THE FINISHING TOUCH
Memories preserved.
It’s a digital world. Everything’s online. Our photos are on our phones and social media.
So what exactly does a framing shop do all day?
“Well last year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we framed between 1,000 and 1,500 photos a day,” said Beth Bradshaw, general manager of The Finishing Touch.
Oh. Well then.
“We’re still here.”
It’s an interesting and exciting time at The Finishing Touch, which opened in Downtown Pittsburg more than 40 years ago.
Its founders, Michael and RuthEllen Simpson, have recently taken a step back from the business. Beth, their daughter, now runs the show alongside her husband Adam.
In many ways the shop is a lot like it was in the beginning. They still specialize in custom framing, and they still have the storefront at 7th and Broadway. (It’s a pretty blue now, by the way. RuthEllen’s favorite color.)
But this is not a throwback operation. It’s not one of those vintage, back-in-my-day businesses.
The Finishing Touch today is evolving, innovating, and thriving.
“The business has grown so much over the years, not only in volume and how much we do,” Beth said, “but also in what we do. I think a lot of people would be surprised to know all the things we offer today.”
Along with custom framing, they also offer custom, large-format printing. They do digital restoration.
They have a publishing component wherein they work with artists to print and frame pieces that are displayed in hotels and hospitals all across the country.
They sell a wide variety of needlework supplies. They create and sell custom gifts. They sell home decorations.
“A lot of people have a preconceived notion of what we are,” Beth said. “Yes, we’re one of the old dogs in town. We’ve been here forever. Yes, framing is still mostly what we do.
“But we’ve really expanded our capabilities and grown the business far beyond what most people think. It still boggles my mind at times to realize how much we do.”
In 2022 alone, The Finishing Touch framed 130,000 photos using more than 1,000,000 feet of moulding. That includes, by the way, every single frame for their Jefferson Street neighbor, Mpix.
“That’s a really cool partnership that we’ve had for a long time,” Beth said. “What’s unique about that is that we have a 24-hour turnaround on every one of their orders. We have 24 hours to get the photos, frame them, and get them back to Mpix. Luckily they’re right across the railroad tracks.”
Last year, The Finishing Touch shipped products to 48 states, four Canadian Provinces, Switzerland, Italy, European Military Bases, and India.
They went through 175 rolls of bubble wrap. (And these are giant rolls of bubble wrap.)
You get the point.
But even with all of the changes and additions, the core of the business remains the same. They’re here to help preserve memories.
There are reasons people want something framed. The pieces inside are special. They’re meaningful. Priceless.
“We recently worked on a project with a photo that was from the 1910s,” Beth said. “Of course it was a little cracked, showed its age. We were able to scan it, digitally restore it, print it, and produce copies for framing.
“And when you step back for a minute and really think about that, it really hits home why we do what we do.”
