Nick Meyer, GIFTS FOOD & DRINK voiced by Bill Barretta. They covered a lot of fascinating ground, including his other gigs, how he got the Menards job, and funny things that happened while filming commercials. voiced by Billy West and 3 others. Raymond Jack "Ray" Szmanda, Sr. (June 22, 1926 May 6, 2018) was an American radio and television announcer known throughout the Midwestern United States as the spokesperson for Menards, a position he held for more than two decades. In 2020, Menards expanded into West Virginia, opening three locations in that state: one in Wheeling, another in Morgantown, and the last one in Huntington. They were having a party at their dorm, and they said, Is this Mr. Menard? And I said, Well, yeah, this is Ray Szmanda. And they said, Will you say it for us?. His career with Menards began in 1976, where he was a fixture of the ads until his retirement in 1998. RAY: Yes. Reader Poll, Advertise with Volume One When True Value Hardware Stores starting using Sports Broadcaster Pat Summerall to do voice-over work for TV Commercials, Menards was looking for their own spokesman, and in 1976, they found Ray Szmanda. share. The ARCA Menards Series sponsorship for Sprecher is a great fit." Founded in Milwaukee in 1985,. Menards - Advertising Advertising For many years, Menards' television commercials featured free-lance announcer Ray Szmanda, who became a cult figure as "the Menards Guy." In the late 1990s, a young, hands-on woman temporarily took the role in Szmanda's absence. V1: Was there any conversation about what youd be wearing? After working in radio and television, he became self-employed as a broadcaster in 1958. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. His son, Charles Szmanda, tells John about his late father. While the relatively small country of Ukraine has put up quite a fight against the superpower that is Russia, the war rages on, and no one knows what the outcome will be. READ: Menards Guy Isn't Who--or What--you Think He Is. And he said, Ray, Im the president of this company. (laughing). Volume One scored one. Menards guy Ray Szmanda, who said Save big, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Submit to Stumbleupon (Opens in new window), Menards guy Ray Szmanda, who said Save big money, dies at 91, TikTok star knows the best sandwich ingredient is sincerity, Kirk Cousins, Patrick Mahomes, Marcus Mariota part of new Netflix NFL docuseries, Kevin McCarthy gives Fox News Tucker Carlson access to Jan. 6 footage, Don Lemon to return to CNN, undergo formal training, Ryan Seacrest to leave Live with Kelly and Ryan in spring, The Oscar universe belongs to Everything Everywhere, Super Bowl averages 113 million, 3rd most-watched in history, St. Paul man dies after fall from Edina construction site, 'We all saw it coming': Harding teachers flagged violence long before fatal stabbing, WWII machine gun seized in Washington County now headed to Camp Ripley museum, Local chef and his cousin identified as St. Paul double homicide victims, Jessie Diggins adds another gold medal, and U.S. first, Special St. Paul school board meeting after fatal stabbing yields 63 speakers, $2M in federal funding granted to Rondo community land bridge project in St. Paul, Cirrus Aircraft engineer identified as victim of fatal Duluth plane crash, Minnesota GOP pitches tax rebate checks, Social Security tax cut, Derek Chauvin's ex-wife pleads guilty to tax evasion, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Szmanda lived in Antigo, Wisconsin. I had my own trio. He studiedbroadcasting at the American Institute of the Air in Minneapolis and took writing courses from the Universities of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Madison, according to his bio on the Menards website. [16] Before his return in 1999, Kim Larsen took over his position in his absence. Bo Landry is the current voice. It also alleges that the company is strongly anti-union, to the point that it will not hire anyone who has ever worked in a union shop, even if they did so while in their teen years. This ad stands out because it does far more than advertising a product. When do I receive my Menards commercial invoice? [31], According to Milwaukee Magazine in 2007, Menards was cited with more regulatory violations involving air/water pollution and hazardous waste disposal than any other company in Wisconsin. In 2007, the 240,000sqft (22,000m2) and larger Menards stores began selling groceries. The economy of the 2020s has been one of significant flux due largely to the uncertainty of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Its a good hobby, but a very expensive hobby. Menards is a chain of Home Improvement stores across the Midwestern United States and based out of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Chippewa Valley Szmanda was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and served in the United States Navy during World War II.[1]. Menards TV Commercials We don't make the ads - We measure them Sign up to track nationally aired TV ad campaigns for Menards. Menards publishes weekly print ads and broadcasts TV and radio ads. What do you think of that likeness? [4] Menards sold the Menard Building Division in 1994, racking up 36 years in the pole building industry. [5] In 2008, the company expanded into Missouri. From a global pandemic to new world leaders and the war in Ukraine, the 2020s have impacted people in many unexpected ways. You have a chance to act and play different parts, even with commercials. [6] In 2022, Menards announced that they will open a fourth West Virginia store in Bridgeport. Well look at the pros and cons of each. Your email address will not be published. Tony Stewart got his first Indy 500 starts for Menard, and in 1992 Al Unser Sr. scored the highest Indy 500 finish for the team (3rd) and the highest ever 500 finish for the Buick/Menard V6 engine. V1: What kind of stuff did you guys play? Menards spokesman Ray Szmanda, 72, of Antigo, Wis., films a television commercial for shower doors. In 2020 alone, among adults in the US who watch TV, viewing time increased by 9.2% to approximately 4.5 hours daily. In addition, these Menards locations carry items such as office supplies, pet supplies, and mattresses.[13]. Nick Meyer, V1 Staff | May 7, 2018 A Special Note from Volume One Owner & Publisher Nick Meyer Today the news is spreading that Ray Szmanda, the Midwest-famous "Menards Guy," a multi-decade TV commercial pitchman for everything from paint to faucets to lumber, passed away May 6 at the age of 91. Having fun with people. I do it strictly for my own amusement. At lunch he wouldnt remove his blue shirt, nametag, or his signature black glasses (which didnt even have lenses in them due to the glareon camera). Ray Szmanda Sr. 5 mo. The 2020s would change the world significantly, and there would be no going back to the time before these pivotal years. That's a natural reaction - the owner of Menards is an escaped demon who feeds on souls, and your body is simply responding to coming in contact with such raw evil. It then continues to stock footage of the tools being sold while Ray gives a basic description of the tool and lists the price. We flew together all over the Midwest for commercials, so we got to know each other pretty well. Invoice billed purchases are do within 50 days after the date of purchase. "Large corporations must also play by the rules, and my office will work diligently to ensure this state's consumers are treated fairly and not abused by businesses seeking to unlawfully jack prices up to line their pockets with profits at the expense of the public during this time of great need." 7. Ray Szmanda on set at a Menards commercial shoot for Gorilla Rack Shelving, circa 2001. 1912). RAY: Anytime you have someone that imitates you, does the same thing you do, thats a huge compliment. | He has been pretty quiet about his involvement with the company, but it's safe to say that he's done a great job. Make sure to keep it with you should you need planned or unplanned medical care. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. With Americans glued to their TVs watching pandemic and election coverage, 2020 was a banner year for TV viewing. Ray had plenty of monkey jokes for the crew. V1: Can we expect a comic book anytime soon? Check out one of their favorite clips. From 1959 to 1978, he operated the Trans-American School of Broadcasting in his hometown of Wausau, Wisconsin. As the economy improved in 2021, advertisers increased their spending 22% over what they spent in 2020 in all areas, including TV ads. You must contact your 84 Lumber store associate for an exact price. Many Americans watched these events with shock and fear, uncertain of the causes or ultimate impacts of such a protest. RAY: Oh yeah. I used to like working outside in the yard. ago. Thats a lot to shoot, and we needed to hustle to get it all done. Often the audience's first point of contact with a brand, radio commercial voice actors take on the role of company spokesperson and set the tone for what the audience can expect from your brand. Szmanda trained at the American Institute of the Air and took writing courses from the University of WisconsinMilwaukee and University of WisconsinMadison. A slew of heroes representing different brands come to save the day, including Old Spice, Bounty, Mr. Clean, Febreeze, Olay, Charmin, and Head & Shoulders. Nessel said that Menards would have 10 days to respond to the letter, or she would potentially take legal action. When you do these commercials, its on a set. [29], In 2022, Menards ranked second in a J.D. The green dot indicates the address has active services. Ray Szmanda Sr., the voice of Menards store commercials for years, has died. Days following the speech, Putin launched an attack on Ukraine that the international community quickly condemned. Who was the announcer for the Menards show? I had my own trio. [28] In 2022, Menards ranked 34th on the National Retail Federation's list of "100 Top Retailers". He loved it, and so did we. Im having a ball, Szmanda said on his personal website. How old do you have to be to work at hardees? His son, Charles Szmanda, tells John about his late father. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. I played on the road. RAY: The other thing I wanted to tell you is that I had some college kids call me at 9 oclock one night. The advent of the pandemic ad resulted from the global spread of COVID-19 and advertisers accompanying desire to continue selling products during this devastating event. Now wait a minute. V1: What jobs have you held other than Menards? Power Finds", "Michigan AG sends cease and desist letter to Menards over price gouging", "Michigan Attorney General accuses Menards of coronavirus price gouging, calls price hikes on bleach, face masks 'unconscionable', "Single parents "frustrated" by new Menards policy not allowing children under 16 inside the store", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Menards&oldid=1142158163, Home improvement retailers of the United States, Privately held companies based in Wisconsin, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 351 Stores And 12 Distribution Centers (As of January 2023), This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:54. In 2000, the company opened its 150th store. The US Congress issued stimulus payments to Americans to keep the economy robust through the pandemic, contributing in part to an approximate 5.7% growth in the economy in 2021. Shantel Yvonne VanSanten is an American model and actress, born July 25, 1985. Ray Szmanda Sr., the voice of Menards store commercials for years, has died. Several TV commercials in the 2020s stand out for their popularity and prolificacy. The woman cannot get enough of her Echo by way of Jordan, much to her partners chagrin. Powered by the comforting voice of Kermit the Frog, Adidas tells us their iconic yet sustainable products are ideal for those who want to go green. V1: Is there anything in particular you miss as the Menards spokesman, like hearing yourself on the radio or seeing yourself on TV? Gorilla Rack Shelving, circa 2001 ads and broadcasts TV and radio ads way of Jordan, much to partners... 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