LaFond State Farm finds a home in its new building

LaFond State Farm has finished erecting a new building at 145 Fourth Ave. opening up new possibilities for business in the downtown area.

Owner Tom LaFond said what appealed to him about location of the new building was how open the area was and his desire to move into the downtown area.

LaFond moved his agency to the location, formerly a car wash, from the business' previous location on the 300 Block of Third Street.

LaFond said two other businesses are joining State Farm in the building, with space for a third.

He said he talked to Jenny Cochell, owner of Kleen Kut Barbershop, last month and reached an agreement that the downtown business would be moving into the State Farm building.

LaFond said Wednesday that Cochell and Kleen Kut have already finished moving in and are already cutting hair.

Kleen Kuts has two employees in addition to Cochell, he said, and LaFond State Farm is excited about her and her employees moving next door.

Cochell said that they wanted to move to a new location because the previous location they rented on First Street was a little run-down.

"Just time for a new nice place." she said. "We love the new space, although it will take some getting use to."

Tammy LaFond, Tom LaFond's wife, will also be moving into the building. Tom LaFond said she is starting a new business with three other women called Total Chic.

Total Chic will be a full service salon which will include nail and pedicure station, spray tanning station and a hair salon, he said.

Tom LaFond said Wednesday that his wife is waiting her paperwork for her business and should open sometime in Febuary.

"I'm excited, I'm really excited," he said.

He added that the building still has one more retail space available to be rented out. He said they are using that space as storage but in the future would like to see another business move in.

LaFond moved his State Farm agency from his office in Malta three years ago, he said. He added that in order to help pay for the construction of the new building he had sold his commercial property in Malta to the local Phillips County Newspaper.

They started planning the new building in June, LaFond said, and he drew up the floor plans for what he envisioned, adding that State Farm Inc. also had a team work with him to help.

"This thing was miraculous as far as like the contractor coming together, the plumbers coming together to get this done in this short amount of time," he said.

He added that there is still some work that will need to be done but all together the construction of the building was completed in a timely manner.

LaFond said that his business will actually have less place in their new location, although, he added, they will be able to work more efficiently.

"We are looking forward to some really good years here with State Farm and making a good presence in the town of Havre," he said.