Leonard Pelzer has been cutting hair ever since he was a history major at South Carolina State University.
"I started cutting hair for a hobby and found out that I could made a decent living off of it, so I continued to cut hair," Pelzer said.
The 22-year old Pelzer ended up partnering with his younger brother, Dashaun West, in opening a community barber shop named Fading Images on June 21, 1996, on Bass Drive in Santee
The men were joined with their other brother, Johnny West, in the endeavor.
Though operating a community barber shop was fulfilling, the men wanted to do more.
Under state law, they could only train two people in a barber shop, but by becoming a school, they could train a lot more individuals at one time.
The men reached out to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce via the Workforce Investment Act.
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The WIA helped pay for the training of barbers and so was born Barber Tech Academy, which located in the former U.S. Army recruitment building on Russell Street.
The post-secondary master barber school was located at the 1521 Russell St. location through 2010, but outgrew the facility.
Barber Tech announced in July 2019 that it was expanding its services into a 4,200-square-foot building in an effort to educate more students with a larger number of amenities.
The school opened at the new location at 1650 Russell St. in September 2019. The building was the location of the former Rhoad's Cleaners, across the street from the former Piggly Wiggly.
The new space was more than twice the size of the former location.
Now, Pelzer, Dashaun and Johnny have celebrated, along with their staff and community, the 26th anniversary of entering the barber business.
The anniversary was celebrated with food and cake as well as award recognitions for students and staff.
A 25th year anniversary was planned but had to be cut due to the COVID pandemic.
Pelzer said the anniversary is a time for celebration and thankfulness.
"I am thankful to the community and to my staff and to the people that come and patronize the business," he said. "It is a big feeling of appreciation. Those are the people we serve and is the reason why we are here."
Over the past dozen years, the academy has graduated nearly 100.
Pelzer said the biggest change in the business over the past quarter of a century has been the greater role his business has played in lives.
"When we started out, it was about cutting hair and now it is about changing lives," Pelzer said. "When we first started cutting it was about a good fade and now it is about being a platform that other young men and women can come and get the necessary skills needed to get to the next level in life."
Barber Tech Academy includes a main lobby area, 24 work stations, shampoo bowls, driers, offices, a break room and two multipurpose classrooms with a capacity of 20 individuals per class.
The academy has graduated individuals from as young as 18 to as old as the 50s. High school graduates, college graduates, dislocated workers, veterans and the disabled have all successfully completed the training and received their license.
The 1,500-credit-class-hour program entails both classroom and hands-on opportunities in which students receive information on the hair industry to include infection control, bacteriology, shaving, hair cutting, hair textures, coloring, hair chemicals and natural styles.
The academy has partnered with Job Corps.
Barber Tech is about more than cutting hair.
The business believes in community outreach by providing haircuts for children in the community, working with local schools, vocational rehab, local churches and CASA Family Services.
Barber Tech also partners with South Carolina State University's Small Business Development Center. The SBDC helps teach the students about small business and how to put together a small business plan.
Pelzer said there is more news the school is ready to celebrate.
There are plans to franchise the business and to sell the Santee barber shop to their brother Johnny.
"He would be the first person to buy into our franchise," Pelzer said. "We are getting the papers legalized now."
Barber Tech is also expanding to the Columbia area with plans to open a second school on Aug, 5 at 421 Bush River Road near the Dutch Square Mall.
Pelzer said the opening of a second location is deemed necessary in order to be near a number of agencies that have worked closely with its students and helped in retention, success and re-entry.
Some of the agencies are: South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation, Veterans Affairs and the Department of Social Services. Pelzer also noted a number of students come from the Columbia and Sumter areas.
Pelzer said as to the future of Barber Tech in Orangeburg, it will continue to do what it has been doing over the years.
"We are very thankful to the Orangeburg community being downtown and being a part of the educational district with SC State, Clalfin and the library," Pelzer said. "It is being a part of where it all comes together."
"As we educate these young men and women, we want to work hard in helping shape the industry in terms of working with them in finding gainful employment, creating educational opportunities and creating jobs here in the Orangeburg community" Pelzer said.
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