Reader Response
John Savoca,
Sun Avantgarde USA
(Sun Ergoline distributor since 2000 in Arizona, Colorado, Las Vegas)
Heartland Tanning Acquires Salon Support, Welcomes New Staff
LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo.—Heartland Tanning, Inc. announced the Sept. 5 acquisition of Ft. Worth, Texas-based Salon Support, and welcomes Jane Ford and staff to the Heartland family.
“Both companies emphasize customers first,” says Greg Henson, president and CEO of Heartland Tanning. “Jane and Tony Ford can be proud of the business they have built, and the timing couldn’t be better for Heartland as we celebrate 25 years in the tanning industry.”
Over the past 15 years, Heartland has recognized Salon Support’s integrity and reliability in the industry, particularly in regard to the company’s customer relations. Because of this, Heartland believes the acquisition of Salon Support is a great fit and only can improve its top-notch track record for fast and reliable service.
Jane Ford, who will be vice president of the Heartland Southwest office in Ft. Worth, also is bringing a talented sales team with her, led by 10-year industry veteran Jeremy Bleeker.
With the acquisition, Heartland adds its fifth location overall and its fourth shipping location in the country—which will allow salon owners to receive orders within hours after they are placed.
For more information, call (800) 554-8268.
Sold: Australian Gold Acquires Designer Skin
Dear Distributor:
We are pleased to announce that New Sunshine has completed the acquisition of Designer Skin and its manufacturing arm. New Sunshine will begin to manage the sales and day-to-day operations of Designer Skin, along with Australian Gold and California Tan, effective immediately.
We are excited about our upcoming meetings with you and look forward to presenting new programs that will allow us to strengthen our relationships even more while maximizing the sales of Australian Gold, California Tan and Designer Skin lotion products in salons throughout the United States and worldwide. In addition, the Designer Skin team will join the sales, training and service team at New Sunshine to create the best possible support for you in the future.
The addition of Designer Skin to our portfolio of products will increase your opportunities of working with salons to improve their sales and operations. The dynamic combination of Australian Gold, Designer Skin and California Tan will allow your teams to provide the best products, programs and services to your salon, hands down.
On a personal note we are excited to announce that Beth Felker will join New Sunshine as Chief Brand Management Officer while Brad Grossman will join us as Executive Consultant.
This is a very exciting time for the New Sunshine family of brands—Australian Gold, California Tan and Designer Skin. All of us look forward to meeting with you over the next few weeks and seeing you at the trade show in October.
Sincerely,
Leslie A. Hartlieb, CEO & President
John D. Keiffner, Chief Sales Officer
Beth Felker, Chief Brand Management Officer
PHOENIX—Time is running out to submit your 2008 Top 250 Salon Survey. LOOKING FIT is taking submissions for the 2008 Top 250 Salons and our online survey submission process has been enhanced to make entering the Top 250 easier and more efficient.
Access the Top 250 Survey by visiting www.lookingfit.com/top250. The secure site allows you and only those you share your login information with to view your information. Once you register your salon, choose a login name and password, fill out the form (or forms if you have multiple salons) and submit your entry online—you can even amend information that changes before the Nov. 2, 2007 deadline.
Salons also can download a PDF of the Top 250 Salons Survey. Simply print it out, fill in the required information and mail or fax it back. The fax number is (480) 281-6026.
The Top 250 Salons will be published in a special Feb. 15, 2008 issue of LOOKING FIT magazine. Salons must be in operation by the same owner for one full year by Nov. 2, 2007 to be eligible.
For more information about the Top 250 Salons listing, contact Rebecca Pray at (480) 990-1101, ext. 1603 or e-mail rpray@vpico.com.
FORT WAYNE, Ind.—Eye Pro, Inc. recently gave salon owners a chance to win their choice of Wink-Ease, VIEWkeepers! and Fresh-Ease products from their favorite distributor—a $100 salon value.
Salons entered the drawing by calling Eye Pro and requesting a free tanner’s quiz flip chart. The chart, which is great as a counter display and used by many salons to educate tanners, highlights the importance of protecting your eyes while tanning. The tanner’s quiz also is available to take online at www.eyepro.net.
The three lucky salon winners were Judy Wiley of DC Tanning in York, Neb.; Haresh Melwani of Pure Sol Tan in Jacksonville, Fla.; and Jennifer Ellerbusch of Premiere Tan in Evansville, Ind.
For more information, call (800) 726-8322.
Photo Therapeutics, ETS Tan Announce Licensing Arrangement
CARLSBAD, Calif.—Photo Therapeutics, Inc. announces an “agreement in principle” with Indianapolis-based ETS Tan for a licensing arrangement in which the Lumière Light Thèrapie LED anti-aging technology will be available on ETS’ Rejuvasun spa products.
“It is vitally important that LED light therapy in the tanning industry ensures its continued success and remains a positive industry news story,” says Photo Therapeutics President Sue D’Arcy. “Other LED technologies cannot duplicate Lumière’s design, and thus cannot achieve the level of efficacy available from Lumière. It makes good sense to have the technology leader and the tanning industry’s manufacturing and marketing leader ‘partner up’ to make this excellent technology available to the industry in a variety of ways.”
For more information, call Photo Therapeutics at (866) 724-8267 or ETS at (877) 239-7573.
California Tan: Hollywood’s Must-Have Accessory
LOS ANGELES—Look for California Tan as the tan of choice for celebrities, whether performing the tango or bringing the latest celebrity gossip into America’s living room.
The latest sunless tanning enthusiasts include Debbie Matenopoulos and Catt Sadler, E! Entertainment hosts of “The Daily Ten” show; Mary Lynn Rajskub of Fox’s “24” for various press events including the Oscars; Lexxi Foxxx, bassist of “Metal Skool”; and the professional and celebrity dancers on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
Salons can offer this celebrity style must-have by introducing clients to a professional, customized spray tan with the California Tan CustomBronzer and the full range of California Tan sunless retail products. From skin preparation products to natural-looking self-tanners and skin enhancers, Cal Tan has everything salons need to help customers look like a star.
For more information or to order, call (800) SUNCARE.
GREENSBORO, N.C.—Industry veteran distributor, American Sun Systems, announces the release of its 2008 Buyers Guide. This 108-page, oversized catalog includes all the essentials for setting up and operating a tanning facility. Located in the mid-Atlantic, American Sun has been supplying the industry since 1985 with Ergoline, Soltron, Sundash and Mystic Tan tanning equipment as well as all major lotion brands, unique retail items, parts, service and operational supplies.
Call (800) 537-9113 to get a free copy of the guide, or visit www.americansunsystems.com.
Infinity Sun In The Spotlight
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.—Infinity Sun’s President and Founder, Veronique Munro, is the featured subject of the latest installment of Style Network’s highly regarded “Style Scenes.” Airing for two weeks on the national network, Munro gives viewers a few of her favorite sunless tanning tips while showcasing the all-natural, anti-aging sunless tanning and beauty treatments offered by Infinity Sun.
“It was such a huge honor for me to be chosen by the Style Network to appear on ‘Style Scenes,’ a spot that has gained notoriety for highlighting the hottest trends in the industry,” Munro says. “We offer our clients a wide range of sunless tanning and treatment options, and it was a wonderful opportunity for our company to share our innovations and breakthroughs on a national stage.”
For more information, call (323) 782-1049 or visit www.infinitysun.com.
WARREN, Penn.—Senior Sales Account Professional Heidi Palmer and her fiancé Jared Villella welcomed their daughter, Bianca Reese, into the world on Aug. 11. Bianca weighed 7 pounds, 15.6 ounces and was 21 inches at birth. LOOKING FIT staff and many others made sure to stop by the Interlectric booth at the ITA show to offer congratulations to Heidi.
CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Sun Club Distributors celebrated the first birthday of its youngest “accountant,” and the company says that Sabrina King is one of the cutest babies in the daycare. The daycare is part of the benefits package that Sun Club provides for its employees. Happy birthday, Sabrina, from all of us at LOOKING FIT.
PORTLAND,Ore.—As the official suncare sponsor for the 2007 Miss Earth Pageant, Sun Sauce provided its moisturizing sunless tanning lotion to all delegates. The United States Miss Earth delegates are informed, goal-oriented and committed to playing a part in preserving and protecting the environment for future generations.
“Sun Sauce Moisturizing Sunless Lotion provided me with a healthy glow, and the added moisturizers kept my skin soft and supple, unlike other sunless tanning lotions,” 2007 Miss Earth pageant winner Lisa Flores says. “The product was streak-free and easy to apply. Many thanks to Sun Sauce for providing the 2007 United States Miss Earth delegates with its exceptional product.”
For more information, call (800) 275-2855.
PHOENIX—Touch up your sunless airbrushing techniques and skincare essentials. Purchase the NTTI Sunless Airbrush/HVLP Technician course and receive the NTTI Lotions and Skincare course FREE—a $29.95 value. To take advantage of this offer, visit www.tanningtraining.com/sunlessoct07 or call (800) 532-1101.
International Dateline: SOLARIA 2007
COLOGNE, Germany—Don’t forget that LOOKING FIT’s Group Editorial Director Judie Bizzozero is on hand Nov. 1-3 for SOLARIA, the No. 1 international trade fair for tanning products and equipment in Europe. Approximately 160 companies from 18 countries including the “who’s who” of the industrial sector are expected to exhibit in this year’s event, which anticipates some 8,000 attendees from 53 countries.
Be sure to check Judie’s blog at www.lookingfit.com/blogs/judie for daily reports and photos from the show floor.
Your Customers’ Guide To Tanning Responsibly
PHOENIX—LOOKING FIT’s consumer Web site, www.tanresponsibly.com, helps your customers and potential customers find handy tips on the latest tanning trends. Remind clients to check out the weekly Bright Side Blog and monthly Web exclusive articles for answers to safe, responsible and moderate tanning practices, and to stay up-to-date on news that matters to them in our Tanning, Fitness & Lifestyle, Health & Nutrition and Skincare Essentials sections. There is a lot of competition for tanners’ attention in the “virtual” and “real” worlds, so make Tan Responsibly your customers’ homepage.
BENSENVILLE, Ill.—Action Bag Company’s holiday catalog is now available and offers a wide variety of new packaging and promotions items. The catalog features elegant bags, a new “Go Green” section filled with Earth-friendly products, breast cancer awareness items, customized salon stationery, holiday-themed products and much more. Call (866) 819-1319 to request a free copy and samples.
Grand Opening: Malibu Tan
SEBRING, Fla.–Florida’s tanning community welcomes Malibu Tan, which held its grand opening on Sept. 15. The new salon is exclusively featuring Indianapolis-based ETS Tan tanning beds, including the SolarForce 648, SunStar 432 3F and Sunvision Elite 30NF.
“I used to work in a spa setting and wanted something that would be easy for me to run,” says owner Zakieh Becker. “I had the desire to open a tanning salon and thought it would be a fun experience while offering an upscale tanning facility to the community.”
Becker chose to exclusively offer beds manufactured by ETS because of the high quality and easy maintenance of its equipment and because of the company’s exceptional customer service.
Malibu Tan also will offer a variety of skincare products, tanning lotions and body jewelry.
For more information, call (863) 314-8826.
Get Industry News, Tips & Tricks Delivered To Your Inbox
PHOENIX—Make sure you are on top of your game by having all the top indoor tanning news, marketing tips and salon business solutions e-mailed to you, care of LOOKING FIT’s e-newsletter. Simply log on to www.lookingfit.com and fill out the “Sign Up For Free e-News” section. You’ll also receive the special mid-month Marketing 101 e-newsletter that provides indoor tanning salon owners with marketing tips and practical know-how to compete in today’s marketplace, sponsored by Photo Therapeutics, Inc., the makers of Lumière Light Thèrapie and Tanology.
People On The Move
VersaSpa by MagicTan (Solon, Ohio) is proud to announce the addition of its new Director of Customer Support, Michael Overbeck. Overbeck has worked with MagicTan in Texas since 2003 and now heads up the new Installer/Trainer Certification Program. In August 2007, he conducted two training certifications—one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast—and graduated 32 Certified Installer Trainers (CITs). These CITs will be appointed to each VersaSpa order in an effort to make the introduction of VersaSpa equipment into a salon a smooth and profitable experience. He can be reached at (979) 966-9039 or by e-mailing Mike@magictancorp.com. (888) 974-9977
American Sun Systems (Greensboro, N.C.) recognizes one member of its staff for an outstanding achievement and welcomes another to the team. Christine Chapman, senior products specialist and team leader at American Sun Systems, recently was recognized for record-breaking sales. In other company news, Christopher Litchfield is the newest member of the American Sun Systems’ marketing force and will serve as marketing coordinator. Litchfield will be involved with every aspect of the department and work closely with all sales departments to continue to further the expansion and support of American Sun Systems’ internal and geographical marketing and sales efforts. He can be reached at (336) 885-0093, ext. 126 or at clitchfield@americansunsystems.com. (800) 537-9113
Interlectric Corporation (Warren, Penn.) has hired Robert Brown as its new marketing coordinator. Brown brings 15 years of experience in the direct marketing business of mail-order catalogs and Internet sales. (800) 722-2184 The newest member of the Performance Brands, Inc. (Sunrise, Fla.) team is Danielle Ardito, who will fill the role of National Educator, and comes to PBI with nine years of indoor tanning industry experience. Based out of Connecticut, she will be responsible for both salon and distributor education. (800) 555-8895
Growth & Development
Sportarredo USA, Inc. (Arlington, Texas) has created a DVD to inform its customers of the company’s philosophy, goals and technological advancements in the tanning industry. Contact the company to request a copy. (866) 899-4826
Three Wishes Tan (Tempe, Ariz.) has launched its updated Web site, featuring Tan Genie and Deviant Boutique lotions, and is “going green” by moving. The company’s new location will be equipped with a solar roof to handle 90 percent of the company’s electricity usage to cut down on emissions going into the atmosphere. (866) 355-2569
Mystic Tan (Farmers Branch, Texas) is bringing UV-free tanning to Europe with its new branch location in Düsseldorf, Germany. The company has big plans to revolutionize the German market with the successful MyMyst System™ and products. Leading Mystic Tan Europe is CEO Wolfgang Manz, a tanning industry veteran. (877) 668-8826
Infinity Sun (Beverly Hills, Calif.) has re-launched its Web site— www.infinitysun.com. The updated site reflects the new company logo, features a modern, streamlined look, and is designed to demonstrate the ease of an Infinity Sun treatment or product to prospective clients and buyers. Other new elements include sections on the company’s revolutionary technology, product and equipment images as well as company news and upcoming event announcements. The technology page also includes a shortened version of the Infinity Sun training video. (323) 782-1049
Body Décor, Inc. (Mastic, N.Y.) has begun airing television ads in Tennessee as part of its movement of smart tanning knowledge. The ads will soon appear across the United States, as well as on www.bodydecorinc.com. The company invites salon owners to view the advertisements and share their comments by e-mailing bodydecor1@aol.com. (866) 426-7546
