LION helping you frame everything except Roger Rabbit
HANGING AROUND SINCE 1977
Around the same time that the Sex Pistols were feeling Pretty Vacant, some vacant premises in the Hall Green area of Birmingham were being transformed into the home of a company which would become the benchmark for the UK framing business until the present day.
Although LION is primarily a contract and retail picture framing business, owners Martin and Margaret Harrold realised an opportunity to expand into trade distribution, an area that wasn’t being serviced particularly efficiently at the time.
REFUSING TO BE TIED DOWN
By 1988 there were some big decisions to be made. The live action/animation classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit was released by Disney to critical acclaim but in the world of live action framing, LION, on the back of their own critical acclaim and business growth, decided to close down the framing aspect of their business to concentrate on distribution.
A move to larger premises was required so the business relocated to a former rope factory known as Universe Works, east of Birmingham city centre. As LION continued to expand, they acquired more sections of the old works, eventually reaching the 50,000 sq ft site they occupy today.
KEEPING FAMILY IN THE FRAME
At it’s heart, LION was, and remains to this day, a family business. Daughter Nicola joined the business in 2000 and was given the challenging task of growing the company’s online presence. Her dedication and hard work led to LION becoming the first framing trade supplier to offer a fully transactional website.
Nicola was appointed Managing Director in 2016 and has overseen continuous growth whilst maintaining the family business ethos.
STRETCHING THE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
The LION name has become synonymous with framing hardware and Stretcher Bars and those twin pillars remain core to the business. Over the last decade however, LION has also become established as a leading supplier of picture frame mouldings.
New product development is as important today as it was in those early days back in Hall Green. Products aimed at other parts of the wall décor trade are also becoming more important as the business continues to develop.
Dupli are proud to be an official supplier of Lion products. Oh, and if you’ve wondered why the business chose the name LION, you can find out here.
LION helping you frame everything except Roger Rabbit
HANGING AROUND SINCE 1977
Around the same time that the Sex Pistols were feeling Pretty Vacant, some vacant premises in the Hall Green area of Birmingham were being transformed into the home of a company that would become the benchmark for the UK framing business until today.
Although LION is primarily a contract and retail picture framing business, owners Martin and Margaret Harrold realised an opportunity to expand into trade distribution, an area that wasn’t being serviced particularly efficiently at the time.
REFUSING TO BE TIED DOWN
By 1988 there were some big decisions to be made. The live action/animation classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit was released by Disney to critical acclaim but in the world of live action framing, LION, on the back of their own critical acclaim and business growth, decided to close down the framing aspect of their business to concentrate on distribution.
A move to larger premises was required, so the business relocated to a former rope factory known as Universe Works, which is east of Birmingham's city centre. As LION continued to expand, they acquired more sections of the old works, eventually reaching the 50,000 sq ft site they occupy today.
KEEPING FAMILY IN THE FRAME
At it’s heart, LION was, and remains to this day, a family business. Daughter Nicola joined the business in 2000 and was given the challenging task of growing the company’s online presence. Her dedication and hard work led to LION becoming the first framing trade supplier to offer a fully transactional website.
Nicola was appointed Managing Director in 2016 and has overseen continuous growth whilst maintaining the family business ethos.
STRETCHING THE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
The LION name has become synonymous with framing hardware and Stretcher Bars and those twin pillars remain core to the business. Over the last decade however, LION has also become established as a leading supplier of picture frame mouldings.
New product development is as important today as it was in those early days back in Hall Green. Products aimed at other parts of the wall décor trade are also becoming more important as the business continues to develop.
Dupli are proud to be an official supplier of Lion products. Oh, and if you’ve wondered why the business chose the name LION, you can find out here.