Looking Fit 11/2003: CTS: Complete Tanning Source

CTS: Complete Tanning Source
A SALON’S TOTAL RESOURCE

CTS: Complete Tanning Source offers salons a complete tanning solution. The Santa Fe Springs, Calif.-based distributor offers the complete line of uwe and Montego Bay beds, top-brand lotions plus a full complement of accessories from lamps to eyewear. CTS also offers in-house financing and its exclusive buyer-reward program, CTS Rewards. Frank Hutton, the company’s vice president of sales, took time out of his busy day to speak to LOOKING FIT® about CTS’ past, present and future.

Q: How did CTS break into the indoor tanning industry?

A: CTS: Complete Tanning Source, was a natural evolution from The Industry Source tanning division of The Nailco Group. While The Industry Source has been serving the tanning and beauty industry since 1990, manufacturer changes in professional product access re-organized the distribution side of the industry in the last few years. We chose to use this opportunity to revolutionize the tanning industry by establishing CTS, a tanning distributor that is interested in more than discounts.Our goal is to help our customers make more money and make their lives simpler by giving them synergistic and vertically integrated services. By that I mean providing every service a salon owner needs— equipment, salon design, financing and training—so the only call one needs to make is to CTS, anywhere, anytime.

Q: How has the company evolved to meet the industry’s changing needs?

A: CTS addresses cash-flow concerns of salon owners by offering competitive financing, allowing the latest equipment technology to reach salon floors today. And while state-of-the-art equipment drives sales, the inability of a staff to properly run the beds or booths can handicap revenue. CTS offers complete training as well as an array of parts to keep salons operating at 100 percent. CTS also offers certification and business training to ensure profitability over the season.

Q: What is the philosophy behind CTS’ success?

A: CTS is a premier tanning distributor that promises amazing service and awesome products. While enhancing the salon owners’ business acumen through training, CTS provides tanning beds, lotions and accessories that satisfy the most discerning indoor sunbathers.

Q: What exciting developments are taking place this year at CTS?

A: Tanning customers are always looking for new ways to wear a healthy-looking glow.This season CTS adds two new products to its diverse selection of beds and booths— air-mist booths and airbrush tanning. In addition, we are expanding our relationship with Light Emission Technologies and Cosmedico to offer a larger variety of lamps. With several exciting new opportunities this year, CTS provides tanning professionals a sneak peek at new products. CTS is launching the season in Ohio and Michigan with an exclusive beach party featuring training programs in several classrooms and a supplier expo highlighting product introductions for 2004.

Q: Your catalog is a huge endeavor. Can you tell us a little about product lines you carry and the service you offer?

A: CTS’ exclusive distributorship with PC Marketing allows us to offer uwe worldrenowned German-quality beds and the all-steel Montego Bay beds in 30 states. In our pages, tanning professionals will find all major lotion lines, accessories, lamps and parts that can be shipped anywhere throughout the United States.

Q: Which of your products are the most popular?

A: Lotion sales remain concentrated in two major lines—California Tan and ETS. But in 2003, CTS has seen a trend toward boutique brands like Fiji Blend and Designer Skin. On the equipment side, the Sunboard XTT has been an exciting development in the higher-end tanning lines and well-received by our customers. Other strong sellers for us have been our vertical unit, Enterprise, and Montego Bay’s Viper.

Q: What do you want industry newcomers to know about CTS?

A: Unlike other distributors that are focused on price-point, CTS focuses on the salon owner’s success. Our staff comes directly from the field with first-hand experience in the day-to-day activities of this business. We know a salon’s needs demand to be met in a timely manner. With headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., an East Coast office in Farmington Hills, Mich., and four centrally-located warehouses throughout the United States, CTS will guarantee customers virtually two-day delivery or less.

Opening a highly competitive, upscale tanning salon requires a substantial investment. We invite newcomers to visit the CTS training center to experience equipment and lotions in a working environment. The CTS training center is an 1,800-square-foot operating salon complete with 17 working units to offer five levels of tanning. Here, salons owners can make choices based on their own experiences—a great way to make a sound business decision.