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City highlights downtown barbershops as cultural and business assets
Summary
Sanford’s economic development director showcased a downtown barbershop exhibit and invited several barbers to the dais to describe their businesses and community roles. Commissioners presented commemorative Celery City posters and encouraged residents to visit museum displays about barbering history.
Sanford’s economic development office presented a business spotlight on Oct. 27 that celebrated downtown barbershops as local cultural and economic assets.
Brady Lessard, the city’s director of economic development, introduced the segment and described a museum display on barbering history hosted by the Sanford Museum. He invited several downtown barbers to the dais to share brief personal histories and to encourage residents to visit the museum’s exhibit.
Tony Pritchard and Jermaine Hartfield described training young people in their trade and the community role barber shops play. “I pride myself on believing that we provide a service not to just cut hair, but to actually educate our young youth in the industry,” Jermaine Hartfield said. Kenneth Ray and Antoine Floyd also described multi‑decade careers in downtown Sanford and the shops’ generational ties to the neighborhood. Commissioner Britton and the mayor presented commemorative “Celery City” posters to the businesses.
Why it matters: The showcase highlighted small‑business entrepreneurship and workforce pathways that tie to broader city economic development goals. The event also signaled local support for cultural programming — the barbers’ narrative was framed as part of downtown Sanford’s history and identity.
