Sun Tan Village of Lebanon (www.SunTanVillageLebanon.com)

With 36 tanning units, SunTan Village-Lebanon could certainly be called a “mega-salon.” Based in Lebanon, TN. The salon is also one that’s steeped in indoor tanning history – it’s co-owner, Steve Pirtle, is an industry veteran who’s worked for two prominent lotion companies. Since purchasing SunTan Village in October 2004, Steve has been able to build on the salon’s success, all the while learning the ropes of tanning salon ownership. For the past three years, the salon has seen continued growth, and Pirtle is excited about its future, which will certainly include a second location.

An Opportunity at Home
Steve Pirtle is well known in the world of indoor tanning. The Tennessee native started his tanning industry career working for Body Drench, when the company was owned by Rick Norvell. As many in the industry already know, Rick sold the original Body Drench, and Pirtle joined his old friend once more when Rick returned to the industry with his latest company, Norvell. So how did this lotion educator and salesman end up on the “other side of the counter” owning and operating a tanning salon? “While attending the Indoor Tanning Association 2004 World Expo in Orlando, my wife Darlene and I found out about a tanning salon that was for sale in Lebanon, TN, which was near our home,” said Steve. “After seeing it and talking with the owners, we thought it would be a wonderful opportunity, so we purchased it in October.”

A Change of Pace
After buying SunTan Village, Steve’s original plan was for Darlene to operate the business. This worked well for a while, but it became apparent that handling the duties of a busy, 36-unit tanning salon was too much for her to do alone and she asked her husband to join her. This presented Steve with the opportunity to do something he’d wanted to do for a long time – spend more time at home. “My job with Norvell was exciting and challenging and Rick has been a longtime friend, but the only downside was that it kept me on the road more than I wanted to be,” Steve commented. “I decided it would be in everyone’s best interest for me to help out at the salon, full-time.” While saying goodbye to his old career was bittersweet, he was excited about the new opportunities salon ownership presented. And, while Steve was well versed in the subject of tanning lotion sales, he also faced the challenge of learning everything he would need to work the “other side of the counter.”

All Under One Roof!
SunTan Village is aptly named, for the facility is big enough to house a village! Occupying an 8,000 square-foot building that was once a grocery store, the salon utilizes about 6,000 square feet of that space, featuring 10-foot-wide hallways and a total of five bathrooms. The salon has 36 tanning units – there’s seven Sportarredo Summer 75, seven Klafsun Cosmo, 17 Sportarredo K52, four Sportarredo Kombi, two Sportarredo Olympic and one Hex stand-up. And, as a former Norvell employee, Steve knows the benefits of offering two of the company’s sunless handheld spray tanning devices as well. “In a business such as this, you’re only as good as your employees, and we’re very fortunate to have the greatest team here at SunTan Village,” Steve commented. “During our first year, we built a very hardworking team, and their efforts have taken us through three successful years in business. We’re very thankful for our staff.”

The salon sells lotions by Australian Gold, California Tan, Designer Skin, Norvell and Supre, and operates utilizing the Helios software system. In addition to its tanning lotion sales, SunTan Village also does well with the Norvell salt scrubs. “Any salon not selling salt scrub is losing out on a great source of revenue,” he commented. “We have a ‘try-me’ bar in the front of the salon where our sales staff allows people to sample the salt scrub before their tanning session so they can see how it improves their results. Almost everyone who tries it falls in love with the way it makes their skin feel, and they end up purchasing it.”

Word Travels …
As a savvy businessman, Steve tries many methods to promote SunTan Village to potential tanners in the area. He’s tried everything from running ads with his local newspaper to utilizing direct mail to his clients and getting involved with the Chamber of Commerce and other civic organizations, and all of these approaches have been effective. He’s also extended his hours of operation by opening at 7am, which has increased his salon’s popularity with nurses and other third-shift workers in the area, and enhanced the salon’s customer base. “We’re located on Main Street in a typical small town, USA, so I’d have to say that word-of-mouth has been our best marketing method,” Steve commented. “It’s really taken off during our third year in business.”

Room to Grow
Although SunTan Village is already a mega salon, there’s still room to grow – and Steve plans to take full advantage of it. Currently, there’s about 2,000 square feet of unused space at the facility, and he’s considering the addition of a two-chair hair salon to boost business during the off-peak months. Once that’s completed, he plans to proceed to the second phase of his plan. “We’re planning to open a second location, only this store will have about 17 tanning units,” Steve explained. “Since we eventually want to have multiple salons in and around our community, it’s much easier to make that happen if we’re opening smaller stores to start out with. Our second location will be the prototype for all future SunTan Village salons, and we’re very excited to begin working on it.”

After many successful years in tanning lotion sales and education, Steve Pirtle is happy he made the transition to salon ownership. “It’s been very worthwhile!” he exclaimed. “I’ve always loved being a part of the indoor tanning industry, and this allows me to continue to do that while still giving me much more time at home. It’s also great to see so many happy people coming into our salon every day. I love it!”