the late '60s, the growing family -- there are also four sisters, Cindy, Margie and . The 4th generation (the Smithe Sisters), all daughters of Walter III, are Maureen Smithe (buyer), Meghan Smithe (director of marketing), Caitie Smithe (designer, design coordinator and stylist) and Colleen Smithe (director of . Now, the Itasca-based furniture and interior design company wants you to get to know the Smithe sisters. "That was the best part," she said. His daughters were hesitant at first, questioning whether they were ready for such a responsibility. - 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. 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. Sometimes it does not pay to work with family. Sisters Colleen, Meghan, Maureen and Caitie Smithe, from left, say three key words have helped them carry their family-run furniture company into a fourth generation: fresh, young and relevant. Revenue: $100 to $500 million (USD) Competitors: Linly Designs, Rieke Office Interiors, 57st Design. View a map of participating First Friday locations. The girls have all worked elsewhere before they came to work here, says Walter of his daughters who have had careers ranging from merchandising to advertising. 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. The seven pieces featured in the Quincy Master Bedroom vignette below (chair, trunk . Brothers Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe -- the faces of Walter E. Smithe Furniture -- seem to have hit on something with their ubiquitous ads. 9's "Garfield Goose" and "Ray Rayner" shows. "But we've also gotten some really nice feedback from people who are happy to see four working women on their TV.". 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "They're having a lot of fun. Walter has been known to take furniture for test drives, says Meghan. Were now getting calls from all over the world., Under Colleen and Meghans direction, Smithe now has a beautiful new lookbook in its marketing toolbox and a stable full of breathtaking photography, as they become the exclusive distributor for Ellen DeGeneres new furniture collection from Thomasville. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. is headquartered in Itasca, IL. walter e smithe, furniture stores near me, ballinger vase buy, gold side end table, tall mirror, walter e smithe daughters, furniture . "And of course this summer's blockbuster is supposed to be `Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' 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. 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. getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled," says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have . Bloomingdale Plaza. Who are the Walter E Smithe daughters? Shop now. The company made its website easier to use and more modern-looking. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs, Walter E. Smithe is a local furniture icon. Someone really needs a new marketing director/CMO/agency because they do not know what they are doing. He also hosted telethons. The are the Smithe sisters, Meghan, Colleen, Maureen and Caitie. Chicagoans came to know and appreciate the three Smithe brothers who starred for years in quirky TV commercials touting their family-run furniture company. Born in the heart of Chicago, we're a family owned and operated local business since 1945, now four generations strong. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. Find locations. Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. Ellen is very serious about design and had a definite voice in what this modern-rustic-meets-farmhouse collection would be. Business Profile for Walter E. Smithe Furn-Itasca. Anyone got a link to the current commercial? He began working in the . Like their brothers, the four Smithe sisters were all in the business when they were in high school. "I think it's time for us to get out of these TV commercials," Walter said. Shop the label. Itasca, IL 60143. ", Instead they talk about the U2/iTunes takeoff, the brothers' version of "The Apprentice" or the Olympic parody from last year. When Smithe makes a furniture delivery, Its not uncommon for our crews to bring a 25-year-old sofa with a Smithe sticker on it back to this warehouse, Meghan says. Building upon the Smithe family legacy is a big responsibility, the sisters said, one they've embraced with fervor. About. ("You should keep that hat on for about three weeks. 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. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. 443 were here. Start shopping. We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". "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. 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. We strive to bring our clients the best in home furnishings for every style, budget, and. Their grandfather, who is in his 80s, remains active in the company, frequently visiting showrooms and making connections with clients. 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. Sometimes we present to our dad as a united front and other times we need him to be a tie breaker. A new collection at Holly Hunt, discounts at EuroFurniture, a First Friday event at Hubbard Woods Design District, and more. Smithe guy Walt actually Walter Smithe III 45 is president and general manager of the. I presented my ideas for this two weeks ago and it will be out on the floor in three weeks. They look hungry. walter e smithe furniture & design. Visit Website (opens in new window) Walter E. Smithe. Customers were more concerned with what we were selling versus the people who were selling it, she adds. 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. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years. Tim recalls Walt trying to smother him -- repeatedly, apparently -- with a bean bag chair. The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. They've transitioned into the spotlight. Margie, who used to be a buyer for Smithe, moved to St. Louis with her husband, who worked for Anheuser-Busch's ad agency. His line was, `If you can talk you can breathe.'". They've spruced up their styles, selling more contemporary pieces among their traditional designs. Its very much in line with our desire to offer the most beautiful pieces that are of the highest quality. ("Did you notice he used the wide-angle lens when he shot your [rear end]?"). Then he and Thorson meet with his brothers and throw ideas around. We simply never had that conversation, Meghan says. Further confused by the commercials now. We've got the radar out for that," Tim Smithe says. The implication was that he was doing/looking at something inappropriate. Please enter valid email address to continue. [4], Many of Walter E. Smithe's commercials have been pop culture parodies. 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. 1251 West Thorndale Avenue. They've been able to weather the unexpected storm of the coronavirus pandemic. And youll see each of my sisters doing what they do best.. - 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. Sometimes you have to act fast. Walter was the first of the third generation to join the family business in 1981 . Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Marketing Contacts Contacts (5/9) Name Title State; Walter S. President & Chief Executive Officer . (Last year, Walter E. Smithe resurrected the 1950s-era cartoon that was a holiday staple on WGN-Ch. Later, both Tim and Mark were night managers at competing convenience stores, Tim at a 7-Eleven in Niles and Mark at a Park Ridge White Hen. It couldn't have gone more perfectly, Maureen said. While they took breaks from the biz to make their own way after college, each came back when the right positions opened up. Contents. Still, the Smithes have had to weather various challenges since joining the company, including the retirement of their uncle, Tim. 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 . Now, a lot more people know about us than knew a few years ago.". He attended the University of Notre Dame and earned a bachelor 's . Am I the only one who just thinks he looks like Louis CK? What The Walter E. Smithe Daughters Do . You can still be a fun premium brand (Virgin, for example) but this is Family Dollar-type schtick. They're going to be the ones buying furniture for the next 50 years, so we have to be ready to serve them the way they want to be served," said Walter Smithe, 57. And I thought, `makeup and lighting. For instance, finding that perfect piece of decorative furniture that creatively doubles as a toy box for kids games, toys and video devices. Find employees, official website, emails, phone numbers, revenue, employee headcount, social accounts, and anything related to Walter E. Smithe Furniture. The company makes, sells, and repairs furniture, specializing in custom upholstery, and operates ten showrooms throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.
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