Co-founders Debbie Benfield (left) and Kristie Anderson are preparing to expand Precision Esthetics with a space across North Sterling Street from their current location, which they plan to keep and offer massage, sauna, and salt cave services.
This summer, downtown Morganton will have an amenity not many small towns have to offer. With the expansion of Precision Esthetics, the city will soon have a beauty hub where people can shop, receive esthetic treatments, and get their hair done all within the same block.
The expansion comes after Precision Esthetics quickly outgrew its current space at 114 N. Sterling St., where owners Debbie Benfield and Kristie Anderson opened nearly two years ago. Their new location will place Precision alongside Alexander Brooke Boutique and near ELM Salon, creating what they describe as a one-stop beauty destination.
“What we’re getting ready to offer, there’s nothing anywhere around us to this caliber,” Kristie said.
The idea came after the space next to Alexander Brooke, at 113 N. Sterling St., became available around the beginning of this year. Esthetician Maggie Benfield happened to be at the store when the owner asked if she knew anyone interested in the space.
She immediately called Debbie and Kristie, and originally they weren’t sold on the idea, but she brought them over there to see the space, and they quickly saw her vision for an expanded esthetics space. From there, they mapped out the idea.
The new space is much needed as Precision’s business has grown exponentially over the past couple years.
“I mean, we are finding ourselves on top of each other, which is all a good thing. We love what we do, and people see it and they feel it, but when we saw that huge space over there, we got the ball rolling” Debbie said.
Kristie Anderson (left) and Debbie Benfield opened Precision Esthetics on North Sterling Street nearly two years ago. They both turned their nursing professions into a business that brings personalized esthetics and skincare treatments to Morganton.
The current space will become home to a Himalayan salt cave, an infrared sauna, and a massage area. Upstairs will house a massage space for couples or individuals and there will be a massage room downstairs, too. Equipment has been ordered, they should be ready to make the move sometime early this summer, Debbie said.
She added that they have already spoken to a licensed massage therapist in Hickory, who will be handling the hiring of a couple of massage therapists for the reimagined space.
“We just couldn’t give this place up,” Maggie said.
“We put a lot of blood, sweat, tears, money, effort in, so we got to thinking and we thought of Precision Massage,” Debbie said.
Both nurses, Debbie and Kristie first met at a community event. When Kristie started helping Debbie with esthetics, including eyelash extensions, Debbie got on board with Kristie’s vision to create a mobile med spa.
Debbie’s husband had a black trailer sitting unused, and the two transformed it with chandeliers and other touches while undergoing extensive training. They soon became level-three master injectors, meaning they both have secured advanced, expert-level training in cosmetic injectables.
“Our education continues,” Anderson said. “It will never stop.”
To operate a mobile med spa, they needed a brick-and-mortar location. With help from a local realtor friend, the two of them luckily found their current location and built out the space to fit the luxurious vision they had.
From that point, the intensive training continued.
“We wanted to make it the best for everybody,” Benfield said. “And that they would feel comfortable coming here, and the atmosphere, we wanted to make it inviting and beautiful and glamorous.”
Precision offers Botox and filler, skin tightening, chemical peels, dermaplaning, laser hair removal, custom facials, waxing services, and lash tints. Precision’s team also includes two licensed estheticians, Maggie and Josie Hise.
Precision customers have been excited about the expansion and anticipating the new space and new services, Debbie said.
“We just feel that it was all meant to be.”
