Simmons Barber & Beauty Shop

We will be open on Saturday May23rd! Then opening back up on regular schedule on Tuesday May 26th. We will follow all the required guidelines set by the governor to keep you safe. Thank you for your patience!

Hang in there folks - we’ll be back as soon as possible.

This is Joseph Tew. It is with a heavy heart, that I must tell you, that I will be leaving Simmons Barber & Beauty after January 2018. Mr. Ken and Mrs. JoAnn have become family over the last 4 years, and now that Charlie has joined us - it is difficult to leave. However, I will be going full time at my shop in Wallace (It is no competition to Mr. Ken, and that's the only reason I'm mentioning it here).

The Simmons' have been good to me, and you, the loyal customers of Simmons Barber & Beauty have been excellent. You took a chance, and sat in my chair...and I have never taken that for granted. I hope you will continue to do the same for Charlie.

My sister, Danette, will continue her hours on Tuesdays, and Simmons Barber & Beauty will continue to grow. I have been bless to be a part of this family. Thank you all!

We will reopen on Thursday July 6. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you then.

My Stance on the Merger of The "Hair Boards"

Some of the NC Legislature wants to merge the NC Board of Barber Examiners (NCBBE) with the NC Board of Cosmetic Arts. Rep. George Cleveland, one of the sponsors told me, " A combined board would drastically reduce the monies you pay for the privilege of practicing your profession." However, governmental promises of lower fees, or subsidies falls the way if the "education lottery" as far as I am concerned.

Instead of helping the barber, and allowing barbers to govern the unique needs of barbers (as it currently operates), this would, only give an unfair advantage to cosmetologists instead of barbers. The public, nor the licensee will benefit from merger, but will only serve to create a larger governmental footprint, and offer no savings to the consumer...in fact, probably the opposite.

The NCBBE has been in existence since 1929 and barbering is the second oldest occupation in North Carolina. Barbering predates the birth of Christ, and is an honorable profession with a rich history of serving the consuming public with excellence. I am afraid a merger would result in decreased customer service to the licensee's and the consuming public.

On a personal level, I do not want them to merge because I tried cosmetology school years ago, and found I did not "fit." I did not want to be a cosmetologist, I wanted to be a barber, but had no opportunity to go to barber school. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend James Sprunt Community College Barber School, which is more cost effective than privately owned schools. I love barbering, it is what I always wanted to do as a profession, but never had the opportunity. I will finish during the summer semester 2012 year. Now that I am a Barber, I do not want to be governed by a board, which will not represent the barbering profession alone - one which would have a higher ratio of members from the Cosmetology side (There are more cosmetologist than barbers). Barbers would lose their voice.

While there are women in the profession, who adapt well, it is predominately male, and to me, a barbershop has a feeling of camaraderie among men. I have never experienced that in a cosmetology salon.

I'm a pastor, by calling, but I can not govern Psychologists, though we do much of the same thing - in the same way, it just makes sense that barbers should govern barbers. Barbers and cosmetologist are no more alike than a dentist and orthodontist, engineers and architects, or doctors and veterinarians. They are distinctively different, and need to be governed by distinctively different boards, as they have for almost 100 years.

In addition, barbers are required to complete 1528 hours of instruction, and one year of an apprenticeship under the watchful eye of a registered barber before he/she can become a registered barber, and we are the only ones in our field trained to offer and provide facial shaves. Cosmetologists do not have the same strict licensing requirements.

So, you can see, this issue is important to you, please, reconsider your position. I intend to let my representatives know that I (and most of the barber's I have spoken to) oppose the merger of the North Carolina Board of Barber Examiners with the North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Arts.

So, if this issue is important to you, please, take a moment and write a few letters - make a few phone calls. Let your representatives know that you oppose the merger of the North Carolina Board of Barber Examiners with the North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Arts.

You can correspond with your legislator about the issue. Find your House and Senate representatives and let them know where you stand.

Joseph Tew
Brent Jackson

Charlie doing what he do...

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