March 17, 2008 05:32 pm
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By Melissa Dunson
mdunson@joplinglobe.com
Mud wraps and massages are a far cry from the lumber business, but that’s the leap two sisters and their grandmother made when they opened Oasis Salon & Day Spa in Joplin seven years ago.
Darlene Shepherd started Mid-America Hardwoods with her husband, Gary, in 1979 in Sarcoxie. At 72, Shepherd jokes that she should be playing golf and hanging out around the house, but instead she is co-owner of a business that specializes in pampering.
Shepherd’s granddaughters and co-owners, Aubree Templeman and Adrian Petticrew, also got their start in business at the family lumber company. The women said they are amazed at the success they’ve had, especially with a business offering what many consider a luxury.
“It’s a hard business to make a go of,” Templeman said. “When we went into it, we didn’t know that. We just thought it would be fun, but it’s been a lot of work.”
Petticrew, a cosmetologist, wanted to open a salon. Templeman wanted a boutique. Shepherd just wanted it to work. Somehow, they said, the salon idea won out.
Last year, they moved Oasis out of its original home on 32nd Street and into a building that had 2,000 more square feet next to Timberline Steakhouse, just off Range Line Road. The business went from seven to 20 hair stylists’ stations, and added expanded spa services and a physician to its roster.
“Honestly, I never thought we would move out of that building,” Petticrew said.
“It wasn’t our intention to grow the business like this. It just happened,” Shepherd added.
The growth has impressed others, too. Oasis is a finalist for the 2008 BKD Small Business of the Year awards. Petticrew said she is always surprised that the business garners so much attention, and she is especially pleased that Oasis was nominated for the award this year because the business is growing so fast it probably will have too many employees to be eligible next year.
“We don’t usually think about there being anything so special about the business, but I think that’s because we’ve grown into it so gracefully,” Templeman said.
Shepherd said one thing that helps Oasis stand out is its big-city appearance. When deciding what kind of decor and services the spa should have, the three women started visiting spas in places such as Chicago. The result was the ultimate in pampering.
As much as they want to take care of their customers, Petticrew said another thing that sets the business apart is how the women treat their employees.
“We take care of our customers and our employees the same way, because in our eyes, they’re just as valuable,” she said. “The employees have to be happy to take care of the customers.”
The company’s career-path program helps employees feel as if they’re going somewhere and focus on their individual goals instead of competing against one another. Templeman said the owners also try to take time to celebrate milestones with their employees, such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and births.
Petticrew said their latest accomplishment is getting a medical doctor to come into the office three times a week to do Botox and Juvederm gel injections, microdermabrasion and chemical peels.
Melissa Dunson is the business writer for The Joplin Globe.
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