Johnson – Opening in early December 2014, the Johnson Barber Shop provides a service that has been missing from the local area for quite some time.

In April 2013 Jenny Tilton, completed her barber training at the O’Briens Aveda Institute, in South Burlington, Vt.  Upon becoming a state licensed barber, Tilton worked for a number of different shops before deciding it was time to branch out on her own.

As a native of nearby Waterville, Tilton was keen to the fact that the local area was in need of a barbershop.  There were already two salons in town, but there was not a shop that catered specifically to men.  With the closest barbershop in Morrisville, it made perfect sense to Tilton to set up shop in Johnson.  “I love it here,” said Tilton, and her decision to open up a shop in Johnson is paying off, “Business is doing great.  We needed a barbershop in Johnson.”

Prior to becoming a barber, Tilton was a student at JSC majoring in Hotel and Resort Tourism.  While attending school full time, she was also working at Smuggler’s Notch Resort when she realized that hotel management was not a career path she could see herself in.  Tilton decided to leave school after only one semester, and that is when she found her calling.  She is also following in the footsteps of her mother, who is also a barber.  “I went to work with my mom and I just fell in love with what she did,” said Tilton.

According to a 2009 report from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 18.6 percent of the barbers in the United States are women.  So what attracted Tilton to this male-dominated profession versus cosmetology, considered by some as a more traditional role for women?  “I love just talking to people and working with my hands.  I was not interested in the chemical end of it. I just like to cut hair,” she said.

Located at 5 Lower Main Street, the Johnson Barber Shop is a two-chair facility that offers traditional styling for men.  Servicing approximately 25 patrons per week, Tilton hopes to see her business continue to grow and estimates that when business tops 50 customers per week she will bring on an additional barber to fill the second chair.