Paul Mitchell The School – Columbia has moved to Meeting Street in West Columbia.

“We’re super excited to be here,” said Scott Bills, the school’s director. “We’ve investing in a growing area.”

The school trains cosmetologists; barbers; nail technicians; and estheticians. Its students give reduced-price hair and cosmetic services. The business opened at 1008 Meeting Street on Oct. 19.

Paul Mitchell The School ‘s new site is in a 17, 000 sq ft. property that used to be a Goodwill store. Before that it was Kimbrell’s furniture.
The building first opened in 1958 as a Winn-Dixie grocery store, said Bills.

The Paul Mitchell school had been off of Gervais Street, near Adluh Flour for 12 years. But a large hotel is being planned near Paul Mitchell’s old site and it would have taken away almost all of the school’s the parking.

To be able to use the building in West Columbia, Bills said it had to be completely gutted, and rebuilt. Demolition started in December of 2019 and the remodel began in January. Bills said there were some delays in construction because of COVID-19. Master Construction Co. of Chapin did the remodel.

Currently there are 160 students at Paul Mitchell. Bills said they come from a 60-mile radius, from Florence to Augusta and from Newberry to Orangeburg.
The parking lot has been redone and there will be plenty of parking at the West Columbia site.