By CHRISSY SMITH
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Hair Port is a second home to many.
The local salon and spa will celebrate its 25th anniversary on December 1, 2014, and despite challenges from Hurricane Katrina, it has been a successful and fulfilling road to get to this point.
Teri Richardson opened Hair Port almost 25 years ago as a way to put her hair styling skills to use in her own business. She is from Slidell, went to Brock Elementary and graduated from Salmen High School.
Richardson’s business was doing well, and then Hurricane Katrina hit her store, which is located in Olde Towne Slidell – one of the hardest hit areas in the city. Hair Port had five feet of water in it even after already being two feet off the ground. Richardson did not believe she would be able to reopen her beloved business, but after a month of time went by, her family and friends convinced her it was possible.
The majority of Richardson’s employees called to check on the building and said they were homesick for their jobs. So Richardson and two of her friends started on the project, which took 10 months to complete. She added on 550 square feet of building, and seven of the nine employees returned to work.
Richardson has been married to Steve for 26 years. They have two sons, Stephen who goes to UNO and Ned who goes to LSU.
Now at Hair Port, there are six stylists and three of those who have been there for 25 years. There are two nail technicians, a makeup artist, massage therapist, esthetician and electrologist, two shampoo girls and one receptionist.
“The reason I work so well with Teri is because she has a mentality that she treats us how she would want to be treated. She’s an inspiring person. She has a warm heart and is caring,” Hair Port stylist Megan Brown said.
Brown started as a shampoo girl when she was 16 at Hair Port. She went to school to Aveda, worked for an Aveda salon, and then went back to Hair Port where she feels right at home.
“I work in the same room with Teri, and it’s been so great to work by her because she knows so much and I can learn even more,” Brown said.
Walk-ins are welcome at Hair Port. The full-service salon and spa is located at 353 Robert St., Slidell. For more information, call (985) 646-2082.