TEXARKANA, Texas -- Stephen Brown, owner of Hairy Armadillo, has moved his business from its Arkansas-side location across the street from the downtown courthouse to Richmond Road. He has also added two barbers to his staff.
Garret McNeil, 19, has recently finished his certifications. McNeil lives in Hooks and commutes to Texarkana to ply his trade.
"Stephen kind of nudged me into the business," McNeil said. "He encouraged me to try this trade. Turns out I like it. I was Stephen's customer before that. The main appeal for me is working for myself."
Rooster Johnson, the other addition to the crew, is from Atlanta and now lives in Nash. Age 34, he is the oldest member of the Hairy Armadillo crew.
"I'm four months into the trade," he said. "That's officially, as a certified hair cutter. Unofficially, a little longer. I wanted to work for myself, do something creative with my hands. Not fond of having a boss."
Brown has owned the Hairy Armadillo for 3½ years and has been at the new Texas-side address for a month.
"I found more flexibility on the Texas-side," he said, "So now I have two new barbers working here."
Brown comes from a hair-cutting family, with many relatives in the trade.
"Mom owns State Beauty Supply, just down the street," he said. "My step-dad, Donny Ratliff, owns Danny Ratliff's Hair Salon here in town. My wife is also a stylist. My great grandfather was also a barber."
Brown likes the independence offered by the trade.
"I like being self-employed," he said. "Being my own boss, setting my own hours, my own success metrics. Good business, low overhead, service based. Not likely to be automated, either."
(Hairy Armadillo is located at 1002 Richmond Road. Visit them on Facebook.)