Founder
James F. McDaniel
Retired 1998

Humble Beginnings

In 1974 James F. McDaniel (aka JFM) was out of work and out of money. With a wife and 7 hungry kids at home and amidst a recession that put him out of work, he responded to an ad – Wanted: Picture Frame Sales Representative. Fortunately he got the job. While his knowledge of the picture frame industry was limited it was quickly overcome by what he did know – hard work and perseverence – and with a background in sales this turned out to be a good recipe for success.

With little money and fewer customers he humbly began JFM Enterprises by knocking at the doors of framers, galleries, artists and photographers in the Southeast. He wrote orders to be manufactured in Mexico and shipped from California.It didn’t take him long to realize that the shipping often exceeded the product cost so by necessity the business evolved into stocking distribution where he could better service customers, orders could be shipped timely and economically from stock, or even picked up at his small Norcross, Georgia warehouse.

In the early days business was hard to come by so he hit the road and began taking the product to the customers doorstep. He spent Sundays after church removing the seats from the family van and loading it full of Mexican picture frames and would travel the road working customers along the Eastern Seaboard. He would return when empty or out of money for expenses. Many years later other family members and key employees were added and the business grew.

So from these humble beginnings as a one-man operation, building what was then a business to sustain his family, to ultimately a family-run business that would sustain many families, he left behind (upon retirement) a legacy of hard work and company priciples that guide us today. The same goals are just as important and in practice today. We remain focused on personal service and making lasting customer connections while providing globally sourced, competitively priced and quality produced frames with a wide variety of frame styles, finishes and sizes and adding great customer service with a focus on personal attention to the customer – whether it be one frame or a truckload of frames. This has served us well and has provided great value to the picture framing industry that we serve.