London Inc. March/April 2023 - 12

Upfront Art & Design
THE BIG PICTURE
Thinking outside the frame, Art East leans on reputation
and technology to take a family business in new directions
FOR YEARS, HIS family's art framing business had
virtually all its eggs in one basket, as it were. The company
worked almost exclusively for the charity Ducks Unlimited
Canada, which sent all its framing orders nationwide to one
London, Ontario business.
It was such a lucrative arrangement that the business
changed its name from Art at Eight to more outdoorsy Great
Blue Heron Framing and moved to an expanded facility near
Dundas Street and Crumlin Sideroad to handle the volume.
" We knew all along we needed to diversify, " says Adam
Bergeron. " But in 2017, we had no choice. "
That was when Ducks Unlimited changed its approach
and ended the long-standing arrangement. It was a moment
of decision for Bergeron and his wife, Bridget Miller. A dozen
years earlier, they had joined the business, working with
his parents, who had started it in 1986. (The original Art at
Eight name referenced their Byron home address, where it
all began.)
The couple met at Selkirk College in Nelson, B.C., where
both were studying ski resort operations and management.
After graduating, they worked together at Big White near
Kelowna for a couple of seasons.
A native of Sointula, a small community on Malcolm
12|londonincmagazine.ca|MARCH / APRIL 2023
Adam Bergeron, Bridget Miller and the Art East team
Island in B.C., Miller agreed to follow Bergeron to London
in 2004 to work in the family business. Now, 13 years later,
with two young sons, they had to make a choice.
" We decided this is what we liked and were good at, "
Bergeron, 42, recalls. " We decided we would reorganize and
keep going. "
Not long after making that decision, he saw a building on
Princess Avenue for sale by owner. At 11,000 square feet, " it
was the perfect size, smaller than what we had, in a great
location to add retail to our wholesale work. "
The couple bought the building, rechristened the business
Art East and never looked back.
" WE DECIDED THIS IS WHAT
WE LIKED AND WERE GOOD
AT. WE DECIDED WE WOULD
REORGANIZE AND KEEP
GOING " -Adam Bergeron

London Inc. March/April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of London Inc. March/April 2023

London Inc. March/April 2023 - 1
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 2
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 3
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 4
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 5
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 6
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 7
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 8
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 9
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 10
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 11
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 12
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 13
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 14
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 15
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 16
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 17
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 18
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 19
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 20
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 21
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 22
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 23
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 24
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 25
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 26
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 27
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 28
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 29
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 30
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 31
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 32
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 33
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 34
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 35
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 36
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 37
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 38
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 39
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 40
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 41
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 42
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 43
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 44
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 45
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 46
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 47
London Inc. March/April 2023 - 48
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com