From Humble Beginnings As A Deck The Walls Franchise
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (December 10, 2012) — Back in 1982, Andy and Margot Dark were working long hours as a chemical engineer and insurance company representative, respectively, when they decided to put an offer on a Deck The Walls franchise being sold in their hometown of Cherry Hill, N.J.
To their surprise, the offer was accepted, and a new career in the picture framing business was born – and one that now thrives 30 years later (on December 12, 2012, to be exact) as Contract Picture Framers, Inc.
One of the region’s premiere provider of beautiful custom framed artwork, Contract Picture Framers serves much of the area’s healthcare industry, while also meeting the needs of countless other businesses and individuals, and offers thousands of styles to choose from, quality matting, and even delivery and installation (the latter utilizing theft-resistant security systems). All orders are custom made to exact specifications, and there is no outsourcing.
“We were both getting tired of our careers and looking for something different,” notes Andy Dark. “We didn’t know a thing about picture framing, so didn’t even think our offer for the Deck The Walls franchise would be accepted. But it was, and suddenly we were in a new career.”
“We trained for a week at the Deck The Wall headquarters, opened our store the next day, and things took off from there,” adds Dark.
Dark and his wife went on to open two more locations – in the King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussa, Penn., and in the Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem, Penn. – and expanded efforts to commercial businesses by offering on-site design, delivery and installation services. They even won the Deck The Walls franchise national award in 1988 for the top percentage growth from the previous year.
However, with the decline of shopping malls – and retail in general – beginning in the mid-1990′s, the Dark’s made the decision to leave the retail side of business to focus solely on commercial efforts, and reincorporated in 1999 as Contract Picture Framers Inc.
Today, Contract Picture Framers is successful because “we are obsessed with offering superior service – superior design, super delivery, superior installation, superior quality, and competitive pricing,” says a prideful Dark.
Contract Picture Framers also has a policy that if a piece they manufactured and installed is not right for any reason, the will exchange it, no questions asked.
“We don’t want a picture hanging on the wall that the customer passes by every day disliking, and then disliking us,” reasons Dark.
And because of this commitment, Contract Picture Framers still works with many of its original customers.
“We go to great lengths to make heros of our clients,” boasts Dark.
Now 30 years later, those clients number in the thousands, and while the Dark’s are perhaps working more than in their previous careers, it’s a labor of love, and one that shows on the walls of countless satisfied customers throughout the area.
About Contract Picture Framers
Contract Picture Framers Inc., of Cherry Hill, N.J., is one of the region’s premiere provider of beautiful custom framed artwork. Owners Andy and Margot Dark began their career in the picture framing business in 1982 with the purchase of a Deck The Walls franchise, then added two more locations. In 1999, they left the retail side of business to focus on commercial sales, and reincorporated as Contract Picture Framers, Inc. Today, Contract Picture Framers serves much of the area’s healthcare industry, while also meeting the needs of countless other businesses and individuals, and offers thousands of styles to choose from, quality matting, and even delivery and installation (the latter utilizing theft-resistant security systems). All orders are custom made to exact specifications, and there is no outsourcing, as all work is done at their Cherry Hill production facility. For more information, visit www.www.contractpictureframers.com, call (609) 304-5083, or e-mail andy@contractpictureframers.com.
