Born of hard work & determination

The Merle’s story is not unlike many others. It was born of hard work and determination to succeed. I worked for an oil company and always thought that’s where I would be until retirement. But after a buyout, I found out that there are no guarantees in life. In August of 1999 I was laid off after being employed there for twelve years. So I found myself, forty-nine years of age and having to start over.

I didn’t know quite what I wanted to try to do to provide for us, and wondered as to what I would do. I had made the comment that if a man wanted to live in East Texas, he had better know how to do more than one thing. I recall in my younger years, needing a job, and a man told me about a company that needed bulldozer operators. I told him that I didn’t know anything about a bulldozer, and he told me, “Gordon, you won’t ever learn any younger.” And that stuck with me. Besides my tenure as an oilfield lease operator for twelve years, I have a background as an Air Force aircraft hydraulic mechanic, truck driver, heavy equipment operator, oil field roustabout, fitter/welder, pipeliner, hell, I even hauled pulpwood for a while, before starting Merle’s.

I wasn’t afraid of work, but I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I would be a manufacturer of picture frames and seller of framed art. Nancy was employed by a local pottery and held a wholesale sales managing position and understood the ins and outs of the wholesale market world. She came home one day and said she thought that wall decor was a pretty good thing to get into. I gave it some thought, and, considering the fact that a house with seven rooms has twenty-eight walls, I thought, what the heck, it might work.

We both liked rustic décor and maybe that was our main reason for choosing barnwood for framing, plus we were able to find a source for weathered wood which was a plus. Remember the "no guarantees" that I spoke of earlier? Shortly after starting Merle’s, Nancy also lost her job and we had to absorb her into the business as well. But that wasn’t the end of the world either. She came aboard with a wealth of business knowledge and the added bonus of bookkeeping know-how.

I built my first frame on the tailgate of a pickup with a miter saw and nail gun that we bought from a pawn shop. We did our first show with thirteen framed prints and have grown from there. That was in 1999. Some of you remember us from the old days and have been a part of our growth. To those I want to say "thank you" for your trust in us and your loyalty as a customer...many of which we look forward to seeing at market and have become friends over the years.

As a Merle’s customer, you have an added benefit of knowing that we treat our customers like we would want to be treated. We strive to fill every order with quality materials, attention to workmanship, and see that each order is delivered in a timely fashion. Should a problem arise, it will be handled promptly, and we will do everything in our power to meet our obligation to you as a customer.

Oh, about the name Merle’s--he was a good dog, what can I say. Thanks for choosing Merle’s.

--Gordon and Nancy Keeling