HARTFORD – As graduation season begins and students across the country receive their diplomas, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Monday that Church Hill Classics, also known as DiplomaFrame.com, of Monroe is this week’s “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer.” Lucie Voves founded Church Hill Classics – a manufacturer of custom diploma frames, certificate frames, varsity letter frames, photo frames, and desk accessories – out of the basement of her Newtown, Connecticut, home in 1991. Over the last 26 years, Lucie has grown her business into a $10 million manufacturing company. Today, Church Hill Classics operates out of a 47,000 square foot facility in Monroe. They employ 100 workers, 85 of whom are women.

The Monroe company has manufactured more than a million frames for their customers. They serve more than 1,600 accredited higher learning organizations, as well as the U.S. military, professional associations, Barnes & Noble College, Matthews Book Company, Texas Book Company, and various independent college bookstores. As a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WasteWise Program, Church Hill Classics works to reduce waste and recycle. All of Church Hill Classics’ frames are produced with renewable woods, and the manufacturer even offers a selection of frames that are made with 100% recycled American wood. Church Hill Classics is a certified Woman-Owned Business, and is the only Connecticut-based company to be named to Inc.’s 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies list 10 times.

“Lucie has been creating Connecticut jobs and Connecticut-made products for over 25 years. She’s stayed true to her Connecticut roots, and she’s set her employees and her company up for success. That’s something to be proud of,” said Murphy. 

Lucie Voves, President, Founder and CEO of Church Hill Classics/diplomaframe.com, said, “We take great pride in the fact that we’ve handcrafted more than a million frames right here in Connecticut. Over the past quarter-century, Church Hill Classics has led our market in technology and focused on efficient one-off manufacturing. We’ve never sacrificed quality or wavered from our commitment to producing American-made frames. Nothing is pre-assembled, it’s all made to order—something that’s very rare these days!”

The manufacturing industry plays a crucial role throughout Connecticut communities, creating new jobs and accelerating our state’s economic recovery. Today, Connecticut’s 4,600 manufacturers account for 10% of the state’s jobs and 87% of the state’s total exports. In order to protect and grow manufacturing jobs in Connecticut, Murphy has introduced two pieces of legislation that aim to strengthen existing standards and prioritize the purchase of American-made goods, the 21st Century Buy American Act and the American Jobs Matter Act.

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