Ken Bowman, a longtime business owner in Fort Thomas and City Councilman, has sold his building and is looking for a buyer of Bowman’s Framing. He is looking to pursue more interests. |
After nearly 30 years in business, Ken Bowman has sold his
property at 103 North Fort Thomas Avenue.
Under the terms of the purchase contract with the new owner,
Bowman's Framing may retain occupancy for up to one year. During that time,
Bowman's goal is to find a new operator for his business.
As a realtor with Huff Realty for the past 12 years, a Fort
Thomas city council member for five years and board member and operator of the
Sorg Opera House in Middletown, Ohio for five years, Bowman found that his shop
was heavily dependent on his presence. His retail shop is open six days a week.
"I'm spread pretty thin and am constantly juggling
responsibilities to keep up. I don't want to give up these other occupations
but could be much more effective at them if not tied to the shop as I have been
for so long now, Bowman said.
It's a great business, and I have always loved what I do. I
have a large and loyal client base that I very much appreciate. After all of
these years of commitment to this business, when the opportunity presented
itself to sell the building that my shop is in, I had to give it serious
consideration."
![]() |
Some of the framing options at Bowman's Framing. |
Bowman has ownership in Middletown's historic Sorg Opera
House, a non-profit, which reopened with a concert Sunday, filling 550 seats.
He said that the concert was a "game changer."
"That concert has increased the buy-in for people who
are going to contribute to the project. It demonstrated how viable the facility
could be and we're hopeful it's going to be big."
The Sorg Opera House property includes the commercial
building, with three retail space, 22 office suites and an upstairs ballroom.
The 1891 performance hall, which will hold a capacity of
950, at 53 S. Main St. in downtown was built by Middletown paper magnate Paul
Sorg. It was designed by Samuel Hannaford, the architect who also designed
Music Hall and Cincinnati City Hall.
If Bowman's Framing is successful in securing a new operator,
Bowman says he will continue to make himself available to existing clients and
the new operator as needed during the transition.
I have three great employees that have all been with me for
at least ten years who would be willing to stay on under new ownership. They
are very good at what they do and would be a big help to a new operator."
![]() | |
|
Bowman's Backdoor Framing opened in 1988 in the basement of
11 South Fort Thomas Avenue where you had to go to a back door (thus the name)
and ring a bell to enter. It moved to its' current location in 1998.
Bowman's Framing has been home for many local and regional
artists, showcasing pieces in the gallery and has serviced the Fort Thomas
community and surrounding areas with framing needs for three decades.
"My hope is that the building remain a part of the
central business district and that the new business owner can come to an
agreement with the property owner to remain at this location," Bowman
said.
Bowman added he wanted to express his gratitude to all of
his clients that have made his business such a success the last 30 years.
"I am going to miss the close, personal relationships
that have developed across the design counter over the years. The people of
this community are very special to me," Bowman added.
No comments:
Post a Comment