The University Barber Shop, located in the heart of downtown Auburn, has been in business since 1960. The owner, Darsie Rodgers, is a spunky southern gentleman with a passion for people and cutting hair.

He has heard a lot of male gossip standing behind his antique barber chair, but lately the conversation has been about the economic crisis. Although his customers might be concerned about their jobs, Rodgers and his fellow barbers are not worried about theirs.

“People are going to get a haircut, but they might just go a little longer,” said Wayne Casaday, a barber at University Barber Shop.

Casaday also commented on how their competition might be going up on their prices, but they plan on staying the same.

“We’re not going to go up while it’s like this,” Casaday said.

Rodgers said the clients who are struggling for jobs are the construction workers, and they are getting worried that they might have to move somewhere else or get a different job.

But Rodgers is not worried about his job being cut by the growing economic problems. He has been in business for 49 years in the same location, and hasn’t even changed the plaid wall paper since he opened.

After he attended barber school in Atlanta, Ga., he came back to Auburn to open his business, and he can still tell to you how much he paid for the barber chairs he bought in 1960. Rodgers knows that his location has a lot to do with his success, and he wouldn’t want to do business in any other town.

“I was lucky enough to get off in the right place … Auburn,” Rodgers said.

The college students keep him and his fellow barbers feeling young while giving them an every changing, but steady stream of business. Rodgers attributed half of his business to the students of Auburn University.

“Yeah they come in and we cut it and do what we call stylin’ it,” Rodgers said, “And it doesn’t look like they mess with it ‘til they see us again.”

But they keep on coming back, just like his local customers. A sign hangs in the corner of the shop stating, “If we please you tell others, if we don’t tell us.” It seems people have been spreading the word of their experience at University Barber Shop, because their clientele is growing every day.

Their word of mouth is keeping hair on the floor, clippers buzzing and the barbers behind the chairs, which is right where Rodgers and his barbers want to be.

“It’s been good to me,” Rodgers said, “I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”