Superbowl XL

In Detroit for a few programs just days before the Superbowl. The whole town is hopping. Never seen so much staff at an airport before. A big barber school was the highlight of my visit. A great class with all of the students begging to keep the new tools I am showing and sharing. Lots of interest in the Ceramic Advanced. They love the color, the price, the blade speed...what's not to love?

Oh Canada!

2 days in western Canada for a pair of classes and hands-on workshops. Different tools, different prices...same fun ideas and interaction. There is so much interest and enthusiasm out there for our education and information. I just need to find a western Canada based educator to support the business so I don't have to go.

Back to School

2006 is looking to be a big school year for Andis and me. My first cosmetology school program and likely one of many this year. Schools are always a fun opportunity to tap into so much of the new energy entering our business every year. Students are fearless and eager to try new things like clipper cutting. Always a fun time.

Schools Across Florida

The flat spot in the show calendar between the last of the fall events and the early events of the coming year is a great time to be out supporting all of the new schools that have jumped on the Andis-clipper-in-the-student-kit bandwagon. There are a lot of them. I spent the week zipping across Florida doing school presentations. Not a bad thing to be doing when the snow is flying and the temperature is near zero at home. A portion of the gang of night students at the International Academy of Career training in Daytona, Florida posed for a quick shot late in the evening after my clipper class. It was my third of the day and only my fifth of eight for the three day visit to the sunshine state.

Birth of a Baby

It's a clipper. My new baby was just delivered. Upon my arrival at the office this morning I found my newest bundle of joy waiting on my desk. Swaddled in its 3-tone baby blue box was the first shipment of the new Andis BGRc high speed, detachable blade cord/cordless clipper. Daddy is the ever popular BGR+ cordless clipper. Momma is the high speed Excel BGC. Baby BGRc is lighter, smaller, better balanced and sports a bright shiny silver metallic flake finish. BGRc comes standard with a CeramicEdge #1 and a CeramicEdge 000 packed in the diaper bag (box). This tool, along with the Ceramic Advanced I mentioned a few weeks ago are the first 2 tools out in our all out assault on the detachable blade clipper market. This time, next year it will be "Oster who?" We have always made better blades and clippers, but now we are taking a big leap over the competition. I will be proudly posting the first pics soon.

Back to School

Kenneth Williams is a member of the Andis educational team. He is one busy man. He owns the Silk and Classy Barber College plus 3 shops in the community. I spent the day visiting him at his school and meting with him to discuss ideas for shows and events for 2006. You will see a lot of Kenny in 2006 as he is slated to appear at a number of schools, classes and events. Kenny has great energy and enthusiasm for barbering and educating the students that represent the future of the barber industry. Kenny's school is clean and bright and features a strong team of educators and aspiring barbers. With the holiday season upon us it is sure to be a busy time in Kenny's school and shops. You know how it goes...If you cannot get busy cutting hair this time of year you will never get busy.

Testing 1, 2, 3

One part of my job where I have the most fun is the chance to play with toys. The engineering test samples of the tools and equipment our teams are working on find their way to my desk. These I consider toys. My job is to play with �em. Try to break �em. See if they will really do what engineering wants them to do and marketing wants to say that they will do. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don�t. This week was an interesting version of a current clipper. This one did not work as intended. Sometines I have bad news. Sometimes the bad news is good news. Better to identify problems, challenges and opportunities when it is just in the idea stage. Once we have a warehouse full of �em it is a little late for tweaking. Sometimes the engineers have to beg for the samples back. Sometimes an idea is so good I want to keep the sample. At least I know that when it finally hits production I will be the first to have my very own.