Wessex Pictures

What Wessex Pictures does

Wessex Pictures (legal entity: A L Younger Ltd) is a UK-based B2B wholesaler of picture framing materials and equipment, serving professional picture framers, galleries, museums, artists, and photographers on a trade-only basis. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Lymington, Hampshire, the company is a family-run business owned by Ashley Younger, operating 6 regional branches across the UK supported by its own delivery fleet. Its core catalogue spans over 1,100 mouldings sourced from manufacturers in Italy, Spain, and the UK, plus specialist glass products (Tru Vue, Artglass, Schott Mirogard), board products (Crescent and Larson Juhl mountboards, MDF, foam centred boards, fluted boards), and professional framing equipment (Morso, Brevetti, Keencut, Hot Press). Underpinning the offering is a computerized mountcutting service and an online cut-to-size calculator for glass, acrylic, styrene, MDF and backing board, enabling custom-specified fabrication at scale.

The company monetises through wholesale unit pricing with quantity discounts on mouldings, a captive online trade membership requiring business verification, and complementary professional services. These services include the Commercial Framing School (a Fine Art Trade Guild-accredited five-day course priced at £750), Wessex Fine Art (a wholly-owned subsidiary offering bespoke framing, component service and cut-to-size mounts), the Wessex Pricing Program software/app for trade pricing, and a Morso blade sharpening service. The company positions itself as a one-stop shop for the UK framing trade, with distribution through its 6-branch physical network and approved online ordering, supported by FATG and Museums Association memberships as credibility signals. There is no disclosed revenue, no external institutional investment, and operations remain UK-only.

Name

Wessex Pictures

Legal name

A L Younger Ltd

Website

https://wessexpictures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wessex Pictures is a UK-based, family-run B2B wholesaler of picture framing materials and equipment, serving professional framers, galleries, museums, artists, and photographers through 6 regional branches, an online trade membership, and a Framing School.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lymington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Picture Framing Supplies: B2B wholesale of picture framing materials including mouldings, glass, mountboards, boards, tools, and equipment to trade customers. Products sold in single units with quantity discounts available.
2. Training Services: Commercial Framing School offering professional picture framing courses. Five-day courses for professional framers at £750 per participant.
3. Bespoke Framing Services: Wessex Fine Art division provides custom framing services including full service, component service, and cut-to-size mount services to trade customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wessex Pictures is a UK B2B wholesale supplier of picture framing materials to trade customers, offering more than 1,100 mouldings, specialist glass, mountboards, backing boards, framing equipment and accessories. It complements the product catalogue with bespoke framing through its Wessex Fine Art division, an FATG-accredited Commercial Framing School, computerized pre-cut mount and cut-to-size services, blade sharpening, and the Wessex Pricing Program software/app for framers.

Product overview

Wessex Pictures is the UK's leading picture framing wholesaler offering a comprehensive portfolio of over 1,100 mouldings, specialist glass products, board products, mountboards, and professional framing equipment. The product range spans Essentials Mouldings (competitively priced everyday mouldings), Plain Wood Mouldings in various timbers, Polcore (recyclable polystyrene mouldings), and Aluminium Covered Mouldings. Glass offerings include Tru Vue (UltraVue, Museum Glass), Artglass (AR70, AR92, AR99), and Schott Mirogard products with varying UV protection levels. Board products encompass ART-BAK and Corri-Cor fluted boards, MDF sheets, and Foam Centred Boards in multiple variants. Mountboard lines include Crescent (Good/Better/Best tiers), Larson Juhl, and own-brand Wessex mountboards. Professional services include Pre-Cut Mountboard cutting, Wessex Fine Art bespoke framing (full service, component service), Cut to Size Calculator, Commercial Framing School (FATG-accredited training), and Blade Sharpening Service. Additional offerings include framing hardware, tapes, dry mounting films, display products, PermaJet inkjet media, Ready Made Frames, 2nd Hand Machinery, and the Wessex Pricing Program software. The company operates 6 regional branches across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wessex Fine Art: A division of Wessex Pictures providing professional bespoke framing services to the trade with over 40 years of experience, offering full service, component service, and cut to size mount services.

Products and services

• Essentials Mouldings Competitively priced range of everyday picture frame mouldings offered to UK trade customers.
• Plain Wood Mouldings Plain wood mouldings in various timbers including Oak, Ash, Tulip, Koto, Obeche, Pine and Beech, available in modern and traditional designs.
• Polcore Mouldings High quality expanded polystyrene core mouldings that are fully recyclable, easy to cut and join using standard framing guillotine or circular saw, available in 2.9m lengths.
• Aluminium Covered Mouldings Aluminium-covered mouldings that give the same effect as solid aluminium while remaining easy to cut on a standard guillotine.
• Tru Vue Glass Products Premium specialist glass range including UltraVue UV70 (70% UV protection), Classic AR UV78, UltraVue UV92 (92% UV protection), Museum Glass (99% UV protection), Optium Museum Acrylic, Conservation Clear, and Laminated Glass options.
• Artglass Products Specialist anti-reflective glass range including Artglass AR70 (70% UV), AR92 (92% UV), AR99 (99% UV, low iron), UV99, and Protect (laminated anti-reflective with 99% UV protection).
• Schott Mirogard Glass Anti-reflective glass products including Mirogard Waterwhite (sets international standard for clarity) and Mirogard PROTECT (vandalism protection, 99% UV protection, zero colour shift).
• Crescent Mountboards Comprehensive mountboard range in three tiers (Good, Better, Best) complying with FATG quality standards, with cotton museum-level options at the top tier.
• Larson Juhl Mountboards Mountboard range including Solid Core/White Core Conservation, Black Core, Conservation, White Core, and Conservation Linens options for professional framing.
• ART-BAK Fluted Board Water resistant fluted backing board available in Standard, Aqua and Conservation grades for picture backing needs.
• MDF Board Products Medium Density Fibre Board in various thicknesses (2mm to 12mm) and sizes, available as sheets or cut size packs for backing pictures.
• Foam Centred Boards Foam centred boards available in Standard, Premium, Acid Free, All Black, Self Adhesive, Kraft Lined, and Ryno Board variants.
• Picture Frame Hardware Extensive range of frame fittings, screws, display/mounting fixings, Springlock security fittings, and strutback products for galleries and workshops.
• Framing Tapes Range of tapes including self-adhesive, gummed, double-sided, and acid-free tapes along with tape dispensers for professional framing.
• PermaJet Inkjet Products Professional inkjet media partnership with PermaJet including inkjet papers, canvases, and Giclee varnishes with microporous coatings suitable for dye and pigmented inks.
• Ready Made Frames Pre-manufactured frames including premium clip frames with 4mm back board and clip system, and swept/oval/circle frames in sizes from 7x5 to 36x24 inches.
• Morsø Framing Equipment Morsø mitring machines from Dan-list, manufactured for over 100 years, along with related accessories for frame corner cutting.
• Keencut Cutters British manufactured range of mountcutters and multi-material cutters along with accessories and blade replacements.
• Hot Press Vacuum Presses Professional vacuum presses for dry mounting and laminating, considered among the best available for professional workshops.
• Dry Mounting Products Complete range of heat activated films, pressure sensitive films, and ancillary products including Foam Plastic, Vacufoam, and Tacking Iron for mounting and laminating.
• 2nd Hand Machinery Serviced second-hand framing machinery including Morso mitring machines, Cassese equipment, Fletcher guns, and Ademco presses, all supplied with guarantee.
• Display Products Gallery hanging systems, Tower Displays and Budget Browsers display units, brushed nylon, and hook & loop strips for point-of-sale display.
• Wood Finishing Products Waxes, stains, creams and finishing products for applying custom finishes to plain wood mouldings.
• Stretchers and Stretcher Moulding Traditional finger jointed pine stretcher bars (36mm wide) for canvas stretching, along with cut-to-size stretcher moulding alternatives.
• David Shepherd Limited Edition Prints Comprehensive range of David Shepherd limited edition prints from 1976-2002, many in original commemorative folders, stored flat in pristine condition.
• Museum Cases Display cases for museum artifacts including Pedestal Cases, Table Cases, Wall Cases, and Tabletop Cases for protecting and showcasing framed artwork.
• Pre-Cut Mounts Service Computerised mount cutting service that cuts mountboards from the full Wessex range to specific sizes or styles, with a minimum order quantity of 10 units.
• Wessex Fine Art (Bespoke Framing) Professional bespoke framing service for trade customers offering full service (complete delivery), component service (chops, mounts, backing boards), and cut-to-size mount services, backed by over 40 years of experience.
• Commercial Framing School Five-day Professional Framing Course held at the Leatherhead National Training Centre, FATG-accredited, covering mounting, lamination, mount cutting, moulding selection, mitre cutting, underpinning, glass types, pricing and business management. £750 per participant including lunch, with £350 deposit required; maximum 6 students per course.
• Blade Sharpening Service Professional Morso blade and circular saw blade sharpening service with fast turnaround, offering factory-grade precision sharpening for guillotine-style mitre machines and TCT/fine-tooth circular saw blades.
• Wessex Pricing Program Computer-based pricing program and mobile app developed by a GCF (advanced) qualified framer for 15 years, designed for professional framers to calculate framing pricing.
• Cut to Size Calculator Service Online calculator service for estimating costs of custom-cut glass, acrylic, styrene, MDF and backing board to exact specifications.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fine Art Trade GuildcoreOthersWessex Pictures is a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild, an industry organization providing standards and accreditation for the picture framing trade. Wessex's Commercial Framing Course has received FATG accreditation.
• Museums AssociationminorOthersCorporate member of Museums Association, demonstrating commitment to museum-quality framing standards
• PermaJetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWessex Pictures has partnered with PermaJet to offer a comprehensive range of inkjet media and Giclee varnishes tailored to professional users. Products include inkjet papers, canvases, and Giclee varnishes.
• Tru VuecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised distributor of Tru Vue specialist glass products including UltraVue, Museum Glass, and Optium Museum Acrylic for picture framing applications.
• ArtglasscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised distributor of Artglass range including AR70, AR92, AR99, UV99, and Protect glass products.
• Schott GlasscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised distributor of Schott Mirogard glass products including waterwhite anti-reflective glass and Mirogard Protect.
• CrescentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockist of Crescent mountboards including Good, Better, and Best ranges with various conservation levels.
• Larson JuhlcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockist of Larson Juhl mountboards including White Core, Black Core, Conservation, and Linen ranges.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• PermaJet: UK manufacturer of inkjet media and Giclée varnishes for professional photographic and art printing. Partner of Wessex and supplies framing distributors across the UK.
• Cassese: Italian manufacturer of framing equipment including underpinners, saws, and assembly machinery. Supplies Wessex and competes as an equipment vendor to framing distributors worldwide.
• Morso: Danish manufacturer of mitring machines for picture framing, manufacturing for over 100 years. Supplies Wessex and competes as an equipment vendor to other framing distributors globally.
• Tru Vue: Specialty glass manufacturer for picture framing (Museum Glass, UltraVue, Optium). Supplies Wessex as an authorized distributor and other framing distributors; competes indirectly at the glass category level.
• Keencut: British manufacturer of mountcutters and multi-material cutters for the framing industry. Supplies Wessex and competes in the equipment category alongside other framing distributors.
• Groglass (Artglass): Manufacturer of Artglass anti-reflective specialty glass products for picture framing. Authorized partner of Wessex and competing glass supplier to other framing distributors.

Broad incumbents

• Larson-Juhl: Global leader in picture frame mouldings, matboards, and framing supplies owned by Pemberton Ventures. Sells through framing distributors worldwide and competes with Wessex at the moulding and mountboard category level.
• Nielsen Bainbridge: Global manufacturer and distributor of picture frame mouldings, custom framing solutions, and display systems. Operates broadly across the framing industry and competes with Wessex in the trade mouldings segment.
• Crescent Cardboard Company: Major mountboard manufacturer supplying framing distributors globally with Good/Better/Best tier products. Also sells through distributors that overlap with Wessex's mountboard lines.

Direct peers

• Lion Picture Framing Supplies: UK-based picture frame mouldings and supplies wholesaler serving trade customers. Directly competes with Wessex Pictures in the B2B trade framing supply market with comparable product range and branch network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WessexPictures
• Facebookfacebook.com/wessex.pictures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wessex-pictures

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Wessex Pictures