Lion Picture Framing Supplies Ltd

What Lion Picture Framing Supplies Ltd does

LION Picture Framing Supplies Ltd is a UK-incorporated private trade distributor specialising in picture framing materials, equipment, and consumables, operating from a warehouse and showroom at 148 Garrison Street, Birmingham (B9 4BN). Founded in 1977, the company has built a multi-decade catalogue spanning frame mouldings (wood and aluminium), workshop equipment (Morso mitre guillotines, Alfamacchine underpinners, Keencut sheet cutters, Logan mount cutters), sheet materials including the proprietary LION Mountboard range, and high-end glazing such as Moth Eye Museum Acrylic and Takiya Japanese picture-hanging hardware.

The business runs a B2B and B2C e-commerce model via lionpic.co.uk, supported by a held-in-stock Birmingham warehouse enabling same-day despatch on orders placed before 12:00 and free UK mainland delivery over £195, alongside a custom LION Chop Service for precision-cut mouldings and Mixed Sheet Despatch for lower-volume orders. Its proprietary features (LION Chop Service, LION Mountboard brand) and certifications (FSC, Fine Art Trade Guild membership) anchor a positioning aimed at professional framing workshops, with a secondary DIY/home framer segment. Pricing is per-unit with quantity discounts, ranging from under £3 consumables to over £1,200 for premium equipment such as the Logan Platinum Edge Mount Cutter.

The company monetises entirely through one-time product sales across five revenue streams: mouldings, workshop equipment, consumables and hardware, sheet materials, and canvas/panel supplies. Acquisition leans on a content-driven funnel — a 50+ article Product Guide library, Mailchimp newsletter, YouTube/Facebook/Instagram channels, catalogues, and product videos — targeting UK and international framers. There is no disclosed funding, no parent company, no subsidiary structure, and no M&A activity; ownership is private and independent.

Name

Lion Picture Framing Supplies Ltd

Legal name

LION Picture Framing Supplies Ltd

Website

https://lionpic.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

LION Picture Framing Supplies Ltd is a UK-based trade distributor of picture framing materials, equipment, and consumables, serving professional framers and DIY customers worldwide from its Birmingham warehouse and e-commerce platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Picture Framing Supplies and Equipment

NAICS

Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (3322)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

Crafting Tools & Equipment Retail (Cutting, Adhesives, Heat Tools) (CRALACAC)

Keywords

• Picture framing supplies
• Frame mouldings
• Mountboard materials
• Workshop framing equipment
• Picture hanging hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Mouldings: Sale of wood frame mouldings made by European manufacturers and aluminium frame mouldings, available in lengths or via Chop Service custom cutting.
2. Product Sales - Workshop Equipment: Sale of framing workshop equipment including mitre guillotines, mitre saws, underpinners, Hoffmann routers, mount cutters, and sheet material cutters from brands such as Morso, Keencut, Alfamacchine, and Fletcher.
3. Product Sales - Consumables and Hardware: Frame hardware, tapes, adhesives, hanging hardware, picture hooks, D-rings, picture cord, picture hanging wire, and other framing consumables.
4. Product Sales - Sheet Materials: Mountboard, foam board, backing board, plastic glass/acrylic (including Moth Eye Museum Acrylic), and adhesive board.
5. Product Sales - Canvas and Panel Supplies: Stretcher bars, stretcher brace bars, canvas hardware, aluminium sub frames, panel hanging plates, and canvas finishing products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Trade supplier of picture framing materials, wood and aluminium frame mouldings, mountboard and sheet materials, and professional workshop equipment. The company distributes its own-brand LION Mountboard plus third-party brands (Morso, Keencut, Alfamacchine, Logan, Takiya, Tesa, Pro Tapes, Unilite) to professional framers and DIY enthusiasts in the UK and worldwide, supported by in-house custom Chop Service cutting and same-day despatch from a Birmingham warehouse.

Product overview

Lion Picture Framing Supplies Ltd is a UK-based supplier of picture framing materials and equipment, operating as a physical products distributor rather than a software company. Their product portfolio centers on four core categories: (1) Picture Frame Moulding (wood and aluminium) offered through their Chop Service for custom cutting; (2) Workshop Equipment including Morso Mitre Guillotines, Alfamacchine Underpinners, Keencut Sheet Material Cutters, and Logan Mount Cutters; (3) Framing Supplies including their proprietary LION Mountboard, Takiya heavy-duty hangers (Japanese-made), Pro Tapes and Tesa tapes, picture cords, and adhesives; and (4) Sheet Materials including Moth Eye Museum Acrylic (premium anti-reflective glazing), styrene plastic glazing, foam boards, and self-adhesive boards. The company also stocks numerous third-party brands and offers a comprehensive technical support service. All products are held in stock at their Birmingham warehouse for despatch to framers throughout the UK and worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LION Mountboard

Quantifiable outcome

• Same day despatch available for orders placed before 12:00
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fine Art Trade Guild (FATG)coreOthersLION is a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild, an organization encouraging and promoting the best in art and framing. The FATG sets industry standards and provides training and accreditation for framing professionals.
• MailchimpminorOthersLION uses Mailchimp as their marketing automation platform for email newsletters and customer communications.
• Reviews.co.ukminorOthersLION displays customer reviews on their website sourced from Reviews.co.uk, showing over 6,500 verified customer reviews.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Blick Art Materials (Dick Blick): US-based nationwide art supplies retailer with extensive framing and matting product ranges alongside fine art materials. Comparable on framing supplies but operates at much larger scale and broader category scope.
• Larson-Juhl: Global picture frame mouldings and components supplier (part of Berkshire Hathaway's Cornerstone Building Brands). Supplies a wide range of frame products and services to custom framers worldwide, making it a broad incumbent LION competes with on mouldings and custom framing supplies.
• Nielsen Bainbridge: Long-established manufacturer and distributor of picture frame mouldings, matboard, and framing accessories with global distribution. Overlaps with LION's moulding and matboard lines from the supplier side.
• Hobbycraft: UK's largest arts and crafts retail chain with nationwide stores and online presence, carrying a wide range of framing supplies aimed primarily at the DIY/home framer segment. Comparable on retail framing supplies but with a broader arts and crafts focus.
• Cass Art: UK arts and crafts retail chain with multiple stores and a strong e-commerce presence, stocking framing and presentation supplies alongside broader fine art materials. Comparable UK customer base with broader category scope.

Direct peers

• Frame Destination: US-based e-commerce picture framing supplies retailer offering mouldings, matboard, glazing, and workshop equipment to professional and DIY framers. Closest direct peer in product mix and distribution model to LION.
• Jackson's Art Supplies: UK-based artist supplies retailer offering a broad range of fine art materials including framing, mounting, and presentation supplies to professional artists and framers. Direct overlap on framing-adjacent product categories and UK trade customer base.

Emerging players

• Ken Bromley Art Supplies: Independent UK-based art supplies retailer stocking fine art and framing materials to professional artists and hobbyists. Overlaps with LION's DIY framer segment and UK trade customer base, though with a primary focus on artist materials rather than framing workshop equipment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LIONPFSLtd
• Facebookfacebook.com/lionpfs
• Instagraminstagram.com/lionpfs/?hl=en
• Xx.com/lionpfs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lion Picture Framing Supplies Ltd