Although he’s only 27, veteran barber George Ortiz, Jr. is passing his professional torch and teaching the next generation. He is the founder and owner of American Barber Academy, which opened its doors along Morgantown Road in Reading in October 2012. Ortiz, who lives in Exeter Township, started cutting hair when he was in his teens and credits his mom, a former city salon owner, with inspiring him. While honoring the profession’s long history, he also incorporates cutting edge barbering techniques to keep students–and clients–looking sharp.
Q | What led you to open the school? Did you train in the area?
I’ve been doing this my whole life; it’s in my family. I started school in Lancaster when I was 19 and graduated and started working at 20. I grew up here; my mother owned Norma’s Beauty Shop on Fourth Street and I always had an interest in it. When I was in high school, I grabbed her clippers and my friends, guys on the football team, let me experiment on their hair. I’ve always been into the arts, so I enjoy the creative side of barbering.
Q | The profession has changed from the old days of "just a little off the top"–the standard men’s haircuts of the past–correct?
Oh yes. Modern barbering uses totally different, high-tech tools to help clients stay on top of trends, to look their best. For example, there are [clipper] guards to create precision haircuts, and we no longer use reusable razors. We only use disposable razors, for health and hygiene reasons. At the school, we teach the latest, modern methods as well as the traditional techniques, which were impressive–the old school clipper-scissors-comb work takes a lot of skill; however, you can’t create today’s precise cuts that way.
Q | For women, a day in the salon is often a kind of pampering experience; what’s the vibe of the barber shop?
Half of barbering is about “guy time.” It is a form of pampering, of caring about the image they’re putting out there. The shop is also a hang-out, a place to be social and talk about current events or stuff going on in our lives. A barber shop is representative of its community, a gathering place to make the community stronger. In that sense, what I do doesn’t even feel like work. I love my job.
Q | You had your own shop, New Style Barber Shop on Lancaster Avenue, from which you took time off to start the school. Will you go back at some point?
I hope to. I opened the school because I love a challenge. I’d had New Style for years and felt like I’d done what I set out to do with it. And I started the Academy because, as a shop owner, I had trouble finding qualified, well-educated staff to work for me. My teacher in Lancaster had opened his school for the same reasons, and now the Lancaster area is thriving with themed shops and successful traditional ones, all staffed with grads from his school. I wanted to support Berks County in the same way, to train people and get them started in a career either as employees or owning their own shops.
Q | As much as you enjoy your work, you must love an occasional day off. What do you do when you’re not cutting hair or teaching?
I love a low-key day at home, making a nice dinner. Or a day outdoors, fishing, enjoying peace and tranquility. But my big thing is travel–my life can get hectic, so I love to get away. Usually it’s spontaneous because I don’t have a lot of free time, but when I see a few free days in my schedule I like to take off, especially to the Caribbean. Somewhere warm with a beach.
Q | If you had two wishes, what would they be?
Professionally, I’d like to make a name in my industry, not just for my business success but as someone who changed lives for the better, who helped others achieve their dreams and goals. Then, personally, I’d like to see as much of the world as I can; there’s nothing like experiencing new places and people.
Visit the Academy for $6 haircuts every day at 110 Morgantown Rd., Reading, call 610.927.5664 or visit online at americanbarberacademy.com.
BY MICHELLE E. BIGGERSTAFF | PHOTO BY TANIA COLAMARINO, AMA PHOTOGRAPHY
