The Blackstone Valley

Commonwealth Dignitaries to Attend Ribbon Cutting at Orange Salon Blackstone Shoppes Millbury

Officials Welcome New Business & Jobs to the Region

Millbury, MA: Wednesday, September 8th 11:00 AM Ribbon Cutting Celebration Orange Salon, Shoppes at Blackstone Valley Millbury. Andre Porter, Executive Director of the Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship and other Commonwealth dignitaries will be in attendance.

Look good and feel great! Even better at a great value in a luxurious venue! And so it began... Orange Salon started with a local owner, Paul Lemieux, and investment in the community when national banks and retailers failed daily. So,the saying…"No growth in life comes from your comfort zone."

The Clark University Small Business Development Center helped Paul Lemieux fine tune a business plan that took careful consideration of both the local market and national trends. When a local area bank carefully considered the new enterprise, a partnership with SBA's loan guarantee and the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act sealed the deal.

Nothing was easy, but 10 months later, the business is in the black and has sustained monthly growth. The business plan was simple; superlative services in a luxurious environment, outstanding customer service while keeping costs attainable to a broad market, and highest quality products for service and retail.

In a new age of marketing where tried and true methods yield less and less, Orange Salon has reached out to the community in a very personal invitation to host special receptions for groups of friends, families and coworkers to come and enjoy looking and feeling great. This, along with constant monitoring of social media, has been the best yield for all marketing investments.

Expanding services, hiring more staff and expanding retail lines has been the plan for short and long term. What has happened has been unforeseen and celebratory. Where Boston and metro west once flocked to Newbury Street for services, these same individuals and new patrons from the same zip codes have taken the short commute west for known value services at a bargain with easier parking. The location has also been experienced as an overall convenience for shopping at cotenants. Local consumers who traveled east have taken notice of Orange Salon and held it in esteem where, before, they may not have made a local choice. "Most wonderful of all," says Paul Lemieux, "is that we get to show clients a different way of caring for hair and overall beauty. There's something beautiful inside everyone and we help find it in an easy and low maintenance way. With fun and luxury."

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About the Chamber

The mission of the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce is to promote the economic vitality of the Blackstone Valley and meet the needs of the Chamber's business members, while providing leadership on issues which impact the economy and quality of life in the Valley. The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce serves the eleven towns in the Massachusetts BV Region: Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton and Uxbridge. For more information on the Chamber please contact administrator@blackstonevalley.org or call 508 234 9090 X101.