Headlines
We'll miss you Steve!
13 May 2021
As Steve Burke retires after a 40 year long career with Larson-Juhl, 4walls pays tribute to a man who has made a huge contribution to the success of the business and has made many, many friends along the way. He joined the business on 2nd February 1981.
We start with some words from chief operating officer Mike Brown: “In his career firstly with Arqadia and more recently as part of Larson-Juhl, Steve has constantly focussed on responding to our customers’ changing needs. He has been able to do this because he has always used his 40 years’ experience to look forward and not backwards. Rarely has he said to me “this is the way we do things”, he is more likely to say “framers would see a benefit to their business if Larson-Juhl could do it this way”. This attitude has always kept me and the rest of the LJ team on our toes. In the last few years, Steve has been instrumental in getting Larson-Juhl globally where it is today and I hope he continues to give us the benefit of his wisdom in the future as a consultant.”
Partnerships
Larson-Juhl’s success over the years has very much been down to working in partnership with our customers and Steve has been responsible for developing literally thousands of great relationships, which have benefitted both framers and Larson-Juhl.
Duncan McDonald of All About Framing first met Steve when he visited his newly opened corner shop Sunflower Framing in 1997. “From the first meeting, we hit it off,” says Duncan.
“From that day onwards, Steve kept in touch, called in, rang me for a chat. We would meet at trade shows and Fine Art Trade Guild events. And for every new venture, Steve has been a brilliant sounding board. His knowledge of the industry is vast and very in-depth. It really has been invaluable. There is a real loyalty between our two businesses, which has developed over 23 years. Steve has had a very positive impact on my business - although I won’t miss his awful jokes! We have actually become really good friends, so we will certainly keep in touch.”
Washington Green’s 25th anniversary is celebrated on pages 12 and 13 and this was another major customer that originally came about from Steve meeting Glyn Washington and Paul Green at the NEC Spring Fair.
40 years in a nutshell
Over the years, Steve has launched hundreds of new product ranges and been involved with numerous exhibitions and conferences in the UK and indeed all round the world - from regular calendar dates like FAMA in Bologna to INDEX in Dubai and Qatar, along with many others in Germany, Sri Lanka and the USA. He has been involved in many major deals such as frames for cruise ships and many of the prestigious global hotel groups. He has worked with interior designers, given talks at design shows and played a big part in setting up our CPD initiative with the British Contract Furnishing Association. He was heavily involved in CXD exhibitions, dealt with some of the leading conservators worldwide and helped Armour Systems with their showcase sales.
Teamwork
Despite having huge amounts of energy and drive and achieving great things in terms of sales, Steve was also a real team player – and was very good for morale! As marketing executive Cara Solomon says: “I have known Steve for 30 years and always looked forward to him coming into the office. Steve always puts a smile on your face with his funny stories and adventures. Every time he goes on holiday, he comes back with a story of a near death experience and a hundred photos. Steve is such a positive person - I have never seen him in a bad mood.”
The Larson-Juhl sales team have many, many stories about Steve and all of them have paid tribute to how much he taught them and supported them.
Senior sales manager Simon Flavill says there was never a dull moment: “I remember many years ago we took a client out for dinner. I was new to hosting but Steve was in his element and as the night developed his encyclopaedic knowledge of useless facts came out, then the tricks. The waitresses were all given roses made from serviettes, and then the tables around us were joining in, trying to place a cigarette packet on top of a glass without their hand leaving the table, it went on! Needless to say the customer never forgot the fun he had!”
Pauline Hutchinson worked as marketing manager alongside Steve for many years before retiring last year. She told 4walls that: “Steve always struck up a conversation with everyone. Be it a cleaner or someone famous. We were lucky enough to attend many celebrity events as sponsors. One of the most recent was the Silver Clef Awards which is a highlight on the music industry's social calendar, raising millions of pounds for Nordoff Robbins and honouring some of the greatest names in music. Steve started talking to Robert Plant then when we were seated at our table he made a bee line for Denise Van Outen. He had his camera at the ready and went off to chat to Ronnie Wood, Suggs plus many more!”
There are many, many more stories and we are sure everyone who knows Steve will have their own favourite tale! Steve will be hugely missed for his knowledge and contribution to the business, so it is great news that he will at least keep up some involvement in his capacity as a consultant. Don’t be a stranger, Steve, and thank you for everything!
