Business View Magazine | February 2018

20 21 F antastic Sams,the original,no-appointment,hair salon concept, was founded in 1974 inMemphis,Tennessee bySamRoss.His ideawas to create a barbershop likemilieu,wheremen,wom- en,and children couldwalk in and get their hair done,without having tomake an appointment in advance.Ross began franchising his concept in 1976,making Fantastic Sams the first national,unisex hair franchise.Today,the companyhas approximately1,100 full-service, hair-care locations in the U.S.and Canada,providing haircuts,straight- ening,coloring,highlights,waxing,and texturizing,in addition to a line of branded shampoos,conditioners,and styling products. In 2011,Fantastic Sams was purchased byDessange International, a European beauty salon chain,with a presence in 45 countries and a networkof more than 20,000 professional employees.“Under the Dessange umbrella,we nowhave three salon concepts,”says EricaTar- nowski,Business Development Manager of the Dessange GroupNorth America,“Dessange,CamilleAlbane,and Fantastic Sams.” Dessange is theworld’s leading franchisor of luxuryhair salons with more than 400 locations.It also develops its own beautycare treat- Fantastic Sams CUT & COLOR AT A GLANCE FANTASTIC SAMS WHAT: A leading hair salon franchisor WHERE: Headquarters of Dessange USA - Beverly, MA WEBSITE: www.fantasticsams.com FANTASTIC SAMS