Memory Rich ‘ ‘

Herron and Company Barbers bring Old School Style to Genoa

Herron and Company Barbers has spent the last handful of years building a client base and creating an environment of classic barbering values in downtown Genoa. Owner and traditional craftsman barber Scott Herron hones his passion for his craft in every haircut and service he provides alongside his fellow barber Jackson Butz. After a long career in business, Herron was ready to step into the light with his artful talent.

“I spent 24 years in corporate America, the last ten in retail bank management,” says Herron. “It was a good career, and I was raising a daughter. Once she hit 18 and moved out of the house, I decided to do something different. I left that industry and corporate America altogether, and I never looked back.”

Herron spent much of his time reflecting on his memories of high school when he could focus on the things he loved. “I remembered back to my roots, and I thought about what I loved doing or what I gave up for ‘money’ and everything seemed to point to an art. I didn’t know how I was going to make that a paycheck, but as I was sitting at other jobs and daydreaming, my then-partner, now husband asked me to buzz his head.”

As he buzzed his beloved’s hair, Herron thought about barbering and more specifically, traditional barbering. “It is a thing there aren’t many of us doing, as far as traditional barbering goes,” says Herron. “Like using hot, freshly whipped shaving cream or hot towels – that kind of traditional barbering.”

Part of Herron’s artistry lies in the environment he creates inside his shop. “I wanted the service itself to be as much of an experience as the longevity of that experience,” says Herron. “I want them to be able to look into the mirror for 4-6 weeks and see that experience, both reflective of each other. I’m not sure a lot of barber shops buy into that philosophy.”

After Herron finished barber school, he completed an

By: Kelley White

apprenticeship and went to work at Beardsgaard Barbers in Batavia. “They were in that footprint of traditional style barbering, and it was, for two years, a match made in heaven,” says Herron. “I used to think that if I ever left Beardsgaard, I knew I was going to be working under a sign with my name on it. I wanted to build a client base and I wanted to be consistent in my location.”

After falling in love with Genoa, Herron and his husband bought a house on St. Patrick’s Day. Shortly thereafter, he began to devise a business plan for his own shop, which he opened on January 9, 2018. “The city said they could find me a contact from someone from a bank and they mentioned they had some space for rent,” says Herron. “I came to find out it was their old city hall. I occupy a portion of that building and I have three chairs in here, two of which are actively manned and worked.”

Herron’s business was rapidly picking up in the first 4-5 months when he serendipitously met Jackson Butz. “I had a couple of guest barbers that would help me out sometimes and it just got to be a fun environment for the barbers and a great experience for the clients,” says Herron. “One of those clients was a junior in high school and he was sitting in my chair. We had some general conversations about life and, long story short, he ended up going to barber school. He saw it all the way through covid and has been working a chair here for two years. It’s Jack and me, and he’s third generation here so his client book is pretty busy.”

Now, Herron and Butz are looking for another barber with an eye and talent for traditional services. “Finding that right person in the very small percentile that loves to learn and constantly trains on new techniques, stays up to date on styles and concentrates on traditional barbering, that’s a hard find,” says Herron.

Herron and Butz have grown the business to the point where they are planning new and exciting services to add to their roster. “Our growth has been relatively organic and now my next venture is non-surgical hair replacement for both males and females,” says Herron. “Jack and I both are getting into doing human hair wig toppers for men, women and whoever has a need for it, whether we’re able to accommodate someone who’s going through cancer or something like that. We’re always looking for ways to service the community.”

Herron & Co. offers a wide variety of services and treatments for all their clients, from shaving to cuticle care. “We do haircuts, both clipper and scissor work, and cuts for the young guys under 12 or the older guys over 65,” says Herron. “We offer beard trims, scalp conditioning, and we restore skin under beards with deep conditioning and a steamer – it’s very much a relaxing experience.”

Herron and Butz are especially adept at fades, utilizing a straight razor to ensure the shortest possible hairs at the bottom. “When we do our fades, there’s an option to bring a straight razor into that fade, so when the shortest point of your fade is done with a straight razor it’s like the skin on the inside of your arm,” says Herron. “We do face and head shaves, which are mostly done with freshly whipped hot lather and hot towels. And we do paraffin hand treatments.”

They also offer men’s waxing – only throat and above –and ear/nostril hair trimming. “We will turn one eyebrow into two,” says Herron. “We mostly use our straight razors on the eyebrows and every service that we do, they get a straight razor with hot lather on the back of their neck.”

This five star-rated barber shop is on its way to bigger things, as Herron describes his dream of bringing a tricked out old truck to weddings for the groomsman to enjoy their services. “No one ever factors in the wedding day for the guy,” says Herron. “So, we want to be able to go out and do grooming services on location where we’re doing it from an old truck we’ve converted with all dark wood. It’s another avenue Jack and I want to explore. Currently, we do it in shop but the real break for us is if you’ve got five or more guys and you want us to come out to your event – it doesn’t have to be a wedding – that’s a thing we can do.”

A unique business requires a one-of-a-kind atmosphere and Herron & Co. Barbers delivers with characteristics evoking the happiest memories in their clients. “It’s an aromatic environment with all the pomade, beard oil, and other incredible scents you can find here,” says Herron. “It brings people back to days of old and barbering is such a memory rich experience for a guy. Every guy who sits in the chair has a story. As long as people keep coming to our shop, I’ll be here for them.”