More than just co-workers, they're friends

Deb Bechtel, Tina Piper, Pam Burns, Debi Luce, Tammy Burghduff and Shawn Longfield recently reached a milestone in their careers — business partners for more than 20 years at Shear Perfection, a cozy shop on Nucleus Avenue.

Piper, Burns, Luce and Longfield cut hair either as hair dressers or barbers, and Bechtel is a licensed massage therapist.

Luce and Longfield started the partnership. Luce was cutting hair at the Old River Bridge Inn in Columbia Heights when she mentioned to Ernie Ketterling, a longtime Columbia Falls barber, that she wanted a partner to start a business in town.

Ketterling suggested she contact Longfield, who was a barber in Kalispell. The two met and hit it off immediately.

“I didn’t know her from Adam,” Luce recalled.

Meanwhile, Piper, Burns and Burghduff had worked together in a shop called “Shear Style.” The women merged the businesses into one to make Shear Perfection. “Hair with style” was their motto.

Meanwhile, Bechtel was laid off at the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. She went to massage school and then joined her friends. She works out of a small office right off the shop floor.

The women have heard plenty of stories over the years.

“You get to know the clients so well, you know their whole lives,” Burghduff said. “Sometimes it’s too much information.”

They also cut hair at the Montana Veterans Home and work out of the shop. While they accept walk-ins, mostly they’re booked with regular customers.

The women are close friends outside of work and have a timeshare on the Oregon coast they escape to together one week a year.

They have no plans to hang up their scissors anytime soon.

“We’re looking at expanding and doing a remodel,” Burghduff said.