For Russell Garner, Atlanta Barber & Beauty Supply (ABBS) has always been about more than barber supplies. Since joining the family business in 2003, Garner has helped carry forward a legacy rooted in quality products, personal service and lasting relationships with the barber community.
With roots dating back to 1946, ABBS has supported generations of barbers as they built their careers and businesses. Now, as the company enters its next chapter under Jinny Beauty and Barber United, Garner reflects on the journey and the legacy he hopes will continue for years to come.
Take us back to the beginning. How did you first become involved with Atlanta Barber & Beauty Supply, and what drew you to the barber distribution business?
My father-in-law, Robert Hilley, had been in the Barber Supply business since the 1960s. His father had started the business in 1946 after WWII. After leaving my job in the Army in 2003, I went to work with Mr. Hilley as his Operations Manager. I learned every aspect of the business and enjoyed working with Barbers and customers
What was ABBS like when you first became involved, and how did you see the company evolve over the years?
When I first started, much of the business was conducted in person and over the phone. In 2005 I began building a website as most supply houses did not have one. After that much of our customer service and sales interactions moved online.
ABBS has been part of the barber industry for nearly 80 years. What do you think has allowed the company to remain trusted and relevant for so long?
We have always tried to treat customers fairly and with respect. We operate by the golden rule. I ask my staff to resolve problems the way they would hope to see them resolved if they were the customer.
What has ABBS meant to you personally throughout your career?
It has been an amazing career working with wonderful customers, suppliers, and manufacturer representatives. I very much value many relationships made in the industry. And I am proud of the way ABBS has been a part of many successful barbers’ stories.
When you think about the barbers, barber shops and employees you’ve worked with over the years, are there particular relationships or memories that stand out to you?
I am always moved by stories customers have of coming into our old store as Mitchell St. as children, and now they come in as adults. Often as successful Barbers and shop owners or as retail customers who just need a good trimmer.
What made you feel that now was the right time to begin a new chapter and sell ABBS?
I did not have a family member interested in coming into the business to continue it another generation in the family. So, I knew we needed to think about a transition as some point, in the near future. But I was not interested in rushing into a sale until we identified the right partner.
What made Jinny Beauty feel like the right company to take ABBS into its next chapter?
When Eddie Jhin and I began to have conversations about a potential sale, it became very clear to me that he and his team were the ideal people to carry the ABBS legacy forward. They know the industry and have been very successful serving customers well for many years. I am excited to see the future of ABBS under the Barber United flag.
Was it important to you that Jinny acquired the buildings and retained the existing employees, and why?
Our location and employee team are the heart of ABBS. We have been in the city of Atlanta since 1946 and our customers know us and we know them. Our employees are what makes the business special. They know how to be friendly but get barbers and stylist in and out quickly with the tools they need. We have built friendships with customers who have shopped with us regularly for 40+ years.
You will remain involved for several months to help with the transition. What do you hope to pass along to Jinny during that time?
Jinny does so much well it will be a good and easy transition. But I want to share the Barbershop supply culture. It is a relationship built on quality tools and trust. We work on vetting products and tools to make sure that if we ask Barbers to try something new, we can stand behind it and know it is professional quality. Many online dealers today treat Barber tools as disposable commodities. I see barber supplies as the tools that help Barbers create and ultimately contribute to their success.
What parts of ABBS’s culture, relationships or way of doing business do you hope continue long after the transition is complete? I hope that Barbers and Stylist still feel great about doing business with ABBS. Knowing they are supporting a quality business led by good people working hard to serve them. The ABBS heart is and always has been that we want to see our customers succeed.
After spending so many years building and running ABBS, what are you most proud of when you look back?
We have grown and I am proud of that. But, perhaps more valuable to me is seeing the way we helped people achieve their dreams of having their own career. We have thousands of customers who bought their first student kit from us and continue to shop with us, having built a great business for themselves. I am enormously proud to have played a small part in that.
Now that you will have more time, what are you looking forward to doing or exploring in this next chapter of your life?
I don’t ever want to retire. I look forward to serving in my Church more and perhaps teaching some High School classes. I would love to teach and encourage young people to work toward their goals
If you could leave one message with the barbers, employees and customers who have been part of the ABBS story, what would you want them to know?
I am grateful to each of you for the part you play in making ABBS special. It has truly been a privilege to know you and work with you. I wish the very best to each of you.
