Bentley Publishing collects for AFC

Art Business News, May, 2003

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--Bentley Publishing Group will begin collecting funds on behalf of the Art and Framing Council and will also make matching donations to the council to further encourage its customers to participate. Tens of thousands of dollars in revenues should flow to the council in 2003 to support its efforts at increasing consumer demand for custom framing and art.

Caroline Mastres, chairperson of the AFC since 2001, said, "We have been in discussions with the publishing community for some time, encouraging their active participation in our efforts. I'm delighted to bring Bentley into our collection program as both the first art publisher and the first manufacturer who will collect from its distributors and its OEM customers, as well as custom framers"

For the past several years, participating framing distributors have collected a voluntary sum of one one half of one percent of each invoice issued, and the funds are passed on to the council each month. The collecting distributors include Larson-Juhl, Roanoke, Southern Moulding, Studio Moulding, Williamson and Zinsel. These collections account for 70 percent of revenues, with the remainder coming from donations from supporting businesses.

Robert Sher, president of Bentley Publishing Group, said, "The council has been the longest-running, most effective industry organization working to grow consumer demand for art and framing. They need help and funding from every sector of our industry, including the art side and large volume framers. I know my customer base well, and have every confidence that the vast majority understand the need to work together as an industry in the effort to capture our fair share of the consumer's dollar."

The collection system Bentley has built is voluntary, so customers who do not want to support the market expansion effort can opt out. Collections are fully computerized, and customers can control the rate of contribution, can set a maximum annual contribution and will be specifically recognized at year end.

For more information about the AFC, call Kim Ahern at (925) 516-0313, e-mail kahern@artandframingcouncil.org or visit www.artandframingcouncil.org.