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Focus on: John Barlowe, Frame Shop Art Gallery & Gifts
June 30, 2014 By Jennifer Kruger
John Barlowe blends framing and photo-related services in his business, Frame Shop Art Gallery & Gifts in Holland, Ohio – a second career after 30 years as a contractor specializing in custom kitchens, and 20 years as owner and president of Triangle Kitchen Centers Inc. in Toledo.
John’s cabinet making skills are showcased in the quality workmanship he brings to frame making, and his art and design skills find their creative outlet when helping clients select the best possible framing choice for artwork, family photos or heirlooms. A collector of art and having had many things framed throughout the years, becoming a custom picture framer seemed a natural step. “Having been self employed all of my life I was looking for a business opportunity I could transition into with the skill set I already had,” he explains.
Customers have brought a variety of treasures to his frame shop over the years, and he aims to make his shop a fun and creative place to visit. “The things I enjoy most are family pieces and memory boxes that have a personal story behind them,” he says.
John has offered photo restoration services for 10 years, something that continues to be very popular – and as a bonus it almost always results in a custom framing order.
A Kodak professional bulk photo scanner purchased several years ago has paid off over and over again. “We’re able to bulk scan to CD thousands of our customers’ photos for them to preserve and share,” he says. “Customers really like that it is done in-house and they don’t worry about their photos being lost in the mail if they were sending them out somewhere.”
After moving his frame shop to new digs last year, John has not only retained a majority of his old customers, he has also picked up many new customers, with a marked increase in male customers as well as a younger demographic, of 25- to 30-year-old home buyers.
Vice President of the Ohio Chapter of the Professional Picture Framers Association, John joined PPFA about 10 years ago, and enjoys networking with other members at Chapter meetings, or online, such as on the PPFA Framers Corner forum.
A frequent winner in PPFA framing competitions at both the Chapter and international levels, he reaps benefits by marketing those wins. “People do take notice – I’ve received local coverage in print, radio and TV,” he says.
John tries to view everything as a marketing opportunity. “When taking pictures of projects I turn them into adverts that I can display online as well as a slideshow in my shop and in prints. I find that when you tell a story with them, implant an idea, it helps the potential customer see what they can do with their items.”
A native of Zanesville, Ohio, John moved to Toledo at the age of 4 and has lived there ever since; and is a graduate of the University of Toledo. He and his wife Louise have been married 43 years, and have three daughters and a son, two grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and three spiritually adopted grandchildren.
In his leisure time, John pursues his lifelong hobby of keeping aquariums, and enjoys tending to his 1,000-gallon garden fishpond. He also enjoys playing guitar, and in his younger days used to make his living as guitarist in his own band as well as a private music instructor. “I recently bought a new guitar and I’m trying to find more time to play again,” he says.
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June 30, 2014 By Jennifer Kruger
John Barlowe blends framing and photo-related services in his business, Frame Shop Art Gallery & Gifts in Holland, Ohio – a second career after 30 years as a contractor specializing in custom kitchens, and 20 years as owner and president of Triangle Kitchen Centers Inc. in Toledo.
John’s cabinet making skills are showcased in the quality workmanship he brings to frame making, and his art and design skills find their creative outlet when helping clients select the best possible framing choice for artwork, family photos or heirlooms. A collector of art and having had many things framed throughout the years, becoming a custom picture framer seemed a natural step. “Having been self employed all of my life I was looking for a business opportunity I could transition into with the skill set I already had,” he explains.
Customers have brought a variety of treasures to his frame shop over the years, and he aims to make his shop a fun and creative place to visit. “The things I enjoy most are family pieces and memory boxes that have a personal story behind them,” he says.
John has offered photo restoration services for 10 years, something that continues to be very popular – and as a bonus it almost always results in a custom framing order.
A Kodak professional bulk photo scanner purchased several years ago has paid off over and over again. “We’re able to bulk scan to CD thousands of our customers’ photos for them to preserve and share,” he says. “Customers really like that it is done in-house and they don’t worry about their photos being lost in the mail if they were sending them out somewhere.”
After moving his frame shop to new digs last year, John has not only retained a majority of his old customers, he has also picked up many new customers, with a marked increase in male customers as well as a younger demographic, of 25- to 30-year-old home buyers.
Vice President of the Ohio Chapter of the Professional Picture Framers Association, John joined PPFA about 10 years ago, and enjoys networking with other members at Chapter meetings, or online, such as on the PPFA Framers Corner forum.
A frequent winner in PPFA framing competitions at both the Chapter and international levels, he reaps benefits by marketing those wins. “People do take notice – I’ve received local coverage in print, radio and TV,” he says.
John tries to view everything as a marketing opportunity. “When taking pictures of projects I turn them into adverts that I can display online as well as a slideshow in my shop and in prints. I find that when you tell a story with them, implant an idea, it helps the potential customer see what they can do with their items.”
A native of Zanesville, Ohio, John moved to Toledo at the age of 4 and has lived there ever since; and is a graduate of the University of Toledo. He and his wife Louise have been married 43 years, and have three daughters and a son, two grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and three spiritually adopted grandchildren.
In his leisure time, John pursues his lifelong hobby of keeping aquariums, and enjoys tending to his 1,000-gallon garden fishpond. He also enjoys playing guitar, and in his younger days used to make his living as guitarist in his own band as well as a private music instructor. “I recently bought a new guitar and I’m trying to find more time to play again,” he says.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL PRESS RELEASE...
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