Craig — It’s been a lifelong dream for Josh Fessler to open his own business, and on May 1 his vision came to life when he opened Fessler’s Barber Shop and Salon in Craig.

“I’ve always liked working for myself, whether it was mowing lawns or selling sodas at the fair,” he said.

Located on the west side of Jackson’s Office Supply & RadioShack at 106 W. Victory Way, Fessler turned an empty retail space into a salon with an urban vibe.

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“I wanted it to have that modern type look. It has that city feel,” Fessler said. “I want people to come in and sit down and relax. I’m able to give them what I think they need. “

Fessler gained dozens of clients prior to opening shop when he worked at Capo Salon on Yampa Avenue, and he currently is the only hair stylist at his new store.

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He’s renting the space from Derek Cleverly, who owns Jackson’s Office Supply & RadioShack. Fessler’s space, and the area occupied by Jackson’s Office Supply & RadioShack, has quite the history in Craig, Cleverly said.

“Originally, it was a feed store and a livery stable where people boarded their horses (back in the day),” Cleverly said, highlighting that it also was a secondhand shop for a while.

Most recently, the space was used by Jackson’s as the car audio demo room for RadioShack, but Cleverly moved the demo room into the office supply space, opening up that retail area which sat vacant for awhile.

Doyle Jackson started Jackson’s Office Supply in 1973 at 508 Yampa Ave. where Cornerstone Realty currently is located. Cleverly’s parents, Carolyn and Veryl Cleverly, bought Jackson’s from Merle Rogers in 1983 and moved it to its current location, and Cleverly purchased the business from his parents in 1994.

“I’ve got another tenant coming into my building in a few weeks,” Derek Cleverly said, filling yet another empty retail space.

But, he’s not going to reveal name or the owner of the new business.

Derek Cleverly is thrilled to have a new tenant.

“(Josh) did a super job getting it set up. It’s really nice,” he said.

Fessler moved to Craig about 10 months ago with his wife, Tanyse Fessler, who is a nurse at The Memorial Hospital. He also has a miniature schnauzer, Ernie, who is only six months old and goes to work with him each day.

The store opens at 8 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It stays open until 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and until 5 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday.