A former professional soccer player has acquired his third barber shop, this time in Wodonga where he completed his apprenticeship three years ago.
Daniel Vasilevski, who played soccer for A-League club Melbourne Victory and represented Australia at an international level, has purchased Mad 4 Hair in Stanley St.
Mr Vasilevski has taken over from previous owners Della and Mat Poppins and has no worries about taking on another business during a pandemic.
“I love the feel Wodonga has and the business has a loyal customer base which I look forward to building on,” he said.
“There’s a certain buzz about being in this town, even though High St has endured many setbacks over the years.
“I believe it’s now on the rise and becoming a social hub which attracts many visitors from cities and other townships.”
Mr Vasilevski lives in Rutherglen and is also the owner of Wig Chop, which has barber shops in Wangaratta and Yarrawonga.
“After retiring from soccer, I decided to re-ignite my passion for hairdressing and completed an apprenticeship at this actual shop (Mad 4 Hair) whilst studying at Wodonga TAFE,” he said.
Mr Vasilevski plans to carry out a renovation on the Wodonga store to “freshen things up a bit” and is considering changing the name to keep it in line with his other two businesses.
Mad 4 Hair offers all the services of a traditional barber shop, such as men’s haircuts, beard trims and traditional hot towel shaves.
The business specialises in traditional cuts and modern styles including fades and taper cuts.
Mr Vasilevski has four employees at the Wodonga shop – Mat Poppins, who is the previous owner, Tim Kohne, Michelle Kerrigan and Kaytee McQuillan.
He employs 11 barbers across the three shops. Mr Vasilevski is happy to be out of lockdown and looks forward to welcoming customers for walk-in appointments.
“We pride ourselves on quality haircuts at a fair price, and have great customer service,” he said.
The business is open Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5.15pm and on Saturdays between 8am to noon.