When Aaron Hines and his three younger brothers needed a haircut, their dad would plop them down in the kitchen chair and give them a trim.

[blockquote quote="It’s the best decision I ever made." source="Aaron Hines, on becoming a barber" align="right" max_width="300px"]

“And then my dad decided I should cut their hair so he didn’t have to, and that was with old hand clippers,” said Hines, 83, who celebrated 50 years as a professional barber in July. “So after I got to cutting my brothers’ hair and doing a pretty fair job, friends and neighbors thought maybe I should cut their hair as well, and sometimes they tipped me—and I loved it.”

Hines was 14 at the time, and although he enjoyed cutting hair, he ventured down different career paths, trying his hand as an electrician, carpenter, and even a minister. At one point during the Eisenhower administration, he landed a job at Boeing and helped build the first Air Force One.

“I did a lot of different things,” he said, laughing at the memories.

Then in 1965, while changing a tractor tire, Hines injured his back. Washington State wanted to send him through a rehabilitation program, and suggested he attend business school.

“And I said, ‘No, I want to be a barber.’ And it’s the best decision I ever made,” he said.

At 33 years old, Hines started work at Ganzel’s Barber Shop in Richland, which has been serving the community since 1944. There were 17 barbers and 15 barber chairs then, he said. As a newbie, he had to compete for clients, but he quickly learned how to connect with customers so his chair didn’t stay empty for long.

“I developed a system for remembering names while I cut hair, and I’d make notes so the next time they came through the door, I would call them by name and it’d give me an edge,” he said.

In the 1970s, Hines left the Tri-Cities and moved near Eastern Washington University in Cheney where he leased a salon on campus for 13 years before moving back and buying Ganzel’s Barber Shop with a partner, Dave Bishop.

By 1995, Hines was ready to retire, and he sold his portion of the business to his partner.

“But I didn’t like (retirement),” he said. “So I bought a hair salon in Kennewick named Hair Designers. I owned that for about five years.”

When he sold that salon, he came back to where his roots were: Ganzel’s Barber Shop, which is now owned by Freddy Mitzel, who bought it in 2014.

“I get along great with Freddy,” Hines said.

[blockquote quote="Over the years, we’ve found things that work well and things that don’t work at all – and everything in between." source="Reid Lunde, owner of KAIZENSPEED" align="right" max_width="300px"]

Along with a new owner, the barbershop has gone through changes, including opening up the space. Today, there are five chairs and three barbers—although Hines said they could use more. Mitzel and one other employee are full time, and Hines works 14 hours a week, and only in the mornings, Tuesday through Friday.

“I open at 8 o’clock and by noon I’m gone,” he said, adding that he stays busy his entire shift. “I had four people waiting at the door for me this morning.”

Walk-ins are welcome, and Ganzel’s Barber Shop, at 747 The Parkway in Richland, is open Monday through Saturday.

During his shift, Hines said he runs an early bird special for the first hour, charging $12 for a basic cut. After that, the price goes up to $14. Other services, such as beard trims, which cost $5, are available.

“I’ve done a lot of Caesar cuts,” said Hines, reflecting on popular styles over the years. “As far as favorites go, mine has to be the business man’s haircut. That’s tapered around the sides and back. I do a lot of elderly men’s hair, and I thoroughly enjoy that. We relate well. I enjoy visiting with them. I understand when they try to describe what they want. It’s a piece of cake—and I like cake.”

Hines said he’s cut the hair of a lot of prestigious people over the course of five decades. Because of Hanford, many government officials stopped by Ganzel’s Barber Shop, including a five-star general who worked at the Pentagon, he said.

Today, Hines’ customers consist of local boys and men, but he’s a licensed cosmetologist and used to cut hair for women at Eastern Washington University. He also colors his wife’s hair and cut his four kids’ hair.

“I raised three boys, and they hated having a dad for a barber back in the days of long hair,” he said with a chuckle. “Sometimes I gave them a choice: You get your grades up and I’ll leave it a little longer.”

Hines said whatever the cut, he takes pride in his work. He loves his customers and can’t imagine doing anything else.

“I don’t plan on stopping,” he said. “If I can make it 17 more years, I’ll be the first 100-year-old barber in the Tri-Cities.”