The Best of
Both Words

by John P. Ribner___________________________________________________

With a veteran tanning pro at the helm of Sun Flow Distributing, the company offers salons the best of both worlds!
___________________________________________________________________

Sun Flow Distributing offers the industry the best of the old and the new. The Farmingdale, NJ-based company has a 21-year history servicing salons nationwide. In February 2005, the company partnered with a tanning salon owner who’s committed to upholding its reputation of excellent customer service. This can only mean good things for salon professionals in the 28 states the company serves.

CHANGE AND GROWTH
To say that Sun Flow Distributing started out small would be an understatement – in its early years, it didn’t even have a warehouse. When it was founded in 1984, the fledgling company operated out of a simple storefront in Point Pleasant, NJ. During the next 15 years, however, the family-owned and operated distributorship continued to grow, mainly due to effective advertising and the positive word of mouth from its rapidly expanding client base. That growth was mirrored in the company’s expansion from its humble beginnings to the 6,000 square-foot office/warehouse facility it occupies today. Sun Flow’s owners recently sought to enter into a partnership to sell part of their interests in the successful business and pursue the retired life; that’s where Stefani Altieri stepped in.

How Stefani came to be a Managing Partner at Sun Flow is similar to how she became a salon owner – a friend told her about a great business opportunity. “I was interested in purchasing a second salon, so I began to look around for either a good location to build one, or an existing salon that I could renovate,” Stefani said. “Instead, I found out that the owners of Sun Flow were looking for a managing partner, and after giving it some thought, I decided to take the leap into the distribution business.” Six years ago, a similar opportunity allowed Stefani to become a salon owner – she purchased SunQuest in Freehold, NJ from a friend who owned it and was looking to get out of the tanning business.

SALES AND SERVICE
“When Sun Flow started 21 years ago, the business was based on offering the top brands of lotions, equipment and accessories, and that tradition continues today,” Stefani said. “Of course, since then, we’ve expanded what we offer because no two salons are alike – each one requires different products to best serve its demographics.” The company sells lotions by John Abaté International, Australian Gold, Body Drench, California Tan, Caribbean Gold, Designer Skin, Emerald Bay, Fiji Blend, Matahari, Most, Swedish Beauty, Supre and Tan Inc. On the equipment side, Sun Flow offers SonnenBräune tanning systems to salons in a region of New Jersey and in eight other Northeastern states. The company also offers the ETS, Inc. sunless spray unit and a wide variety of replacement parts and salon accessories.

As a salon owner, Stefani has an edge in the distribution business because she knows what tanning pros are looking for – superior customer service. “Most of the major distributors are all selling the same products and accessories, more or less,” she commented. “What sets a company apart from their competition is customer service, which is something we definitely pride ourselves in. Our goal is to continue to help our clients by serving them after the sale, and assisting them with everything from purchasing the right lotions, tanning units and salon accessories to even helping new salon owners plan their business from the ground up.”

“We understand that salon pros need products right away, which is why we only serve a 28-state area,” Stefani explained. “Within this area, we are able to deliver orders in no more than three days, and we also offer overnight shipping.” The company currently reports more than 2,000 salon clients in its database.

BIG PLANS
Having recently taken the reins of the company, Stefani has some big plans in the works for Sun Flow’s future. “We’d like to offer more skincare products, as well as a sunless tanning booth,” she said. “We also plan to expand the customer service end of things even more by eventually offering an entire turnkey operation for new people coming into the industry. Everything from finding a salon location, leasing, equipment selection, and HVAC issues would be covered, which we know would be a huge help to new salon owners.”

Striving for these goals, while continuing its 21-year tradition of great customer service, will ensure Sun Flow’s success for years to come.