Elaine Sterling Institute moves into former Atlanta massage school building - Rough Draft Atlanta

[Cathy Cobbs]

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Photo courtesy of the Elaine Sterling Institute.

A Buckhead-based beauty education institute announced it will move into a building formerly occupied by the Atlanta School of Massage in Dunwoody.

According to the Elaine Sterling Institute, the school will move into the larger of the two buildings that ASM had occupied.

While the Buckhead location at 3393 Peachtree Road NE will continue to offer programs in esthetics, barbering, massage therapy, nail care, and cosmetology, the new Dunwoody location will include programs in massage therapy, nail care, and cosmetology.

“We are excited to announce that while many schools around the country are facing many hurdles, we have decided to grow,” said Elaine Sterling, its founder and CEO. “I believe in this industry and the incredible opportunities it offers. Our mission remains to provide top-tier education for aspiring beauty and wellness professionals.”

According to company officials, the Dunwoody location will undergo extensive renovations prior to opening.

According to its website, ESI’s tuition, including books and supplies, for the 1,500-hour barbering and cosmetology programs is $22,000, while the 1,000-hour esthetics course costs $19,000.

The 600-hour massage and nail care programs are $12,000 and $11,000 respectively. ESI offers scholarships, financial aid, and grants for qualified students. The school will also offer student-run clinics featuring services at reduced prices.

The new Dunwoody location will feature modern classrooms, advanced spa- and salon-training facilities, and expanded resources to meet the growing demand for education in the beauty and wellness sector, according to the release.

“As the industry evolves, we are proud to evolve with it,” Sterling said. “We look forward to continuing to support the community, our students, and the beauty professionals of tomorrow.”

ESI, founded in 2008, will move into a 27,000 square-foot building at 2 Perimeter Park S. that formerly housed ASM, which abruptly shut down last September.

Within three days, its owners closed ASM, as well as Miami-based Acupuncture and Massage, citing declining enrollment and economic factors.

ASM staff members were reportedly called to a mandatory 9 a.m. meeting last September and told of its immediate closure as a moving truck idled in the parking lot, ready to dismantle the operation as soon as the news dropped.

Both schools had been in operation for more than 40 years. AMC was founded in 1983 by Dr. Richard Brown and touted itself as the oldest acupuncture school in Florida. ASM was also recognized as the first licensed massage school in Georgia.