Strategic second location for framing and fine art business brings success

Rochester Framing & Fine Art Printing has called America’s City for Health its second home since April 2014, but owners John and Valerie Becker didn’t anticipate how much opportunity there would be for a non-medical business as the DMC initiative takes flight.

“DMC is an animal,” says John Becker. “There’s an energy that comes with the growth of the city. We see it right outside of our window every day.” Rochester Framing & Fine Art Printing is located at the intersection of 4th Street and Broadway in the Riverside Building, which is also home to Cambria, Limb Lab, and Winona State University-Rochester.

The Beckers opened their first framing store in Red Wing, Minnesota in 2002. They had considered expanding into Rochester for some time but wanted to ensure they selected the right location. Finding the Riverside space – a small footprint with high visibility – sealed the deal for them. “We came in at the same time as Cambria,” John said. “They have premium customers – so do we. They do countertops – we do walls. It was very deliberate.”

They’ve seen their business grow so much in Rochester that they sometimes find themselves short on space. But they won’t leave their current location. “We don’t see our business moving, we see our business growing,” John says. The Beckers eventually want to bring production to a Rochester location too. “We’re seeing so much activity,” he says, “it just makes sense to bring production to where the customers are.”

Valerie Becker is the only Master Framer in Minnesota and one of only about sixty master framers worldwide. “She takes her job very seriously,” says John. And customers recognize that, trusting the Beckers with some of the most valuable art in the world. “We’ve done two Warhols,” he explains, “but we also do kid’s handmade art. We treat everything like it’s museum quality.”

Rochester Framing & Fine Art Printing works with a variety of customers, from architects to physicians. “We’re all about walls,” John says. They are capable of large-format fine art printing up to five feet wide, making their services desirable for anyone wanting to cover a lot of wall space, particularly new construction and remodeling jobs.

John and Valerie are considering a third location, but if they pursue it, that location will also be in Rochester. “People don’t recognize the opportunity here yet,” John says. “There is a tendency to look to the Twin Cities because of the population there, but I see Rochester having as big an influence.”

Diversity of business in Rochester is critical to ensure we have a strong, stable economy, and opportunities for businesses like Rochester Framing & Fine Art Printing are infinite.

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