Empire Today
Encyclopedia
Empire Today, LLC is a Northlake, Illinois
-based home improvement and home furnishing company, specializing in installed carpet, flooring
, and window treatments. The company operates in more than 45 major metropolitan areas in the United States
, making it one of the leading providers of installed home improvement
s and home furnishings in North America. Empire Today has served over one million customers. Empire Today was named the country's #1 or #2Specialty Flooring Retailer (in total dollar amount of sales) from 2007 to 2010 by Floor Covering Weekly.
Empire Today is known for making in-home sales appointments and next day installation on many of its products.
Empire Today offers next day installation on carpet, hardwood flooring, laminate flooring, ceramic flooring, vinyl flooring and window treatments.
from a small office space. Owner Seymour Cohen decided to expand its product line in response to growing customer request. In 1965, Empire Plastic Covers changed its name to Empire Home Services, adding carpet to their product line. Over the years, Empire’s product line grew, as did the company’s national presence. In 2002 the company was sold and then adopted its current name - Empire Today.
; Boston
; Chicago
; Charlotte
; Cleveland; Dallas-Fort Worth
; Dayton
; Denver; Detroit; Eugene, OR
; Flint
; Dover
; Grand Rapids, MI
; Greensboro; Harrisburg
; Hartford
; Houston; Indianapolis
; Lansing
; Los Angeles
; Manchester, NH
; Miami; Milwaukee; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Nashville
; southern New England
; New York City
; Norfolk, VA/Hampton Roads Metro Area
; Orlando
; Philadelphia; Phoenix
; Pittsburgh; Portland, OR
; Naples, FL
- Ft. Myers
; Raleigh-Durham; Richmond
; Sacramento
; St.Louis
; San Diego; San Francisco; Scranton
; Seattle; Tampa
; Toledo
; Washington, D.C.
; and West Palm Beach
. The company's prominent television and web ads feature the recognizable "Empire Man" character.
to declare an official "Empire Day" at Wrigley Field in 2007.
The "Empire Man" was originally portrayed on television by Lynn Hauldren
, a former ad executive, who continued to provide the voice of the animated character until his passing. Hauldren died on April 26, 2011. Empire Today launched a tribute that indicated that he will, "always have a special place in the hearts of many."
Contrary to popular belief, the "Empire Man" was not the company’s owner nor was he one of the installers. In the late 1970s, Hauldren was one of the advertising copywriting forces behind the Empire brand. The company’s owner during the time requested that he serve as the on-air talent for the spots after unsuccessfully auditioning several other people for the role. Hauldren also wrote and recorded the tune used as the company’s famous jingle.
. An Empire Carpet commercial is featured in the opening segment of the feature film Wayne's World
starring Saturday Night Live
alums Mike Myers
and Dana Carvey
, where the character Benjamin (Rob Lowe
) and his partner (Ione Skye
) are watching television. The song has been featured on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
during his 2006 visit to Chicago, in which Conan stated that "It is impossible to live in the Chicagoland area and not know the song by heart". The Apprentice
contestant Aimee Trottier told Chicago Magazine that what qualifies someone as a true Chicagoan is knowing the Empire Today Jingle by heart. On a 2008 episode of The Tom Leykis Show on KLSX, 97.1 FM Talk
in Los Angeles, discussion of the Empire Today jingle and some of its history was featured as the lead-in topic of a show on advertising jingles. The Empire Today jingle was played twice on this special episode.
The jingle is simply a small mixed gender vocal group singing out the digits of the telephone number. The original Chicago-centered version was only the seven-digit number:
As the chain expanded nationally in 2002 (though it was first used in a commercial in 1996), the same tune was used, but with a three-note prefix added for the company's toll-free number. In the same year, the company changed its name to Empire Today and the word today was added to the end of the jingle. The word "today" is said, not sung, by who is presumed to be the "Empire Man" :
A variation of this jingle was used in 2002, which combined the "800" from the current version, with the original "588-2300-Empire!" intact. Another variant appeared in 2003, in which a faster and different sounding version of the jingle is heard. In that version, the word "today" was sung along with the other lyrics.
Prior to the 800 number, the company had the same telephone number locally in the Chicago area, "five eight eight, two three-hundred", which aired frequently on Chicago superstation
WGN-TV
.
Northlake, Illinois
Northlake is a city in suburban Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,878 at the 2000 census. The city's moniker is "The City of Friendly People".-Geography:...
-based home improvement and home furnishing company, specializing in installed carpet, flooring
Flooring
Flooring is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. Floor covering is a term to generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface...
, and window treatments. The company operates in more than 45 major metropolitan areas in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, making it one of the leading providers of installed home improvement
Home improvement
Home improvement, home renovation or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home.-Types of home improvement:...
s and home furnishings in North America. Empire Today has served over one million customers. Empire Today was named the country's #1 or #2Specialty Flooring Retailer (in total dollar amount of sales) from 2007 to 2010 by Floor Covering Weekly.
Empire Today is known for making in-home sales appointments and next day installation on many of its products.
Empire Today offers next day installation on carpet, hardwood flooring, laminate flooring, ceramic flooring, vinyl flooring and window treatments.
Empire Carpet: History behind the name
Empire Carpet is the historical, commonly-known name for Empire Today LLC. Empire was founded by entrepreneur Seymour Cohen in 1959 as Empire Plastic Covers, a private, family-owned business in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
from a small office space. Owner Seymour Cohen decided to expand its product line in response to growing customer request. In 1965, Empire Plastic Covers changed its name to Empire Home Services, adding carpet to their product line. Over the years, Empire’s product line grew, as did the company’s national presence. In 2002 the company was sold and then adopted its current name - Empire Today.
Advertising
Empire Today's advertising is prevalent in areas serviced by the company, especially throughout Atlanta; BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
; Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
; Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
; Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
; Cleveland; Dallas-Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
; Dayton
Dayton
Dayton is a city in Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, United States.Dayton may also refer to:-United States:*Dayton, Alabama*Dayton, California, in Butte County*Dayton, Lassen County, California*Dayton, Idaho*Dayton, Indiana...
; Denver; Detroit; Eugene, OR
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
; Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
; Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
; Grand Rapids, MI
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
; Greensboro; Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
; Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
; Houston; Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
; Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
; Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
; Manchester, NH
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
; Miami; Milwaukee; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
; southern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
; New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; Norfolk, VA/Hampton Roads Metro Area
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
; Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
; Philadelphia; Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
; Pittsburgh; Portland, OR
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
; Naples, FL
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
- Ft. Myers
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
; Raleigh-Durham; Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
; Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
; St.Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
; San Diego; San Francisco; Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
; Seattle; Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
; Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
; Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
; and West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
. The company's prominent television and web ads feature the recognizable "Empire Man" character.
Empire Man
The "Empire Man" was introduced in 1977 as a live action character and later adapted into a popular animated persona that has grown to become a cultural icon. The "Empire Man" has been seen internationally in commercials and other media, has spawned a line of collectible bobblehead dolls and inspired the Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
to declare an official "Empire Day" at Wrigley Field in 2007.
The "Empire Man" was originally portrayed on television by Lynn Hauldren
Lynn Hauldren
Elmer Lynn Hauldren was an advertising copywriter based in Chicago who was best known for originating the television character The Empire Man, the spokesman for Empire Today.-Life and career:...
, a former ad executive, who continued to provide the voice of the animated character until his passing. Hauldren died on April 26, 2011. Empire Today launched a tribute that indicated that he will, "always have a special place in the hearts of many."
Contrary to popular belief, the "Empire Man" was not the company’s owner nor was he one of the installers. In the late 1970s, Hauldren was one of the advertising copywriting forces behind the Empire brand. The company’s owner during the time requested that he serve as the on-air talent for the spots after unsuccessfully auditioning several other people for the role. Hauldren also wrote and recorded the tune used as the company’s famous jingle.
Advertising jingle
Empire Today's advertising jingle, which has been broadcast since 1977, is a widely recognized meme. It has been covered in concert by such platinum selling recording artists as Pearl JamPearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
. An Empire Carpet commercial is featured in the opening segment of the feature film Wayne's World
Wayne's World (film)
Wayne's World is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Mike Myers in his film debut as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar, hosts of the Aurora, Illinois-based Public-access television cable TV show Wayne's World...
starring Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
alums Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
and Dana Carvey
Dana Carvey
Dana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for playing the role of Garth in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...
, where the character Benjamin (Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
) and his partner (Ione Skye
Ione Skye
Ione Skye Lee is an English-born American actress, who became a teen idol after the 1989 movie Say Anything.... In 2006 VH1 placed her at number 84 in the "100 Greatest Teen Stars" list.-Early life:...
) are watching television. The song has been featured on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
during his 2006 visit to Chicago, in which Conan stated that "It is impossible to live in the Chicagoland area and not know the song by heart". The Apprentice
The Apprentice (U.S. TV series)
The Apprentice is an American reality television show hosted by real estate magnate, businessman and television personality Donald Trump, created by Mark Burnett and broadcast on NBC...
contestant Aimee Trottier told Chicago Magazine that what qualifies someone as a true Chicagoan is knowing the Empire Today Jingle by heart. On a 2008 episode of The Tom Leykis Show on KLSX, 97.1 FM Talk
KLSX
KAMP-FM 97.1 FM, known on-air as 97.1 AMP Radio, is a Rhythmic Contemporary radio station in Los Angeles, California. The station is owned by CBS Radio.The station had long been known as KLSX before the call sign changed on June 30, 2009....
in Los Angeles, discussion of the Empire Today jingle and some of its history was featured as the lead-in topic of a show on advertising jingles. The Empire Today jingle was played twice on this special episode.
The jingle is simply a small mixed gender vocal group singing out the digits of the telephone number. The original Chicago-centered version was only the seven-digit number:
- "588-2300, Em-pire!"
As the chain expanded nationally in 2002 (though it was first used in a commercial in 1996), the same tune was used, but with a three-note prefix added for the company's toll-free number. In the same year, the company changed its name to Empire Today and the word today was added to the end of the jingle. The word "today" is said, not sung, by who is presumed to be the "Empire Man" :
- "800-588-2300, Em-pire, today!"
A variation of this jingle was used in 2002, which combined the "800" from the current version, with the original "588-2300-Empire!" intact. Another variant appeared in 2003, in which a faster and different sounding version of the jingle is heard. In that version, the word "today" was sung along with the other lyrics.
Prior to the 800 number, the company had the same telephone number locally in the Chicago area, "five eight eight, two three-hundred", which aired frequently on Chicago superstation
Superstation
Superstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...
WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
.
Empire Carpet Recycling Program
In 2011, Empire Today implemented a carpet & padding recycling program to minimize the environmental impact of their day-to-day operations. In cooperation with Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) and CLEAR (Carpet Landfill Elimination And Recycling), 100% of the carpet and padding removed by Empire Today’s residential, small business and commercial installers that can be recycled, will be recycled. In first quarter 2011, Empire piloted the program in select areas, and the program is currently operational in more than 25 of Empire’s service areas. Since the program’s inception, over six million pounds of carpet and padding have been recycled, according to Empire’s waste tonnage reporting.See also
- CarpetCarpetA carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
- Laminate flooringLaminate flooringLaminate flooring is a multi-layer synthetic flooring product fused together with a lamination process. Laminate flooring simulates wood with a photographic applique layer under a clear protective layer. The inner core layer is usually composed of melamine resin and fiber board materials...
- Hardwood flooring
- Window treatmentWindow treatmentA window treatment is an interior decorating element placed on, in, around, or over a window.It may more specifically refer to:* Cornice board* Curtains* Drapery* Molding * Pelmet* Sheer fabrics* Window blinds** Venetian blinds** Shutters...
- Floor covering
- TileTileA tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
- CeramicCeramicA ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
- FloorFloorA floor is the walking surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many-layered surfaces using modern technology...
- Home improvementHome improvementHome improvement, home renovation or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home.-Types of home improvement:...