OSHKOSH, Wis. — A lot of people knew James “Mr. G” Giombetti.

If not the man, then at least the voice.

What You Need To Know

  • The Exclusive Company founder James Giombetti recently died in Florida

  • He was know for his advertising  tag line “Say it with me … The Exclusive Company.”

  • The Exclusive Company has seven stores around Wisconsin​

The founder of record and audio equipment retailer The Exclusive Company, was well known for his distinctive voice and advertising tag line, “Say it with me … The Exclusive Company.”

Giombetti passed away this week in Florida, which has generated a groundswell of support from people around Wisconsin.

“We’ve been getting an outpouring of support and stories about the guy,” said Isaac Lamers, who manages the Oshkosh location. “You never really realize how big an impact someone has on the community, unfortunately, until they pass.”

Gombetti, more commonly called “Mr. G,” founded The Exclusive Company in West Bend in the 1950s before expanding to seven locations in the state.

“More and more everyday we get people coming into the store, calling, putting posts on the internet talking about what they remember about him, how much they miss him and all the great things he did for the community,” Lamers said. “It’s been bittersweet.”

Dennis Martin’s dad, Al, was Giombetti’s right hand man in the business. He said for the last two decades Mr. G lived in Florida but he kept daily tabs on the business by phone.

“He had that big booming voice, and you could hear him coming and going, and he was definitely larger than life,” Martin said.

Many people knew Mr. G’s voice from broadcast advertisements for The Exclusive Company.

It’s a voice Dennis Martin — who works in the Oshkosh Store —  grew up around.

“Some people have told me, 'You sound just like him,' but no one can sound just like him,” he said. “But when we were kids, it was always, ‘Say it with me, the Exclusive Company, downtown Oshkosh, Downtown West Bend.”

Lamers said Giombetti leaves behind an important legacy in the stores and communities around Wisconsin that he touched.

“It’s over 50 years they stayed in business. They saw the rise and decline of vinyl, cassettes, CDs and everything in between. They made a business that could stand the test of time,” he said. ”I’d say that’s the legacy.”