Great Clips opens 4,000th store

It was in 1983 that Steve Lemmon and David Rubenzer brought on Ray Barton as a partner to franchise the cheap haircut concept they started on the University of Minnesota campus. They chose well. Barton’s wife Mary Lou was one of the first franchisees, and Barton himself remains chairman of the board as the company celebrates the opening of its 4,000th franchise in Flat Rock, Michigan.



“The company continues to grow with happy franchisees who open multiple salons,” said Great Clips CEO Rhoda Olsen.



The average franchisee operates five to six salons, and Great Clips claims to have its sign above the doors of about half of all the franchised hair salons in the nation. Total chain revenue is just above $1 billion.