Buy-Rite's Story
When Harry Eichholz swept the entrance of his beauty supply shop every morning in the 1940s, there was no way he could have known how big his business would be one day. All he cared about was making his store clean and welcoming. It was a product of the spirit of hard work, trust and honesty that has been central to the business since the beginning—a spirit he passed on to his son, Richard, and grandsons, Adam and Jason, who still run the business today.
1936
It started in Savannah, GA in 1936. Harry’s cousin, Ben Sheftall, had a successful beauty supply business in South Carolina. Harry saw a similar need for women’s beauty supply in Savannah that wasn’t being served, so he began selling products door-to-door.
1940
Business grew, so Harry opened Ben Sheftall Beauty Supply Store in downtown Savannah. He worked long hours but still found time to help people. He established trust and let customers pay later if they couldn’t that week. If Harry told you he’d do something, you could take it to the bank.
1945
Harry went to fight in WWII, leaving his brother and sister to take care of the store. After the war, people had more disposable income, and beauty parlors became pillars of every community. When Harry returned, things really began to take off.
1950
Harry had three boys, and his business continued to grow throughout the 50s and 60s. He moved the business into a larger store to keep up with the growing demand.
1975
One of Harry’s sons wanted to be a lawyer, one a realtor, and the third, Richard, wanted to be in the family business. He started working with his dad around the time Harry began selling salon furniture. Through Harry, Richard learned how to treat people with honesty and trust.
1985
In the 1980s, more people began opening salons. Harry and Richard wanted to help bring their visions to life by providing the best furniture at the best price. They opened a 75,000-square-foot warehouse, bought a salon furniture company and opened retail stores across the Southeast. Buy-Rite Beauty was born.
1991
Disaster struck when the Savannah beauty supply warehouse caught fire. Flames spread rapidly as hairspray bottles became rockets and shot across the building. The furniture side of business had been booming, so Richard seized the opportunity to shift Buy-Rite’s main focus to equipment.
Present Day
Buy-Rite Beauty is better now than ever. The team is growing; they have partners across the country; and everyone in the industry knows the Eichholz family. But through it all, it’s always been about honesty, family and trust. These days, Richard still sweeps the storefront every morning just like his father before him, and you can bet that one day his sons will do the same.
