John Ranes attended Ripon College in the 1970s, pursuing a degree in psychology with a minor in education, but realized he wanted to start a business.
“Entrepreneurship always intrigued me, so I was looking at things I’d done already,” Ranes says.
His experience included photography as a hobby and working in military intelligence analyzing photos based in Germany during the Vietnam era. He considered opening a photo studio or camera shop.
While exhibiting his photography at a show in Oshkosh, another photographer told Ranes he was considering opening a franchised frame shop. Ranes sent away for the company literature to learn more.
“There was a click inside me that said ‘This is it,’” Ranes says. “It had all the elements that intrigued me.”
Knowing that finding the right location for a retail business is key to its success, Ranes was deliberate about where he decided to establish The Frame Workshop.
“A lot of people start their businesses based on where they grew up or where their wife’s from or where they went to school — [Appleton] had the right mix,” Ranes says.
Specifically, Ranes says he found Appleton to have the right mix of economic stability, demographic diversity and market opportunity for a frame shop. He understood the need for a high-traffic location and was fortunate to connect with Vic Timm when he was expanding the Camelot Village area on East Northland Avenue.
Timm provided a handshake deal on 2,000 square feet and a personal recommendation that helped Ranes land a business loan to get started. The Frame Workshop opened Sept. 12, 1978 and has moved once, to its current location at 430 E. Northland Ave.
“Having a customer walk through the door, whether they spend anything or not, is the key to success,” Ranes says.
But once inside the store, new customers are sometimes surprised at the variety of home décor, gifts and other items available. Lamps, specialized candles, linens, area rugs, clocks, sculptures, fine art pieces, women’s handbags and notecards are among the merchandise offerings.
Ranes credits designer and manager Candy Wiater for the merchandising displays, as well as her framing work. “She’s a big part of the success of the store,” Ranes says.
The line of products has been honed from years of experience with both vendors and customers, according to Ranes. It also was fueled by recognition that framing is part of the larger home décor business.
“Being a good business owner — especially in retail, I think — you need to have a really open mind and be constantly evaluating who you are, what you do and how you do it,” Ranes says. “What really took us to the next level was Christmas.”
He realized they were busier at Christmas and put a tree up, then realized he could sell ornaments as part of the home décor business. They made a decision to focus on blown glass ornaments and other handcrafted premium items mostly from European countries.
The store now puts up 12-15 trees each year with glass ornaments and displays about 600 German nutcrackers, smokers, music boxes and a few nativity sets.
“We’re the largest European Christmas shop in the Midwest,” Ranes says, and because of that they draw from throughout the Midwest and have even had customers from San Francisco who were seeking specific items.
It’s a strategy that has been successful for online sales as well. Ranes says he realized people often purchase items online that they can’t find elsewhere. The store established a website in 1999.
“Even though the industry is very artistic oriented, we still embrace technology,” he says.
Framing remains integral to the business and Ranes says The Frame Workshop has earned more industry awards than any other framing business in the country. That success has translated to Ranes being recognized as an industry leader. He serves on the boards of directors for state and national industry associations, consulting with suppliers and providing seminars at conferences.
“When you’re teaching, you’re learning,” he says.
Gunther and Steffen Ulbricht, of German nutcracker maker Holzkunst Christian Ulbricht GmbH, will be at The Frame Workshop Nov. 10 signing a limited-edition nutcracker that will be available for purchase. It is one of only three stops in the United States for the Ulbrichts.
