EYE PRO CREATES A LITTLE “MIDNIGHT MADNESS” AT MIDNITE SUN & CRUISE!

FORT WAYNE, IN – Megan Rutherford, National Education Specialist for EYE PRO, Inc., had customers going “mad” when she recently spent two days sampling disposable eye protection and Fresh-Ease after tan body cloths at Midnite Sun & Cruise salons.

Rutherford was able to visit three salons along the West Michigan lakeshore during her “sampling tour”, showing EYE PRO products to over 80 customers coming to tan at Midnite. “It was a great way to show the staff and customers the importance of using eye protection,” explained Rutherford, who also does training for EYE PRO. Staff at all three salons was also introduced to EYE PRO’s new educational counter mat and loved the gory eye pictures it features.

The reaction to Fresh-Ease was also very positive. “So many of the customers came out from their tanning room and said great things about the softness of their skin and the refreshing scent of Fresh-Ease,” commented Rutherford.

EYE PRO is a world leader in clean, easy, disposable eyewear and makers of Fresh-Ease™ After-Tan Body Cloths and UVBlockers Maintenance Glasses.

EYE PRO PRES SPONSORS “BIG” COMMUNITY ART PROJECT

FORT WAYNE, IN – You may have seen cows in Chicago and the big apples in New York, but now Fort Wayne, IN is also the home to a larger-than-life community art project: mastodons.

EYE PRO president Brenda Fishbaugh helped her hometown get on the map by sponsoring one of the 102 mastodons that are now on display in Fort Wayne. “I was asked to be on the steering committee of the 40th Anniversary event for Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne,” “Fishbaugh explained. “We decided to use large extinct mastodons (related to the wooly mammoth) as our symbol, as most mastodon skeletons in museums around the world were excavated in Fort Wayne.”

Fishbaugh signed up to sponsor a $3,000 mastodon in honor of her former Professor of Anthropology at IPFW. “Dr. Paul Provost was the person who interested me in international business and helped me appreciate the difference in cultures that’s helped me so much with working overseas,” said Fishbaugh. “Don Pablo” died suddenly in December 2003, so Fishbaugh donated her mastodon to the university in his name.

Fishbaugh chose Jody Hemphill-Smith, a well-known local artist and friend of Dr. Provost, to help her capture the cultural anthropologist’s life on the mastodon. “Jody included hundreds of symbols from each of the cultures that Paul studied on the mastodon,” Fishbaugh described. “It really was a compilation of his life’s work.”

The “Mastodons on Parade” will be on display throughout the summer, then this fall they’ll either go to their permanent home or be auctioned off to a new “owner” at a gala event, with the proceeds benefiting the local United Way.

EYE PRO is a world leader in clean, easy, disposable eyewear and makers of Fresh-Ease™ After-Tan Body Cloths and UVBlockers Maintenance Glasses.

DESIGNER SKIN WELCOMES NEW EMPLOYEE

TEMPE, AZ – Designer Skin is pleased to announce the addition of Kelly Curto to their marketing department. Kelly will assist with advertising and marketing programs, media relations, and will represent the nutritionally focused lotion manufacturer at industry trade shows.

Kelly brings a wealth of experience to her new position, with four years in the hospitality industry including sales, marketing and education. Kelly also has an extensive background in the cosmetology field, having worked with such companies as Aveda and Lancome.

MAGICTAN APPOINTS PRESIDENT/CEO

Executive will relocate to Ohio from Sweden
CLEVELAND, OH – MagicTan, a leader in the fast growing sunless spray tanning industry, has appointed Rolf Svenleen as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Svenleen replaces former president Tim Niedel, who has assumed the role of Vice-Chairman of the MagicTan organization.

Svenleen is currently the owner of a successful MagicTan distributorship in Sweden, where he attained over 90 percent spray tanning market share in his territory in a little more than a year. He plans to relocate with his family to the Cleveland, OH area. Prior to his work with MagicTan, Svenleen served as president of a consulting firm in Europe, and as an area sales manager for Canon in Sweden. His international experience includes creating sales and management training centers in Europe, Sri Lanka, Russia, Vietnam, Pakistan and the Baltic countries.

“In a very short time period, MagicTan has become an industry leader in sunless spray tanning, with one of the industry’s strongest product lines,” Svenleen stated. “Sunless tanning will continue its rapid growth as a healthy form of tanning, and MagicTan is in a great position to increase market share. As a MagicTan distributor, I have seen the market acceptance of the MagicTan products, and the success and revenue they bring to salons and spas, and I look forward to helping continue that growth,” he continued. “I would also like to thank our new vice-chairman and my predecessor, Tim Niedel, for all of his contributions to the growth and success of MagicTan,” Svenleen added. “Tim remains an integral part of the MagicTan team and will be working on business development strategies, strategic affiliations and other growth opportunities.”

With headquarters and manufacturing in Cleveland, OH, MagicTan offers salon owners a complete sunless tanning system. Products include the MT3500™ Ultimate Spray Tanning System, and the MT2000™ Premium Spray Tanning System, the MT200™ Handheld Tanning System and the MagicTan personal sunless tanning products, a complete line of self-tanning products for home, salon and spa use, including the MagicTan Aerosol Self-tanning System™.

STAFF PROMOTION
AT BIDDISCOMBE

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Biddiscombe Laboratories is pleased to announce the recent promotion of Anthony Barbush to the position of Vice President of Sales.

Anthony, who has more than nine years of sales experience in the tanning and cosmetic industries, has been managing the sales activities of Biddiscombe for four years. He also played a vital role in the development of the Conquer™ product line and in creating a full line of sunless tanning products.

“We have been delighted with the energy, creativity and commitment Anthony brings to Biddiscombe and we are very pleased to acknowledge him in this way,” stated Peter Lewis, Managing Director of Biddiscombe.

FOUR MORE SALON OWNERS WIN BIG WITH SALON SUPPORT

FORT WORTH, TX – Will your next vacation be spent painting the house…or Living Your Dreams?
On May 2, Salon Support awarded four more “Live Your Dreams” vacation packages to excited salon owners across the country. Congratulations to Mary Bronson of The Galaxy in Bozeman, MT; Russ Drinnon of Magic Tan in Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Emilia Malek of Tantanic in Kerrville, TX, and Debra McMahan of Preferred Tanning in Seymour, TN.

To date, 16 salon owners have won “Live Your Dreams” vacation packages. Salon Support, America’s largest family-owned tanning distributor, unveiled the program in 2005 to give salon owners this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Call Salon Support for details on how you could be in the running for the next four vacation packages.

BIDDISCOMBE EXPANDS PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Biddiscombe Laboratories, the technical division of Biddiscombe Holdings, LLC is pleased to announce completion of a new product development, QC Laboratory and Phase I of its production expansion project.

The new lab is located at the company’s production facility in St Petersburg, FL. John Melville, Managing Director, stated, “The creation of a new lab will substantially enhance our product development capabilities and allow us to bring more of our QA/QC procedures in-house. We are also in the process of hiring an additional cosmetic chemist to supplement our existing technical staff and to broaden our product development focus.”

The new owners of Biddiscombe, which was acquired in 2004, have completed the first stage of an upgrade program to increase its production capacity and overall plant performance. Said Melville, “While the plant operates under FDA registration and operates in accordance with cGMPs, we have a good opportunity to broaden its technical sophistication and production abilities. These enhancements are particularly of interest to our private label and contract customers.”

Phase II will start toward the end of the summer and will include substantial investment in automated filling equipment to support high volume customer needs.

HEARTLAND TANNING
SR. MANAGER TRANSFERS TO GA FACILITY

LEE’S SUMMIT, MO – Heartland Tanning, Inc. announces the transfer of Mike Kramer to their McDonough, GA facility where he will serve as Senior Manager.
Commented Heartland President, Greg Henson, “Mike’s 10-year, exemplary employment history with Heartland will enable a strong and productive operation to be even more viable.”

Mike and his wife Amy look forward to this new chapter in their lives and taking up residency in the Atlanta area. “The Missouri staff will truly miss Mike but wish him and Amy the best in their new venture,” added Henson.