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By Mike Duprez
The Dispatch
Jamie Loman (center) sits surrounded by her staff (from left)
Amanda Vitale, Crystal Trexler, Jennifer Bates, Loni Berrier.
Jamie Loman took a long and winding road to arrive at the place where she wanted to be - a business owner.
The 42-year-old Welcome native and nail specialist owns the Tip-to-Toe Hair and Nail, located in the Lexington Shopping Center on U.S. Highway 64 West.
“I love it,” Loman said. “It feels good — a lot of hard work.”
Not to mention a 20-year journey.
Loman, who now lives in the central Davidson area with her husband, Ronald, graduated from North Davidson High School in 1986. She did not become a nail specialist until 1999 upon graduation from Davidson County Community College .
Like many others in the area, Loman began her working career in the industrial sector.
“I was one of those that started out working in a factory,” she said. “I started with Morgan Doors. I knew it was not the type of work I wanted to do forever. This was kind of a back mind dream.”
Loman spent 10 years with Morgan Doors, but when that company went through a buyout, it raised alarm bells even though she was able to keep her job. That’s when she started taking computer classes at DCCC, which eventually helped her move into a shipping and receiving position.
At the same time, Loman sensed the decline of the furniture-making industry in Davidson County but was able to make a lateral move to Lexington Furniture Industry’s Plant No. 2 in Linwood.
Loman got involved in shipping and inventory at the Linwood plant before securing a similar position at Evergard Industries at Welcome.
But that dream kept cropping up as Loman, aking classes part-time, was zeroing in on her nail degree at DCCC.
“I just decided it was time to do something about it,” she said. Loman had thoughts of getting a full cosmetology degree but opted instead for the degree in nails to start making an income more quickly.
That meant working in an apprentice-type position for an established business in Greensboro in 2000.
After two years, Loman decided it was time to come home and go out on her own, with all the risk that choice involved.
“I had to decide if I wanted to stick with an established clientele or come back to Lexington and start from scratch,” Loman said. “That’s what I decided to do.”
Loman opened Tip to Toes in 2002 on North Church Street in a building owned by Jerry and Betty Hedrick. It was a modestsized space of 425 square feet.
But it was just the beginning.
A growing clientele led Loman to move her business to National Boulevard in a building owned by Tommy Young.
The square footing was considerably larger - 780 square feet.
Still, that was not enough. Loman closed the doors at National Boulevard and moved Tip to Toe to its present location in space nearly double the capacity — 1,520 square feet.
“We took baby steps,” Loman said. “My husband and I had a 10-year plan to build the business. We got here in seven years, so we still have three years to get comfortable.”
Loman also cited faith as a an important factor.
“We’re Christians, and our faith in God has made this all possible,” she said. “That is a priority with us.”
That, in turn, extends to the operators and clientele.
“It’s a very loving atmosphere,” Loman said. “If something happened to one of our clients, we would all know about it and be there for them at the drop of a hat.”
Tip to Toe has the capacity for eight operators at full capacity — three hair stations, three nail stations and two massage therapy stations. Each is an independent contractor. Loman has six slots staffed and is in negotiations with a seventh, she said. Massage therapy was added when Loman moved Tip to Toe to its present location.
It may have taken nearly 20 years, but Loman has succeeded in achieving that “back dream” and reaching the status of a successful, happy business owner.
“I love it,” she said.
Mike Duprez can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 218, or mike.duprez@the-dispatch.com.
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