walter e smithe daughters

Warehouse workers go over every piece of inventory awaiting delivery with a fine-tooth comb, looking for things an untrained eye would never see. "The brothers have no acting talent," Tim says. That's why when she and her three sisters -- Maureen, Meghan and Caitie -- were asked a few years ago to transition into the role their father and uncles held for so long, they weren't immediately receptive. The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . Dont burden yourself with the boredom of a matching wood set. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. walter e smithe. Walt (actually Walter Smithe III), 45, is president and general manager of the company; he and his wife have five kids and live in Barrington Hills. hbspt.forms.create({ What she does: I use both sides of my brain: left for all the analytical spreadsheet stuff and right for the creative vision. We all trickled back in, and it happened really organically, says Meghan of the industrious quartet, who collectively has 17 children. Its unnerving. Walter E. SMITHE corporate office is located in 1775 W Rand Rd, Arlington Heights, Illinois, 60004, United States and has 382 employees. Three years later, she recruited Colleen to become advertising director -- a position she accepted without hesitation. Since 1945 the company has . 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. Today. View info about Walter E. Smithe Furniture (smithe.com). Find out where to go, what to eat, where to live, and more. Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. He began working in the . We not only respect this, we embrace it.. 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. "We're kind of strategically positioned in different departments," Meghan said. But the truth is, I love coming to the office. Now, the fourth-generation leaders of Walter E. Smithe are learning to balance their busy personal lives with the big responsibility of carrying out the legacy of their family-run business. 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. During a stint in the Army, Smithe attained the rank of captain and became an expert in the field of computers. Subscribe for free today! 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. Reaching a younger demographic and expanding their clientele has required some creativity, the sisters said. 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. We've got the radar out for that," Tim Smithe says. Walter E. Smithe ads, famous for their jingle, now featuring next Shop the Sofa Sale. Get Eric Clark's email address (e*****@smithe.com) and phone number at RocketReach. Relevant. His signature line: "Linn Burton for certain!". The daughters took over the company. Kneen & Co. (399 W. Fullerton Pkwy., Ste. 1251 West Thorndale Avenue. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. But even as likable as the brothers are, do they run the risk of oversaturation or going to the well too often? 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. The company began in 1945 as Tone Appliances and Furniture, a single store on Belmont Avenue in Chicago. Subscribe to one or more of our free e-mail newsletters to get instant updates on local news, events, and opportunities in Chicago. 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. "[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. How could the Itasca-based company break the mold and reach a new audience while still carrying its message into a fourth generation? It was an organic transition for each of us, says Colleen, the youngest sister. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. We had no grand plan.. Or using a new high-tech application to keep couch fabric truly worry free from childrens spills, everything from spaghetti sauce to Kool-Aid. Walter E. Smithe Jr. died peacefully at age 86, his family said in a prepared statement. There is no rule book that says they all need to matchmetals always compliment one another. The Walter E. Smithe + Jeff Lewis showcase certainly fits the bill. Born in the heart of Chicago, we're a family owned and operated local business since 1945, now four generations strong. It's pretty surprising they are still playing on these tired sexist tropes in this day and age. The sisters laughed at hearing this family adage, knowing that home furnishing has been woven into the tapestry of their lives. Its no longer that way.. 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. WALTER E. SMITHE FURNITURE Revenue, Growth & Competitor Profile Kyla McCarthy - EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki Chicagoans came to know and appreciate the three Smithe brothers who starred for years in quirky TV commercials touting their family-run furniture company. There have been more than a thousand of them since, and thanks to the magic of cable TV he is now a national celebrity. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Corporate Profile - Winmo 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. 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. 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 . "It's made us focus on what we do best, which is designing our clients' homes," he said. They've spruced up their styles, selling more contemporary pieces among their traditional designs. Bloomingdale Plaza. 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. The implication was that he was doing/looking at something inappropriate. - 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!". The company gained national exposure from Lewis' collection, and each sister was able to shine in her own specialty. For instance, finding that perfect piece of decorative furniture that creatively doubles as a toy box for kids games, toys and video devices. Walter E. Smithe Jr. Obituary. The sisters left for college with a few prized furnishings and a work ethic that became a permanent fixture in their lives. And now with the company's 75th anniversary approaching in August, they're ready to push forward plans to expand and evolve. We feel like we can now speak to the multitude of generations who shop with us, she says. Be sure to visit Sawbridge Studios, which will showcase sustainably harvested, live-edge furniture by David Stine. Zajdel was a driver for Victory when he made the commercial a quarter-century ago. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie . Meghan was hired in 2013 and now serves as director of sales strategy. "In a family business, everyone has to wear all hats at all times," Maureen said. When the boys took over from their father, there were about a half-dozen stores. 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 (Old Orchard) 17 miles. Meghan Smithe was on maternity leave when she began working part time in the family business, long known for its infectious jingle: You dream it, we build it.. It said he passed away peacef 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. 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. Spoken like the daughter of a true shop owner, as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. "Instead we did it on the turn of a dime. In the late '60s, the growing family -- there are also four sisters, Cindy, Margie and twins Hope and Amy, none of whom is involved in the family business -- moved to a slightly larger home in Park Ridge. 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 business's namesakeand the sisters' uncles, Mark and Tim. Plus, they seem like nice guys. 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. 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 . It's partnered with celebrity designers and broadened the mix of products carried in stores, online and in its resurrected catalog to include more current trends and a wider range of price points. Shop the clearance. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mix together different, but complimentary, elements such as woods, metals and stonesand feel free to mix various metals together. "It's been about reworking how we approach visually what we want to convey about the product that we're selling," Meghan said. 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. Caitie Smithe is aDesigner, Design Coordinator + Stylist atWalter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. What The Walter E. Smithe Daughters Do . Spoken like the daughter of a true "shop owner," as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. But one by one, they followed Maureen's lead and rejoined the family business. /r/Chicago is the place to discuss and stay updated on the daily happenings of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Smithes had been encouraged to air their outtakes on television after Tim Smithe screened them at an interior design seminar and received a positive reaction from the crowd. Walter E. Smithe Jr's death was announced Thursday on the company's Facebook page. An added factor in the commercials' success are the brothers, who come across as regular guys. 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. This has been our priority since we first began serving the Chicago area back in 1945. "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. Mark admonished Walt to keep his feet off the furniture. They can really do great things. Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. 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. 22 miles. That was the extent of his pitchman career. The company made its website easier to use and more modern-looking. 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. Contact Information. "We're all rolling up our sleeves and getting dirty. Now, there are 12, a 115,000-square-foot headquarters in Itasca and more than 550 employees, and this year Walter E. Smithe Furniture will do $100 million in sales. One of my friends used to live near Fullerton and Western, and she would always tell people she lived near Tile Outlet. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. The chemistry among this familial foursome is something parents can only hope for from their children. walter e smithe furniture inc. "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. "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". 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. 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. Anyone got a link to the current commercial? First published on October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM. Meet The Walter E. Smithe Furniture Sisters - Luxe - Design Brothers Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe -- the faces of Walter E. Smithe Furniture -- seem to have hit on something with their ubiquitous ads. The Smithes stand out because they're doing silly things. Sisters Take Smithe Spotlight, More High-End Barware, and a Sofa Sale Meghan is director of marketing, Caitie is a designer and stylist and Colleen is director of advertising. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design - Home - Facebook In the 1970s Walter left Smithe and Shanahan (His brothers remained with the original company) to start his own company - Walter E. Smithe. Chicago Furniture | Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design | Meet the Smithes 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 commercials are created in-house. Like their brothers, the four Smithe sisters were all in the business when they were in high school. Tags: Design Controls - Facebook Instant Article, Home & Garden, Interior Design. Sometimes it does not pay to work with family. Updating your home theater? Eric Clark email address & phone number | Walter E. Smithe Furniture Only a year apart in age, the lively, fast-talking Smithe sisters consider one another best friends. As the oldest sibling, Maureen was the first to officially join Walter E. Smithe in a professional capacity in 2004. 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 . 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. - Lynn Hauldren: Who? Opening Day is March 30. President - Walter E. Smithe Furniture + Design - LinkedIn The four women have been taking on bigger roles at the company and star in its new ad. The Smithe sisters have always been close -- and growing up, it wasn't always by choice. Smithe's wife of 64 years was by his side when he passed, and he . This rating has improved by 10% over the last 12 months. It also featured an appearance by Dutchie Caray, wife of the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray. In fact, none of the sisters seriously considered having a career in the company, founded by their great-grandfather in 1945. Through March 16, enjoy savings of up to 20 percent on select rugs (hopscotch, anyone?) Edit: I have been informed that they are the daughters, not the wives. 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. Colleen Smithe, Director of Advertising Holly Hunt (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, Ste. The sisters are making their official debut in a new campaign theyve recently launched called the Smithe Family Makeovers. Fielding countless applications, the Smithes choose a home where they redesign a space and showcase the full range of interior design services and furnishings Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design offers. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. The girls got the bedrooms; the three boys shared a room in the basement. Nothing is left unchanged, Meghan notes. How could they ensure the 75-year-old brand would be sustainable for decades to come? They got on each other's nerves and learned to talk quickly at the dinner table if they wanted to get a word in. "Some dabbled and moved on and others just weren't interested.". Lewis teamed up with Smithes merchandising team to create in-store vignettes, and also featured the store on his show. Even with little ones underfoot, the Smithe sisters make balancing their family furniture business and their growing broods look effortless. In some of the footage, youll see my dad installing a dimmer or my uncle driving a truck. The Feldco guy creeps me out more. McCarthy was married to grandson of Walter E. Smithe, Timothy Smithe Jr. in Paris, France in June of 2013. . "It's always positive, and it's nice to be part of it. 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. Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design. '", "The business steadily increased since we started the commercials," Walt says. At Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, we are committed to helping our clients love their homes through expert design, quality furnishings, and exemplary service. So much misogyny in these comments, their commercials have always been cheesy and annoying. Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up on the Northwest Side in Belmont Central. 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. 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 company offer of a free DVD generated a huge response, and more than 60,000 were given away.). View a map of participating First Friday locations. Is she OK? Our dad always put an emphasis on hard work, and it stuck with us.. The Smithe brothers have been described as "Chicago's most recognizable furniture purveyors", due to their ubiquitous television commercials starring themselves. 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.". "An hour and a half. officially retires, although he still enjoys visiting showrooms and meeting clients. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs, Walter E. Smithe is a local furniture icon. They hammer out a script, call in O'Neil and start filming. One spot was modeled after Apple's weird commercials. 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. Pinterest. A family affair: How four sisters are bringing a 75-year-old store into Margie, who used to be a buyer for Smithe, moved to St. Louis with her husband, who worked for Anheuser-Busch's ad agency. Over the last 13 years, one by one, Walters daughters have been hired on at Smithe as the jobs became available. The campaign was inspired in part by a partnership with designer/house-flipper Jeff Lewis of the Bravo show Flipping Out. Walter E. Smithe is a family business in every sense of the word, the sisters say. 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. But repeated airings of the ad have made him and his door legendary. USA. Also would somebody please feed them? Walter Smithe, president of the furniture company named for his grandfather, is flanked by daughters, Maureen, left, and Caitie on March 21, 2017, as theywatch his other daughters Colleen, far left, and Meghan play pingpong at the Walter E. Smithe furniture store in Oak Brook. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. "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. You want it to succeed and do well.". Walter E. SMITHE: Employee Directory | ZoomInfo.com 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. Unlike their brothers, they chose other careers. While it may not be usable 365 days a year, the days that your outdoor space are in fact usable should be embraced. formId: "acc781a7-d0b4-433d-bc7f-c5bac12f3766" The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen.

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