In 2012, Pivot Point International, Inc., celebrates 50 years of award-winning beauty education. The company, headquartered in Evanston, IL, USA, develops and publishes hair design and skincare curriculum that is taught in 80 countries throughout the world.

Pivot Point began in 1962 when an accomplished Dutch competition hairdresser named Leo Passage (1936 – 2011) began formally sharing his hairdressing methods with five students in a small Chicago classroom. This led to the publication of Pivot Point's A Scientific Approach to Hair Design in 1965. Through the 1960s and 1970s, Pivot Point introduced educational programs in multiple languages to schools and salon professionals throughout the world.

To meet the needs of Pivot Point hair designers, the company began manufacturing educational tools and mannequins for the industry. From rollers to irons, clips to shears, Pivot Point was always ahead of the curve in tools as well as teaching. The innovation continues as the eco-friendly Snap Cap Mannequin System was introduced in 2008.

Today, Pivot Point is guided by the mission to "empower through education" and is proud that more than 1 million hair designers have trained and graduated under the Pivot Point method.

Educational Vision

Pivot Point believes in the importance of teaching why as well as how a design works to engender the freedom to create. Pivot Point delivers this freedom through cutting-edge technology in education — from the early days of photos and filmstrips to today's interactive learning systems and onward to tools and technologies of tomorrow.

The company's systems for cosmetology education are continually updated, upgraded and innovated to enable Pivot Point customers everywhere to embark on their own journeys of lifelong learning. Inspired so many years ago by the Leo Passage's interest in the Bauhaus school, Pivot Point continues to follow the principle of training craftspeople to elevate their skills to new heights of artistic creativity

The Next 50 Years

The company remains focused and committed on delivering quality, evolving education to its customer. Cosmetology and skincare students, salon professionals, owners and educational vendors have been our valued partners for the last 50 years and Pivot Point looks forward to providing these professionals with the skills and empowerment to succeed for another 50 years and beyond.