About MacPherson's   Our Customers & Our Products
Our Goal...
is to promote the success of our retail customers. We are dedicated to offering the hottest brands, highest fill rates, best order turnaround times and consistently accurate service. Our innovative, value-added marketing programs include retailer workshops, a full-line catalog, pocket pricer, aggressive promotions and exciting web services. Our national sales force of over 30 dedicated and trained sales consultants delivers these programs and services to our customers every day. As a wholesale distributor we provide a great variety of art and creative products with the very fastest delivery possible. We offer knowledgeable and courteous service whenever customers call. It is our continuous goal to go out of our way to be our customers’ very best supplier.
Our History
MacPherson’s was founded in Montana in 1906 as a distributor to the shoe repair trade. Its modern history, however, began in 1978 by which time we had become a small, San Francisco-based distributor of art materials serving northern California.

Over the next several years the company expanded its geographical reach gradually, adding product lines and building operating infrastructures.

Beginning in 1987 MacPherson's diversified into engineering and drafting products through the acquisitions of Fullerton Sales (Los Angeles) and U.S. Blueprint (Chicago) in 1989. Our largest acquisition was Artcraft in the spring of 2000. The mid-to late-1990s was a period of industry consolidation and during this time Artcraft had acquired Leisurecrafts Company, a Los Angeles-based art and crafts distributor (1993) and forged a marketing agreement with DMR Distributors, Inc., a Florida distributor of art materials (1999).

MacPherson’s, meanwhile, had acquired the marketing operations of Virginia-based Eastern Art Supply (1991) and New York-based Paularte Products (1997). The combined companies now form the largest art material distribution company in the U.S.

This trend of consolidation has not, of course, been unique to our industry. It has been forced by distributors’ requirements to generate the sales volume and gross profits needed to provide programs and services demanded by the market. Moreover, as retail chain customers have expanded geographically, their suppliers have also had to expand geographically to provide comprehensive support.

MacPherson’s looks forward to a successful future as a company promoting the success of our retail customers by providing the most comprehensive and cost-effective service in the art materials industry.


MacPherson’s serves retail outlets throughout the country. These outlets include:
Art Supply Retail Stores
College Bookstores
Chain Stores
Art Galleries
Blueprinters
Stationery and Office Supply Stores
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
Craft and Toy Stores
Picture Framers
Drafting and Engineering Supply Stores
our locations
Emeryville
Emeryville 1351 Ocean Ave., Emeryville, CA
Our two-story company headquarters near the San Francisco Bay consists of 10,000 sq. ft. of office space.
Suwanee, GA  
Suwanee 2705 Crestridge Ct., Suwanee, GA
Our Southeastern division’s marketing and distribution center is 80,000 sq. ft. of combined office and warehouse space located in a north-eastern suburb of Atlanta.
Elgin, IL  
Elgin 305 Corporate Drive, Elgin, IL
We have expanded our distribution facility in the midwest to 125,000 sq. ft. Orders for our northeast and midwest customers are filled from this location.
Reno, NV  
Reno 8770 Technology Way, Reno, NV
Our western distribution warehouse is state-of-the-art and over 98,000 sq. ft. It is centrally located to provide prompt delivery to our customers in the western United States.