Our Founder

Brian wasn’t certain what he was getting into when his wife, Karen, convinced him to attend cosmetology school years ago, but he knew he wanted to develop a business centered around growing others. Since then, Perdue has made profound contributions to the lives of countless clients, friends, co-workers and neighbors. Growing up in rural Georgia, Brian didn’t dream of owning a hair salon, but he pursued life with infectious optimism.

After receiving his cosmetology license, Brian took a job apprenticing with one of Atlanta’s top salons. That experience convinced both Brian and Karen they should open their own salon, and in 1991 they purchased the Snellville salon where Karen was working.

From the beginning, Brian identified there was a market being missed in suburban Atlanta for an upscale salon experience. The keys to success would be in finding and training the best talent. Salon 124 first opened its doors in 1991. Located on Highway 124, thus the name, the salon was housed in a converted 1950s-era ranch home. But it had plenty of parking, and the skill and care of what happened inside kept the lot full. In 1997, the salon went through an extensive remodeling that earned it The Salon of Year Award of Special Distinction from Modern Salon magazine.

Flushed with the success of Salon 124, Perdue planned to grow the business by adding more locations and serving more clients. In opening Genesis Salon in 1996, Brian filled a mid-level niche while creating a comfortable setting for newly-trained stylists in an environment that helped guide their development. It became obvious in order to maintain a consistent level of quality, the company would have to open its own educational facility. The Process Advanced Training Academy opened in 1997. When it could no longer accommodate the waiting list of future stylists looking to train under what was becoming a household name, The Process Institute of Cosmetology began offering Hair Design certification centered around world-renowned Pivot Point education. In 2014, The Process Institute of Cosmetology rebranded to Keune Academy by 124, connecting its educators and students to the family-owned Keune Haircosmetics, serving hairdressers in more than 80 countries since 1922.

Over the next decade, The 124 Group, opened several salons throughout the greater Atlanta area. It has been honored by Salon Today magazine as one of America’s fastest growing salon organizations for more than five years.

Today, the growth of people is what excites Brian Perdue the most. Keune Academy by 124 is now graduating future salon professionals every eight weeks. But in addition to a cosmetology degree, graduates of the academy will benefit from an experience no other school can offer – the business sense and dedication to personal development of Brian Perdue. The future of The 124 Group is very bright indeed, and though Brian is not known for creating a look or a style, his mark on the hair industry and thousands of individuals is being made every day.