Salon of experience

WINTERSVILLE - Careers sometimes come full circle with results that bring decades worth of customers along for the ride.

That's the case with Kuttin' It Loose, a full-service salon at 500 Church St. in the Morelli Complex.

Established by Karey Lenko and her brother, Bob Coppa, Kuttin' It Loose brings together a group of experienced stylists who started in the business together a couple decades ago, worked for various salons and now reunites them, as well as adding the talents of others to serve customers with a full variety of services.

The establishment of the salon happened quickly, though the idea was kicked around by Lenko and her brother in years past.

"The salon where I was working possibly was closing and the opportunity arose," said Lenko, who credits Theresa Porco, Kuttin' It Loose's head receptionist, with knowing the space in the Morelli Complex where other salons had been before was available.

Lenko said her brother was interested in helping establish the business.

He said, "We looked at it on a Tuesday, put a deposit on it on a Wednesday and she quit her other job on Thursday."

Lenko added, "It just was meant to be."

Her brother had talked a few years ago about Lenko establishing her own salon, but she didn't want to, but her children are teenagers now and she has more time to give to the business. He jokes that with his sister, spouses and the armed forces, he "hasn't paid for a haircut since 1983."

Lenko, Coppa and the staff at Kuttin' It Loose want the salon to serve the Tri-State Area and to help provide services during tough economic times.

Porco said the salon will be advertising in the newspaper's Daily Happenings section offering various discounts to different parts of the area population on a regular basis. For example, one month might be a discount for hospital workers and another might be for steel workers.

"We want to help everyone as much as we can," she said.

The personnel includes not only Lenko and Porco, both of whom have years of experience at area salons, but also stylists Michelle Myers, Debbie Pickford, Bree Schoolcraft, Eva Stewart; manager Tara Smith; stylist-manicurist and permanent makeup artist Lorena Mercer; and Denise Woodside, head makeup artist.

Woodside's experiences includes more than 20 years as a professional make-up artist in film, theater, photo, pageants, glamour, runway and bridal assignments, as well as serving as lead make-up artist with the American Modeling and Talent Agency in Pittsburgh. She offers personal consultations, service to bridal parties for photo-session make-up or on the wedding day, as well as teaching group classes.

Kuttin' It Loose services include color, high- and low-lights, hair extensions, pedicures and manicures, cosmetic enhancement through permanent makeup, a line of locally made soaps, lotions, body spray, shampoo and bubble bath produced by April Carpenter of April Showers.

Coppa has held a wide-ranging variety of career tracks in his life, including working as an aeronautical engineer and mechanic for Pratt and Whitney before returning to the area graduating from Jefferson Community College as a respiratory therapist. He worked at UPMC and now is a respiratory therapist for Apria Home Health. Coppa has established a scholarship for Eastern Gateway Community College that he announced during the salon's recent grand opening, which was attended by Dr. Laura Meeks, college president, and Cindy Carducci, EGCC respiratory director.

The scholarship will be for a second-year respiratory student and is named the Kathy Singer Scholarship Fund, sponsored by Kuttin' It Loose and the class of 2006.

"Kathy was my classmate for three years and was tragically killed in a car crash two weeks after graduation, the day before she was supposed to start her new job at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh," Coppa said.

Woodside is developing a line of products to debut in the next six to eight weeks. She said she is working with a manufacturer now. She offers complete makeovers, skin care consultations, makeup color analysis and, like other services at Kuttin' It Loose, has a grand-opening discount of 10 percent through the month of February.

Coppa said the salon also carries Paul Mitchell, Brocato, Sebastian, Goldwell and other products.

"The future for Kuttin' It Loose will be that in the two- to four-year range we will be the biggest and best salon or day spa in the area but still with reasonable and proper prices," he said. "We're not here to become overnight millionaires. We want and will provide the best service and products that people can afford."

Coppa said the goal is to offer promotions and specials no other salon has attempted.

"Pay attention and see what happens," he said. "It all starts now."

Coppa also thanked all the women who have taken the step into the business with his sister.

"I can truly say there is no way we could have done any of this without them coming aboard with us," he said. "They are the best and work hard and have the knowledge and the energy to thrive at what they do. I see it in them every day, even though they have been doing this for a big part of their lives. It is like they have a new passion for it all over again and that excitement comes out to the customers."

Porco said nearly all the customers of the women have followed them to their salon to continue using their services, and she has heard all positive feedback on the atmosphere and service at the salon, from customers of all ages.

Lenko said, "We all worked together a lot of years ago. We all started out in the business at the same time in the 1980s, and now we're all together."

Kuttin' It Loose is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays and Mondays by appointment.

For information or to schedule an appointment, call (740) 266-7600, or visit www.kuttinitloose.com.

Woodside also is available by e-mailing woodside@clover.net or by calling (304) 479-1185.

(Giannamore's e-mail address is pgiannamore@heraldstaronline.com.)