Of course, the quality of the design and workmanship of your framing projects largely depends on the work of our staff here at Carter Ave. Frame Shop. But the selection of mats and frames, their quality and design, and the timeliness of their delivery also make a major contribution to the quality and quick completion of your framing. That’s why we select our suppliers very carefully. We try to establish and maintain good relationships with our suppliers. We recognize that our ability to provide good service to you depends on the kind of service we get from them. We would like to introduce you to our two superstar suppliers, Larson Juhl and Superior Moulding.

Larson Juhl – Framing Industry Leader

Larson Juhl was recently acquired by Berkshire Hathaway, an investment company led by famed investor Warren Buffett. Buffet is known for picking great companies to acquire, so that says something about Larson Juhl. Larson Juhl is an international company with twenty-four facilities in fifteen countries. This hundred-year-old company is a respected picture framing industry leader. You have probably seen their ads in the leading home magazines, showcasing their different frame lines. They hire top people in our industry to lead style innovations, develop new products, and promote the framing industry. They are constantly searching the world for good smaller companies to acquire, leading to new product offerings and an ever-broader selection of mouldings, mats, and specialty products. Larson Juhl has partnered with American Forests’ Global ReLeaf Forest Foundation to plant over 275,000 trees in North America. Larson Juhl recently launched Artaissance (www.cafs.artmystyle.com), a website where you can select art from some of the country’s leading artists and have it custom printed on paper or canvas in a large range of sizes. LJ is a large company in the picture framing industry and one that we particularly like because of the consistent quality and service we get from them which helps us give you great service. If you want to know more about them, go to their website, www.larsonjuhl.com.

Superior Moulding – Small is Beautiful, So Are Friends

We have a special relationship with Superior Moulding – the owner of Superior is the founder of Carter Ave. Frame Shop. Mark Frederickson started Carter Ave. Frame Shop in 1975 in 350 square feet of basement space in Milton Square. Mark had worked at Larson Juhl and had always wanted to have his own shop. He grew the store for ten years before selling it to Tim in 1985 to focus on Commercial Framing Service. He later sold Commercial and later started Superior Moulding in 1989. Tim and Mark have become friends over the years, and Mark has been something of a mentor to Tim in the framing business. Quoting Mark, “Carter Ave. Frame Shop has a special place in my heart, and it’s great to see it grow and prosper. After 35 plus years, it shows that quality products and service still matter in the picture framing business.”Superior is very different from Larson Juhl in many ways, but not in the kind of service they provide. Partly because of their small size and partly because they are so committed to good service, we get amazing help from them when we need it. Superior is always looking for new and unusual moulding and directly importing it for our benefit. They are our heroes for helping us with different projects like oversize dry mounting (up to 4’ X 8’), large production jobs, and special frame equipment. We know many of Superior’s staff members by name and appreciate their assistance.

Good Partners Help Us Help You

We choose our partners carefully and tend the relationships because we know it makes a difference in the kind of products and service we can give you. We hope you have enjoyed a little peak into our back room to see where your materials come from.

• St. John’s Bible giclees from Wisdom
• St. Paul neighborhood maps
• Antique engravings, etchings, maps, prints
• Abstracts
• Landscapes
• Quarter-sawn oak frames in the Arts & Crafts style
• Exotic veneer frames

As I’m writing this, I’m still stinging from a botched delivery I recently made.  I offered to help a customer by delivering two beautiful but large framed serigraphs.  While driving to the customer’s house, I had to brake hard to avoid a collision, and one of the pieces slid in the back of the van and struck the back of the seat, getting a small dent in the edge of the frame.  Not horrible, but unsightly.  Completely my fault.  Back to the shop it went for a new frame at my expense.  Please learn from my mistake – secure your framed art as best you can in your car as you transport it home.  Here are a few tips for avoiding damage to your newly-framed art.