Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. From 5 to 8 p.m., select retailers will offer refreshments while highlighting unique designers. Shop the clearance. Reaching a younger demographic and expanding their clientele has required some creativity, the sisters said. Am I the only one who just thinks he looks like Louis CK? My sisters and I represent the viewpoint of our younger clientele, Meghan says. USA. Im stunned when people watch one of our makeovers and are surprised that Smithe carries so much of what they like, says Caitie. The campaign was inspired in part by a partnership with designer/house-flipper Jeff Lewis of the Bravo show Flipping Out. Walter E. Smithe Jr. also earned a master's degree in Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago in 1980. with Maureen Smithe Brusznicki and Caitie Smithe Jisa at Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. E. Smithe sisters Caitie, Colleen, Meghan and Maureen were introduced to the business at a young age. It said he passed away peacef I only hear them on the radio. 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 . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. walter e smithe. "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. It was like the empire jingle. Building upon the Smithe family legacy is a big responsibility, the sisters said, one they've embraced with fervor. High School," Walter says. (He's now semi-retired, having turned the business over to his sons about 10 years ago.). walter e smithe, furniture stores near me, ballinger vase buy, gold side end table, tall mirror, walter e smithe daughters, furniture . - 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. Today. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. "It's a big responsibility. What she does: I use both sides of my brain: left for all the analytical spreadsheet stuff and right for the creative vision. Caitie Smithe, Designer and Stylist. 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. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. A few bucks later, the clunker is off to Victory's Bensenville lot. Like their brothers, the four Smithe sisters were all in the business when they were in high school. 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. Smithe guy Walt actually Walter Smithe III 45 is president and general manager of the. Since 1945 the company has . 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.". walter e smithe furniture - inc. walter e smithe furniture. You could say that the Smithes are a bit obsessed with quality. My wife and I were just talking about this yesterday, we truly hate the Walter E Smithe commercials with the daughters. Plus, they seem like nice guys. Walt and Tim mocked Mark's new haircut. 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. Brothers Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe -- the faces of Walter E. Smithe Furniture -- seem to have hit on something with their ubiquitous ads. Caitie, Colleen, Maureen and Meghan Smithe represent the fourth generation helping run their Chicago-based family furniture store, Walter E. Smithe, and they're determined not to be the last. 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. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. Mark admonished Walt to keep his feet off the furniture. 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.. 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. To the Smithe sisters, the company has always been a piece of their identity, an integral thread of their childhood. 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. "It's always positive, and it's nice to be part of it. "That was the best part," she said. Opening Day is March 30. Were often building on what we see resonating in the market and what is interesting and beautiful at the moment., Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design is coming off a successful year of strategic partnerships with Bravo TVs Jeff Lewis and interior designer Cynthia Rowley. 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. Margie, who used to be a buyer for Smithe, moved to St. Louis with her husband, who worked for Anheuser-Busch's ad agency. "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. 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. The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. No surprise why the quality is so crap. 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. 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 3rd brother, Tim Smithe, retired in 2016. The Smithes stand out because they're doing silly things. Rocketreach finds email, phone & social media for 450M+ professionals. The Smithe sisters are working to expose the brand to a new customer base Photo credit: Robin Subar. And youll see each of my sisters doing what they do best.. We strive to bring our clients the best in home furnishings for every style, budget, and stage of life. 1 Early life; 2 Television; 3 Personal Life; 4 References; . An added factor in the commercials' success are the brothers, who come across as regular guys. 22 miles. They've been able to weather the unexpected storm of the coronavirus pandemic. So much misogyny in these comments, their commercials have always been cheesy and annoying. Home Cities Chicago Meet the Smithe Sisters, The new generation is shaking things up at furniture icon Walter E. Smithe. Chicago's Best Furniture and Expert Design. Business Profile for Walter E. Smithe Furn-Itasca. Indian Trail, High Street intersection work approved in Aurora, Suspect in high-speed chase crashes into, kills veteran Indiana State Trooper trying to stop him: officials, Educators get peek at Paramount play about artificial intelligence which is set to tour schools, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. "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. 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. As mothers, theyve learned its not only possible, but preferable, to have a functional yet beautiful home. And now with the company's 75th anniversary approaching in August, they're ready to push forward plans to expand and evolve. The four women have been taking on bigger roles at the company and star in its new ad. To make up for it, she woke up early to make heart-shaped pancakes. As they grew into their teens, there were the usual summer jobs -- caddying, yard work, selling ice cream from a motorized three-wheeler. Sip A Negroni While Exploring This Stunning New Home Boutique, Peruse Artisan-Crafted Collections At This Chicago Boutique, Fresh And Feminine Vibes Rule This Winnetka Boutique, Whats In Store At Chicagos New Must-See Surface Destination, 3 Things To Know About The Latest RH Gallery, Do Not Sell Or Share My Personal Information. Mix together different, but complimentary, elements such as woods, metals and stonesand feel free to mix various metals together. 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. Sometimes its the only quiet I get.. 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.. I dont think anyone in the furniture industry does advertising well. 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. Edit: I have been informed that they are the daughters, not the wives. It's fun to be part of Chicago in that way.". If you find the right furniture, it will last even through your kids, Colleen says. 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 brothers have no acting talent," Tim says. Ask how we can add diversity to your supply chain. It was an organic transition for each of us, says Colleen, the youngest sister. Personally, I dont want to stare at ugly furniture for all those years, Meghan says. Postpartum bladder leaks are common but there's help. Their grandfather, who is in his 80s, remains active in the company, frequently visiting showrooms and making connections with clients. They've transitioned into the spotlight. Colleen, Caitie, Meghan and Maureen Smithe, all between the ages of 33 and 37, represent the fourth generation of the family business and are daughters of company President Walter Smithe, the grandson of the business's namesake. 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. 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. Its unnerving. 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.". 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. 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. View a map of participating First Friday locations. portalId: "6766057", - 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. (Last year, Walter E. Smithe resurrected the 1950s-era cartoon that was a holiday staple on WGN-Ch. Its a tough balance, but I like figuring out the retail puzzle.. / CBS Chicago. Also would somebody please feed them? The Bob's puppet is a far better actor than the Smithe girls though. In the late '60s, the growing family -- there are also four sisters, Cindy, Margie and . walter e smithe furniture inc. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years," Meghan said. Contents. The company began in 1945 as Tone Appliances and Furniture, a single store on Belmont Avenue in Chicago. I love the one where they are drinking what looks like Tang out of wine glasses. The two renamed the store Smithe and Shanahan, but Bill Shanahan eventually sold his share to Smithe's brother Charlie. Who are these guys? Not as long as they keep the commercials clever and topical, O'Neil says. I was probably in elementary school when I would come in to work in the warehouse sweeping for a nickel Colleen says. 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. Chicago, IL. To their delight, the reaction to that initial campaign was primarily positive, as has been the case for every commercial they've produced since. Like most mothers, whether theyre working or staying at home, we do what we can, she says. It took the mother of six children a few years to figure out how to juggle her demanding career and busy home life. After college, all three gravitated back to the family business, which was founded by their father. Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. "We had a common agreement that we had the best furniture in Chicago," Tim says, "but not enough people knew about it.". 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. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Walter E. Smithe is a family business in every sense of the word, the sisters say. Shop the label. They can really do great things. Its very much in line with our desire to offer the most beautiful pieces that are of the highest quality. I gave up sleep and TV, Maureen jokes. And then fate gently tapped them on their shoulder. Whoever said brick-and-mortar is dead hasn't met the Smithe sisters. "We're dreamers and we have big ideas," Meghan said. 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. 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." Were really excited about this program, explains Meghan. We not only respect this, we embrace it.. As the oldest sibling, Maureen was the first to officially join Walter E. Smithe in a professional capacity in 2004. "Smithes have fun at the old ballpark". Falling asleep. getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled," says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have . I love the attention I get as a local celebrity," Mark says. Read on to find out more about pelvic floor therapy and how it's growing in popularity among postpartum women. When they get a topic, Smithe says, he tries to figure a way to blend it into an ad. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. Main Telephone (630) 285-8000. 1251 W. Thorndale Ave. Itasca, IL 60143-1149. Lewis Lazare. "But these are guys who you'd go to dinner with, you know? He NEVER blinks. The company offer of a free DVD generated a huge response, and more than 60,000 were given away.). 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. You can still be a fun premium brand (Virgin, for example) but this is Family Dollar-type schtick. One by one, each sister began working in the family business. "It's made us focus on what we do best, which is designing our clients' homes," he said. 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. 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. This is useful in estimating the financial strength and credit risk of the company. 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. Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. [6], One of Walter E. Smithe's most discussed commercials aired in late March 2006. For the most part, that relationship translates well in the business world, they say. Get Eric Clark's email address (e*****@smithe.com) and phone number at RocketReach. Oct 2012 - Apr 20152 years 7 months. Smithe says that doing everything in-house allows them to be quick on their feet. 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. Only a year apart in age, the lively, fast-talking Smithe sisters consider one another best friends. Dont burden yourself with the boredom of a matching wood set. 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. We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". We are a 4th generation family-owned business, and our employees are an integral part of . Nothing will be worse than the commercials they ran the last time the Cicadas were in season. 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. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. 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. Compare how recession-proof Walter E. Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. 9's "Garfield Goose" and "Ray Rayner" shows. They were each only a year apart, at one point covering all four grade levels at Barrington High School. And Mark, 40, is Smithe's general counsel; he and his partner live in Lincoln Park with Petey, a 4-year-old bulldog. College was a turning point for the sisters, who now call one another their best friends. "He'd come up from behind and drop in it on us," Tim says. Favorite design style: Clean and neutral. And they're not showbiz types. "It was kind of a neat way to kick off our involvement in the business as a group.". "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. Receive a 20 percent discount on sofas, love seats, sectionals, chaises, and more at Cassona (5241 N. Clark St., cassona.com) through March 13. The Smithe brothers have been described as "Chicago's most recognizable furniture purveyors", due to their ubiquitous television commercials starring themselves. "In a family business, everyone has to wear all hats at all times," Maureen said. 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. The first order of business: ditch the longstanding, highly recognizable ad campaign featuring their father and two uncles. Furniture Stores. 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. They seem very pretentious I think. There is no true balance for moms in our situation., We cant be everything all at once, Meghan says. Ellen is very serious about design and had a definite voice in what this modern-rustic-meets-farmhouse collection would be.