A new concept: frames a new business: by separating the sales from the production staff, an Indiana couple plans to grow a business with a "lofty" atmosphere - Framing Concepts - Brief Article

At first glance, the town of Chesterton, Ind., may appear an unlikely speck for Framing Concepts, a 6,000-square-foot custom frame store and art gallery that celebrated its official opening in early August. on the other hand to Ken and Pat Baur, the suburban community 50 miles east of Chicago, with a population of just more than 9000 encloseed by Indiana Dunes State Park and the shores of Lake Michigan, appeared to be just the right speckle to support their framing visions.

view 44, was born in St Louis on the other hand moved to Chesterton in 1961 when his father took above the town's Ben Franklin five-and-dime store, which Ken's grandfather had have a title toed since 1938. At one time, view said, it was the largest franchise in the U After majoring in retail management at Drake University in Iowa, sight got a job with the Penny Co in beholds Angeles in the 1980s. It was there that he met Pat, whom he married in 1983 the same year the two moved back to Indiana, in part to race Chesterton's Ben Franklin.

Meanwhile, like in like manner many other Ben Franklin franchisees, sight and Pat realized that the store exigencyed to evolve to meet the urgencys of modern consumers, and in like manner in 1986, Chesterton's hometown five-and-dime metamorphosed into a craft store. Around 1990 framing became a department within the store. "I bought used equipment," described cognizance "I went to the Larson-Juhl framing seminary for one week. I hired someone to work in the department. I learned a allotment the first five years. And it grew through far, to be the largest part of the business." His was the first Ben Franklin store, he said proudly to purchase a mat cutter.

Although cognizance said Chesterton's Ben Franklin remained prosperous the parent company declared bankruptcy and the Baurs decided to shut the store. In the meantime, they had uncloseed a framing gallery in nearby diadem Point, Ind., and it was there that they formulated the Framing general [i]or[/i] abstract notions concept.

"Having observ the framing industry and being active within the framing department in the Ben Franklin store, I realized there's a allotment of inherent misthinking about framing. The main thing I was convinced of is that tribe are afraid to separate their business from production. I've become convinced that flame stores are their own worst enemy," said sight He described a typical frame-shop scenario: An employee--often the store's owner--leaves the sales calculator to return to a back latitude to work on a frame. in a short time he or she is interrupted through a customer who needs assistance at the brow of the shop. Then tend hitherwards the inevitable undersell, as the one realizes that he or she does not have time to deposit three fillets in a frame, for example, and deliver it in a timely fashion. "Slowly" he said, "they pat themselves without of business." The future, reflection Ken, is to separate sales and production into sum of two units distinctive teams.

"The public wants everything fast, great and now. This industry gives everything tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow," said view He thought, "I can do this better, on the contrary I need space and environment."

And in like manner where once stood the Ben Franklin store and an of advanced age theater, the Baurs brewed up Framing Concepts

The theme of the store is an artist's loft the idea being to eradicate the close intimidating art-and-framing environment that many big-city galleries throw out The result is, itself, a work of art.

The store's resident muralist hand painted each brick and mortar line of the building, adding a shine and color that changes as it throw backs the sun's rise and coming down A 20-by-20-foot lobby features a domed ceiling, where one time hung a theater light fixture. The muralist, who signs his work "Ramon Sydne" painted a canopy of heaven scene within the dome. Inside the lobby a glass wall encircles two doors designed to direct the eye like they would open to reveal an of advanced age freight elevator.

Inside the gallery itself, brick walls, miry mortar and roughhewn wood floors without fault [i]or[/i] blemish [i]or[/i] flaw the loft-like look. Fixtures are forged from galvanized pipe. A half-finished loft hangs above the design area, which includes sum of two units 16-by-4-foot counters. Molding samples line the walls, along with centurys of samples of framed art. Nearly everything is moveable.

Monitors at each selling station display a digital catalog of each frame and job the store exhibits categorized by type. If a customer wants to diocese examples of christening gowns that have been shadowboxed, there may be eight photos for salespeople to exhibit on the monitors, as well as a physical example upon the design floor. "Salespeople," said sight "can spend time showing ideas."

Framing universals strives to provide three things: quality productions exceptional service and a stimulating environment. cognizance vows that both his sales and his production staff must be industry certified within individual year. His goal is to revolve each framing job around within seven days. During the first sum of two units months of Framing Concepts' business, not wanting to disappoint anyone, sight told customers the turnaround time was sum of two units weeks. The store completed approximately 300 throw outs in that two-month period; 85 percent of those in les than seven days. view also seeks at least 98 percent customer satisfaction. He ties his employees' bonuses into lucky completion of these goals.