Academy of Hair Design wins 2020 Small Business Award

Matt Morrow: The finalists represent small-business job creation.

The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce named Academy of Hair Design Inc. the 2020 W. Curtis Strube Small Business Award winner during a midday virtual ceremony livestreamed from the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center. 

“What a surprise,” said Jerry BeVelle, one of the owners of Academy of Hair Design. “I want to extend thanks to our staff – they are the ones who make things happen.” 

Matt Morrow, CEO and president of the chamber, said each of the finalists created jobs and showed growth within their businesses. 

Academy of Hair Design was founded by entrepreneurs BeVelle, David Gonzales and Christie Gonzales, according to a new release from the chamber. 

The cosmetology and barber school trains students in a full-service salon environment. Superintendent Linda Daugherty has said students learn guest relations and guest services skills by engaging with the community. For example, students cut hair for free at the Springfield Dream Center once a month, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. Students also are trained with the tools to grow their own business. 

Four other businesses were finalists for the 2020 Small Business Award: 

• Burgess Aircraft Management LLC, dbaOzAirCharter Service, which operates a fleet of nine jets from Springfield; 
• OMG Commerce, an e-commerce and digital marketing agency with a focus on advertising via Amazon and Google;
• Pearson-Kelly Technology, a managed service provider for information technology; and
• Volt Credit Union, a nearly 85-year-old credit union that recently rebranded.

The 29th annual Small Business Award is given in honor of the late Curtis Strube, a former director at Drury University’s Breech School of Business Administration. Strube founded the chamber’s Small Business Council and was an avid supporter of small businesses. 

Mostly Serious LLC  won the chamber’s 2019 Strube Small Business Award.