Walter E. Smithe is a family business in every sense of the word, the sisters say. "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. "And they've been able to personalize a retail chain through the use of the brothers. The Smithe sisters, all in their thirties, worked in the family business as teens but pursued different career paths in adulthood. 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. He attended the University of Notre Dame and earned a bachelor 's . Read on to find out more about pelvic floor therapy and how it's growing in popularity among postpartum women. "People really did love seeing them on their TVs.". Compare how recession-proof Walter E. Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. My hope is to inspire people to slow down enough to talk with a designer and hopefully buy something.. Now, a lot more people know about us than knew a few years ago.". But even as likable as the brothers are, do they run the risk of oversaturation or going to the well too often? 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. Over the past 76 years, the company has grown to include 10 Chicago area showrooms. Subscribe to one or more of our free e-mail newsletters to get instant updates on local news, events, and opportunities in Chicago. For people who are in their 40s and have families, that's how brothers act around each other when they get together. "Instead we did it on the turn of a dime. This is not how you attract a premium buyer or build a premium brand. Walter E. Smithe Jr. died peacefully at age 86, his family said in a prepared statement. She is a celebrity who is genuinely interested in how her furniture will do and be perceived, Maureen says. Watch. 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. 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. USA. Walter E. Smithe Jr. Obituary. As mothers, theyve learned its not only possible, but preferable, to have a functional yet beautiful home. I presented my ideas for this two weeks ago and it will be out on the floor in three weeks. That was the extent of his pitchman career. 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. He cites the U2 music video takeoff. Walter E. Smithe Jr. also earned a master's degree in Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago in 1980. Haute Living is a network of luxury publications with bimonthly regional editions in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco. walter e smithe. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. But they do have a business. No outside agency required. Then he and Thorson meet with his brothers and throw ideas around. 70 reviews of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design "This is a really good store for when you hit age 40 or so and realize your house still resembles a college dorm. "But these are guys who you'd go to dinner with, you know? Lewis Lazare. "They go a long way with a limited budget through the use of creativity," he says. Along the way, they got married, had children (17 in all!) The Chicago native attended Fenwick High School and the University of Notre Dame. '", "The business steadily increased since we started the commercials," Walt says. Press J to jump to the feed. The company gained national exposure from Lewis' collection, and each sister was able to shine in her own specialty. The company began in 1945 as Tone Appliances and Furniture, a single store on Belmont Avenue in Chicago. Walter was the first of the third generation to join the family business in 1981 . Sometimes its the only quiet I get.. The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. The Smithe family announced that their patriarch died this past Sunday with his wife of 64 years, Florence Flynn Smithe, by his side. It takes work and sacrifice.. In recent years, Smithe enjoyed his time with extended family. Home Cities Chicago Meet the Smithe Sisters, The new generation is shaking things up at furniture icon Walter E. Smithe.
Furniture store patriarch Walter E. Smithe Jr. dies at 86 Edited to add: Looked them up and gee, it's one of the daughters managing the marketing. "We were kind of like dorks, geeks, growing up," Mark says. hbspt.forms.create({ [3], The company has become well known in the Chicago area for its television commercials, which for decades starred the three Smithe brothers, and now star the four Smithe sisters. 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. But he soon returned to the family furniture business that his father first started in 1945, and pioneered the concept of custom-order furniture in the Chicago area. 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. His line was, `If you can talk you can breathe.'". In the 1970s Walter left Smithe and Shanahan (His brothers remained with the original company) to start his own company - Walter E. Smithe. Im stunned when people watch one of our makeovers and are surprised that Smithe carries so much of what they like, says Caitie. Whoever said brick-and-mortar is dead hasn't met the Smithe sisters. "KFC dances to beat of familiar drummers". "An hour and a half. 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. "And of course this summer's blockbuster is supposed to be `Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.'
Walter E. Smithe Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design And I thought, `makeup and lighting. Smithe's wife of 64 years was by his side when he passed, and he . 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. They're nice folks. 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. Explore more of the publications in our portfolio here. Visit Website (opens in new window) Walter E. Smithe. It also featured an appearance by Dutchie Caray, wife of the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray.
Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Smithe Furniture, dies at 86 By last year, though, each had returned to the company their great-grandfather founded. We see this country chic trend currently happening as a design emergency, says Maureen. The founder of well-known Chicago-area furniture company Walter E. Smithe has died, his family announced Wednesday.
Walter E. Smithe Furn-Itasca | Better Business Bureau Profile "They've done a wonderful job building a distinctive brand," says Tim Calkins, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University. 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 . "They were loved," said Colleen Smithe, the youngest daughter of Walter Smithe III. Getting the Smithes in front of the camera wasn't easy. Walter E. Smithe is a furniture company based in Itasca, Illinois. As the fourth generation to run their family-owned Chicago furniture store, Walter. Through March 16, enjoy savings of up to 20 percent on select rugs (hopscotch, anyone?) "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. Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. The Smithes stand out because they're doing silly things. Reaching a younger demographic and expanding their clientele has required some creativity, the sisters said. Anyone got a link to the current commercial? 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. Colleen Smithe, Director of Advertising Compare how recession-proof Walter E Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. And youll see each of my sisters doing what they do best.. "The girls have all worked elsewhere before coming back to Smithe," says Walter of his daughters who have had careers ranging from merchandising to advertising. [4][5] In 2008, they filmed and edited a takeoff of the Sex and the City franchise, with the brothers sipping "Smithe-o-politans". His four daughtersMaureen Megan Clarke Caitie Jisa and Colleen Parkerare now the new faces of this historic Chicago brand a spot he and his brothers held for decades. E. Smithe sisters Caitie, Colleen, Meghan and Maureen were introduced to the business at a young age. Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design has an overall rating of 4.0 out of 5, based on over 92 reviews left anonymously by employees. walter e smithe furniture inc. 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. There is no true balance for moms in our situation., We cant be everything all at once, Meghan says. We learned so much from these relationships, Colleen says. 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. 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. It was founded by Walter Edward Smithe and Bill Shanahan in 1945. Someone really needs a new marketing director/CMO/agency because they do not know what they are doing.
A family affair: How four sisters are bringing a 75-year-old store into "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. Please enter valid email address to continue. "So that drove us, I think, to be successes.". Some have criticized the spots for underemphasizing Walter E. Smithe's actual furniture products. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years. View info about Walter E. Smithe Furniture (smithe.com).
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. Trendwise, Caitie says the color gurus at Pantone were right on when they selected a bright shade of green as Color of the Year. 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. Further confused by the commercials now. Walter E. Smithe III, is the President of family owned and operated Walter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. The girls got the bedrooms; the three boys shared a room in the basement. 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. Furniture Stores. [2] Today, the company has ten showrooms in Illinois and Indiana and is listed by Furniture Today as one of the top one hundred furniture retailers in the United States. Visit . For instance, finding that perfect piece of decorative furniture that creatively doubles as a toy box for kids games, toys and video devices. "We're kind of strategically positioned in different departments," Meghan said. In the late '60s, the growing family -- there are also four sisters, Cindy, Margie and . The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. 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.
Smithe Parker leads Walter E. Smithe advertising While a new recession may strike a particular industry, measuring the industry and . Smithe says that doing everything in-house allows them to be quick on their feet. If you find the right furniture, it will last even through your kids, Colleen says. 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. Introduced to the family business at an early ageI can recall pigtails in my hair, getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled, says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have embraced their own roles for the Itasca, Illinois-based company; Meghan is director of marketing, Colleen is director of advertising, Maureen is a buyer, and Caitie is a designer. Darvin is always yelling about discounts. Calkins says that by minimizing production costs and media costs and doing those quick turnarounds, Smithe gets a bigger bang for its advertising buck. Oct 2012 - Apr 20152 years 7 months. This style is out there and we need to respond and get it on our floor.