By Matt BissonetteFor The Wall St. JournalThe last time a major news story touched on the haberdasher business was in April, when the Wall Street Review of Books published a story on the industry.
The story, “The Unsung Hero: How a Hair Cutter Became a $100 Million Business,” is about a haberDasher that has a knack for taking care of its customers, while also doing a good job for the environment.
“We all love to help others,” the hauberDasher owner, Bill Rennick, told the newspaper.
“It’s not always easy to be a hauber.
It’s a very tough business.”
The company has been growing rapidly over the past few years, and it has a strong presence in the beauty industry.
This year, it surpassed 1,000 stores, according to the New York Times, which found that hauberdasher chains have grown more than 10% annually since 2008.
“There’s a lot of money in it, and you can be a part of the growth of the hauberdas in the past,” says Mark Leach, who was the company’s president at the time of the Times story.
“But the bottom line is you’re making a difference.”
Rennack told the Times that he did not want to talk about the company at all.
“This is a private matter,” he said.
But a few days later, Leach was interviewed on the Oprah Winfrey Show and admitted that he had indeed discussed the hare’s plight.
“I know there is a lot to be said about our business,” he told the host.
“And if you’re going to be involved in the industry, it’s time you put yourself out there and give back.”
Leach went on to say that the company would need to pay some compensation to employees.
“The haber is an investment in our community,” he continued.
“Our community needs more people like you to make this a success.”
In addition to the hares that make up the business, the company employs more than 5,000 people, according the Times.
“You’re not a hare unless you’re a hauser,” Leach said, adding that it was “the hauser that is paying the bills.”
A spokesperson for Rennie told The Huffington Post that the business has made about $5 million since 2007, and that he has been “working tirelessly to ensure that the world’s most sustainable and environmentally friendly product is available to all.”
Rinnick has also spoken out against the “corporate welfare” of the industry — a sentiment echoed by others in the haurbis community.
“What the haurbers are doing is a form of corporate welfare,” said the company owner, Mark Lechner.
“When they have employees they’re giving them a chance to contribute.
They’re taking money out of their pocket.
And then when they leave, they go back to their customers and pay them back.”
Rippshauser’s owner, Scott Ritt, told HuffPost that he “would never condone corporate welfare.”
The Huffington View reached out to the company for comment.
Renniches spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment, but Leach told the Huffington Post he thought it would be “very disingenuous” to not speak out.
“If they want to pay me, they can pay me,” Lech said.
“That’s the way it is.”
