Two of them, Tangle Tamers and Prolific Memories, operate side by side at 100 North State Street. Tangle Tamers, owned by Courtney Logwood, is open to everyone but specializes in providing haircare products and styling for those with ethnic or coarse hair. Services include braiding, cornrows, dreadlocks, and detangling.

Logwood was inspired by her struggles with finding the products and services she needed in Southern Minnesota.

“To do my hair, or my kids’ hair, we usually have to drive to the cities to get hair products or our hair done,” she said. “I was like, ‘If I’m sick of driving that far, there’s got to be other people who are sick of doing it too.’ We decided to open up and give it a try. Give people a more convenient location to get the things that they need.”

A demographic study was done to verify her concerns, and they were validated. The closest braiding shops are located in Mankato or Austin. To obtain hair, like wigs or weaves, it’s a trip to St. Paul, Des Moines, or Sioux Falls.

Co-Owner Allison Wisnosky and her son Isaiah Szucs stand with a photo standee and props used to take photos at Prolific Memories.

Outside of products, Tangle Tamers also offers classes for parents who want to know more about taking care of and styling their kids’ hair themselves.

“We wanted to be a support to coach people through how to take care of their hair,” Logwood said.

“Give those kids that confidence their hair is just as beautiful as everyone else’s.”

Since opening a week and a half ago, Logwood said they have been jam-packed. Depending on the style requested, it can take over two hours or more for a single appointment. For parents with kids, Tangle Tamers has a kids’ section with tablets and a television to keep them entertained.

As long as they continue to stay busy, Logwood has a few ideas for further expansion. Currently, there are only two people available to work on hair, including Logwood. There is space for four specialists, and she would like to make it to full capacity. She would also like to have a mobile studio to reach customers in Martin County and potentially beyond.

Rickway Carpet Manager Carmen Deling goes through some displayed options at their new location in Fairmont.

Prolific Memories is a mobile photo studio with a stationary location. It started as an idea for Josif Szucs and his wife Allison Wisnosky a couple of years ago.

“This is something that would be fun for Fairmont,” Wisnosky said. “It’s something we don’t have anywhere around us, just a quick and easy way for people to come in and have a good time with their family and friends.”

At the time, Wisnosky was pregnant with her son. She said after his first birthday, they decided now would be the time to take their idea and put it into action. The photography device itself is a standee with an LED ring around it and an iPad with specialty software.

“We can instantly print photos for events that we do,” Wisnosky said. “We’ve bought a whole bunch of different props. We have a whole bunch of different backdrops. The way it works is you can go in and the software itself has a whole bunch of different effects that you can do, and then the way we have it set up right now is it snaps three photos.”

A three-picture reel, like a standard photo booth, is printed. If rented for an event, a specialty overlay can be created to go around the photos. Wisnosky said the photo machine can be used for any event, from birthday parties to weddings, and even bachelorette parties.

Having been open for a week and a half, Wisnosky said so far it has been a success.

“The good thing about what we do is that we can partner with both businesses and consumers,” she said. “Whether it’s business or personal, we’re able to do both. I think a lot of people are excited.”

For now, they only have the one machine, so if it is used at a private event, their store itself has to be closed. Looking forward, Wisnosky said they would like to get a second one of their current model as well as a 360-degree camera to swirl around someone and take pictures.

Rickway Carpeting has opened its second location in Fairmont at 927 East 10th Street, after originally getting started in North Mankato. Manager Carmen Deling said it’s not the first time she has served Fairmont in the carpet business.

“My mom and I had started our store, Anders Country Carpets, years ago,” she said. “We were out in the country. It was on the family farm.”

Deling said she thought it was great when she heard Rickway Carpet was coming to Fairmont because she knew people in this area had already been using their services at their first location.

Services offered by Rickway Carpet include residential, cut and loop, custom rugs, apartments, home builds, and commercial carpet and tile.

Since opening in May, Deling said there has been great reception from the local community. The store shares space with Benjamin Moore Paints, which she said has been to their benefit.

“A lot of people will come in either here first or there first,” Deling said. “They’re looking, you know. We almost work together, helping people choose colors and stuff.”

Her experience in Fairmont has also come in handy. Deling said she has had several customers do business with Rickway based on past experiences with Deling at her previous businesses.

Since opening, Deling has run the whole operation herself. She said there is a second employee in training currently who will be making their way to Fairmont shortly. While they have been operational for a couple months, Deling said they are still looking to expand their commercial and residential work and offerings.

Tangle Tamers is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, Prolific Memories is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and Rickway Carpet is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays by appointment.

For more information, visit Tangle Tamers at https://www.tangletamers.biz/, Prolific Memories at https://prolificmemories.com/, and Rickway Carpet at https://www.rickwaycarpet.com/.