A SAD DAY - Soakin' Up The Rays Closes Doors

by John P. Ribner

November 18, 2004 was a sad day for many tanning professionals – it’s the day lotion maker Soakin’ Up The Rays closed its doors for good.

After more than 12 years in the indoor tanning industry, Greg Klesius recently made the toughest decision any business owner ever has to make – the decision to close his company. While it’s true that Soakin’ Up The Rays is no more, the mark Greg left on this industry will be long lasting, and his presence will definitely be missed.

When Greg Klesius announced that he and former marketing director Amy McCord would be closing the lotion company, the first question on everyone’s mind was “Why?” Why would Greg pull the plug on the company he established in April 1992 and built with his own blood, sweat and tears? “Some personal issues I’ve been dealing with have brought me to the point where I had to honestly analyze whether to keep the company going or not,” he said. “The last six months have been so stressful that operating my business wasn’t fun anymore – that’s when I knew I’d have to close our doors. I take full responsibility for all the decisions, good or bad, that were made for Soakin’ Up The Rays.”

As Greg and Amy discovered,  knowing that closing Soakin’ Up The Rays was the right thing to do didn’t make actually doing it any easier. “There have been many sad and emotional moments over this,” Amy commented. Greg agreed, saying there were many times when he was overcome with sadness when he stared at his empty offices in Paris, TN. “In the end, we knew we’d made the decision to close for a reason, and knew we needed to do it with dignity,” Greg commented. He and Amy did the right thing by contacting their clients and giving them plenty of forewarning about the upcoming closure.

Greg was one of the first lotion manufacturers to make private label products an affordable reality for salon owners. He was also one of the first to embrace the online tanning community, often using the popular Internet discussion boards to not only promote his company, but also help salon owners and defend the industry.

Today, Greg and Amy plan to head off into the very sunset they were once soakin’ up. “Before we say ‘goodbye,’ we would like to take the opportunity to thank each and every salon pro who’s been a Soakin’ Up The Rays client – we truly appreciate their support over the years,” Greg commented. “Right now, we’re looking to see what kind of opportunities present themselves, both inside and outside the indoor tanning industry.”   Although Greg and Amy will certainly be missed, they most definitely won’t be forgotten.

We wish Greg and Amy all the best! – IST

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