MONROE, CT — A white banner hanging below the green Salon Aponte sign at Tollgate Plaza, 838 Main St., Saturday afternoon carried the message: “Celebrating Our 35th Year, Organic and Natural Hair Care.”
Inside, stylists cut, brushed and blowdried the hair of clients seated in front of a row of mirrors. Further back, owner Nancy Aponte brought out trays of vegetables, crackers, meats and cheeses, placing it on a table with a cake for her guests.
First Selectman Terry Rooney, Monroe Chamber of Commerce President Ray Giovanni, who also chairs the Monroe Economic Development Commission, and several chamber members were on hand to take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
After the countdown, Aponte and Rooney used an oversized pair of scissors to snip the yellow ribbon to cheers.
“On behalf of the town of Monroe, Nancy, congratulations on your 35 years in business,” Rooney said. “It’s hard enough to start a business and have it last six months or a year. Thirty-five years is a testament to your hard work and the staff you chose.”
“Congratulations on having a business in Monroe for 35 years,” he added. “We really appreciate having you here and wish you many years of success.”
“Five years ago we were here and Nancy was so welcoming to our chamber,” Giovanni said. “We respect everything they do and support them.”
He reached into his suit jacket, took out a press release for the event and unfolded it.
“And you’ll notice the picture for this year’s anniversary, she looks 10 years younger than when I met her five years ago,” Giovanni said. “Her work does well and those colors that they use are very effective. So congratulations to everybody. You have a great team supporting you. We look forward to the future. I’ll see you in another five years at 40.”
“Sounds good,” Aponte said. “We appreciate your support and all that you’ve done for us.”
Starting out
Aponte’s mother was a nurse and she had also considered going into nursing before pursuing a career as a hairdresser.
Aponte said she always enjoyed playing with her cousin’s and her friends’ hair, while growing up in Stratford. “I always had an artsy side to me,” she said. “I appreciated color and the outdoors.”
After graduating from Bunnell High School, Aponte enrolled in the National Academy of Hairdressing in Bridgeport in 1976.
Then Aponte said she had to work as an operator for one year, performing all of the tasks of a hairdresser. Then she worked another year as an assistant hairstylist, working under a registered hairstylist, before taking a test to become registered herself.
She has styled and colored hair in Tollgate Plaza for a total of 45 years. During the first decade the salon was Hair Farm, then MK Hair Design. Aponte took over the business in 1990, renaming it Salon Aponte.
One of the first things Aponte did was search for eco-minded carriers for her salon’s products, before partnering with BeautyCounter, a skin care company based in Santa Monica, Calif.
According to its website, BeautyCounter’s “mission is to get safer products into the hands of everyone,” because “beauty should be good for you.”
Aponte also works to avoid harmful chemicals in her hair coloring products. She said avoiding this is also important for the health of her salon’s stylists who use the products every day.
Over the course of her career, Aponte was recognized as Conservationist of the Month by The Monroe Courier and her business was named Best Eco-Friendly Salon by the Fairfield County Advocate.
Her salon has also given back to the community, hosting cut-a-thons for Save the Sound and Emerge, an organization against domestic violence.
On Saturday, Aponte sold raffle tickets for gift bags to raise money for Save the Sound. The tickets are still on sale at her salon. The cost is five dollars per ticket, three dollars for 10 tickets, five tickets for $15, and eight tickets for $20. She will accept cash or a check.
“Being in business as long as I have, having been here with the last two owners, our growth has really been organic,” Aponte said. “I’ve been so bless with my team.”
Salon Aponte’s hours are: 2 to 6 p.m. on Monday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
