walter e smithe daughters
To make up for it, she woke up early to make heart-shaped pancakes. Smithe guy Walt actually Walter Smithe III 45 is president and general manager of the. 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. It takes work and sacrifice.. Tim, 41, is the vice president of sales; he and his wife have four kids and live in Winnetka. The chemistry among this familial foursome is something parents can only hope for from their children. Lewis Lazare. 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. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design (Old Orchard) 17 miles. 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. 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 was an organic transition for each of us, says Colleen, the youngest sister. I love the attention I get as a local celebrity," Mark says. 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. I only hear them on the radio. "We're kind of strategically positioned in different departments," Meghan said. Caitie Smithe is aDesigner, Design Coordinator + Stylist atWalter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. 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. And then fate gently tapped them on their shoulder. This led to the development of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. This style is out there and we need to respond and get it on our floor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. Bloomingdale Plaza. And now with the company's 75th anniversary approaching in August, they're ready to push forward plans to expand and evolve. "That was the best part," she said. We simply never had that conversation, Meghan says. USA. Now, a lot more people know about us than knew a few years ago.". It stuck in your head. Our dad always put an emphasis on hard work, and it stuck with us.. About. Calkins says that by minimizing production costs and media costs and doing those quick turnarounds, Smithe gets a bigger bang for its advertising buck. "And a woman was there with her daughter, and she nudged her and I heard her say, 'That's the Walter E. Smithe guy.' It turned out so well that Tim carried along a copy to a speaking engagement. It took the mother of six children a few years to figure out how to juggle her demanding career and busy home life. One of the first opportunities to test their compatibility was through a partnership with interior designer and TV personality Jeff Lewis. 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. Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. But one by one, they followed Maureen's lead and rejoined the family business. The company makes, sells, and repairs furniture, specializing in custom upholstery, and operates ten showrooms throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. "That's F-A-M-E, with an E". "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years," Meghan said. 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. The girls got the bedrooms; the three boys shared a room in the basement. CHICAGO The founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design has died. Currently, there are 3 generations involved in the business: Walter Smithe Jr is retired, but regularly visits the showrooms. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. What The Walter E. Smithe Daughters Do . Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design. "[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. But repeated airings of the ad have made him and his door legendary. 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. "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. Rocketreach finds email, phone & social media for 450M+ professionals. While we still have traditional pieces, our showroom appeals to a number of different lifestyles. Three years later, she recruited Colleen to become advertising director -- a position she accepted without hesitation. "KFC dances to beat of familiar drummers". Draftfcb. Born in the heart of Chicago, we're a family owned and operated local business since 1945, now four generations strong. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. Its very much in line with our desire to offer the most beautiful pieces that are of the highest quality. There is no rule book that says they all need to matchmetals always compliment one another. 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. The Walter E. Smithe + Jeff Lewis showcase certainly fits the bill. So much misogyny in these comments, their commercials have always been cheesy and annoying. Colleen Smithe, Director of Advertising Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. And it's not uncommon for their kids to make cameo appearances in advertisements or to help sort through fabric samples, "which would technically make it a five-generation business," Maureen says. Today. 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 . Get Eric Clark's email address (e*****@smithe.com) and phone number at RocketReach. Some have criticized the spots for underemphasizing Walter E. Smithe's actual furniture products. 1 Early life; 2 Television; 3 Personal Life; 4 References; . Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up on the Northwest Side in Belmont Central. Holly Hunt (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, Ste. Home Cities Chicago Meet the Smithe Sisters, The new generation is shaking things up at furniture icon Walter E. Smithe. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Regarded as top performer within the account and the Agency, as a result of consistent over-delivery, passion to grow the business . He also hosted telethons. Their camaraderie is genuine, and they can easily share ideas and bounce between conversations. Were not trying to portray an image that working mothers can pull off everything without something falling through, Maureen says candidly. Meghan and Colleen spent several years working at advertising agencies in Chicago. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. "We were kind of like dorks, geeks, growing up," Mark says. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Were a Chicago company that was given national exposure. Who are these guys? You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. The Smithes stand out because they're doing silly things. They look hungry. Smithe's wife of 64 years was by his side when he passed, and he . Here, get to know this powerhouse quartet. It was founded by Walter Edward Smithe and Bill Shanahan in 1945. The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. 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. Last year there aas a commercial where the puppet quickly moved to close his laptop when someone came in the office. It's fun to be part of Chicago in that way.". 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. Additional partnerships with the likes of Cynthia Rowley and Ellen Degeneres have exposed the company to a new customer base. Personally, I dont want to stare at ugly furniture for all those years, Meghan says. and became working moms in different industries. It's not included in a shorter version now airing on TV. We don't take that lightly.". Multi Location Business. I can't breathe!' 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've transitioned into the spotlight. Over the last 13 years, one by one, Walters daughters have been hired on at Smithe as the jobs became available. That cartoon of Bob has BDE and you can't deny it. Watch. Since 1945, we have been Chicago's local source for quality furniture and expert design. At-a-glance. walter e smithe furniture & design. 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. And they're not showbiz types. Opening Day is March 30. "With a strategy to continue Smithe parodies of relevant topics, really, the future is limitless," he says. But the sisters also know they can always turn to the leaders who came before them. 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. "What about you and your sisters?". It worked really well for a long time, but post-recession, we saw peoples sensibilities had changed, says Meghan. What are they up to?' Their grandfather, who is in his 80s, remains active in the company, frequently visiting showrooms and making connections with clients. 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. And they wanted a way to build the brand. "We're all rolling up our sleeves and getting dirty. Their advertising is creative, it's timely and it's interesting, so people remember it and they like it.". No outside agency required. There's a preconceived notion that furniture stores are stuffy and tired, run by men in suits and catering to older generations. Visit Website (opens in new window) Walter E. Smithe.