Photo by Bill Green Natural Fusion Hair Studio business partners Kelly Chapin and Earl Pindar are honored that a customer recommended them for the Frederick County Business Ethics Award Purchase this photo

"We were so honored that one of our clients recognized the effort we had put into creating an honest company that we thought it was a perfect way to reflect on what we had done and to evaluate where we could go," Chapin said. "Our goal was to create a hair studio that brings back the values of great customer service, offers a positive work environment and breaks the forefront of environmental awareness in the beauty industry."

They discussed and created a mission statement even before the business partners talked about a business plan, they said.

Natural Fusion Hair Studio in downtown Frederick intends to lead by example, Pindar said.

"We represent our products and services honestly, practice and encourage environmental responsibility, provide a positive, healthy and safe place for our clients and employees and support local charities and causes to the best of our ability," Pindar said.

Natural Fusion boasts many small measures that illustrate the company's ethical nature, the business partners said. They include contacting clients after a visit if they were accidentally overcharged, or if they provide a customer with incorrect information.

The couple also researches products for safety and environmental standards before offering them to clients, and employs environmentally friendly practices throughout the salon. The company works with local charities to provide support wherever possible and has an employee handbook so everyone has clear guidelines on what behavior is acceptable and how work performance will be evaluated.

In addition to Fusion Hair's environmental standards, Pindar and Chapin said they are most proud of the level system the business uses for evaluating job performance.

"We conducted substantial background research into ways for us, as a hair salon, to provide a meaningful way to compensate our stylists," Chapin said. "The system we used is a modified version of a program offered by Redken and is a performance-based set of goals. This enables us as salon owners to help the stylist better evaluate their services and continue to improve their customer service and advance."

Natural Fusion Hair opened in November 2007, with the two owners as its only employees. Today, the three-chair salon has two full-time stylists and two part-time stylists in the studio.

The salon has a unique history, Pindar said.

"It all began with a two-month road trip and a hypothetical question," Chapin said. "Earl and I spent two months exploring the United States as we worked our way from Oregon to Maryland. One day, I asked Earl, who is the hair stylist, 'If you had your own shop, what would be the most important thing for you to offer?'"

Honesty and great customer service was Pindar's answer, Chapin said.

"As an environmentalist, my concerns revolved around potentially dangerous chemicals and ways to lessen our carbon footprint, so I asked if he thought it was possible to address all those concerns in the beauty industry," Chapin said. "He said things were slowly changing, but that if we wanted to make a difference we could lead by example."