Location: Winchester, VA
Number of Stores: 1
Years in Business: 18
Owners: Andrea & Melvin Armel
Staff: 6
Tanning Units: 27 (ETS Inc., Sun Capsule, SunDash, Sontegra, Sun Vision, Ultrabronze)
Tanning Levels: 5
Lotions: Australian Gold, California Tan, Designer Skin, Devoted Creations, ProTan & Supre Tan
Software: SalonTouch by Interactive Designs
Other Services: Custom spray-tans & infrared body wraps (Formostar)
Training: Sun is Life®
Distribution Partner: Four Seasons Sales & Service
A mega-salon offering nearly everything under the sun, Extreme Tan VA continues to serve the needs of tanners in Winchester, VA.
Some people told Andrea and Melvin Armel they were crazy to open a tanning salon, but the couple believed they’d be a sun biz success story. Andrea recalled, “I came home one night to find five of my girlfriends sitting in my living room, visiting with my husband. They all were waiting to take their turn tanning in the sunbed we had in our home.” The couple began looking for a location for their soon-to-be tanning salon right away and in March 1996, they opened Extreme Tan VA in an empty storefront in town. The salon began as a modest, five-unit facility and it quickly gained popularity. “Soon, the same people who thought we were crazy then started telling me that my mother would’ve been proud,” Andrea laughed.
Four years into Extreme Tan’s venture, Andrea and Melvin moved the salon to a larger location across the street, adding several tanning units. The new and improved Extreme Tan VA was doing so well that the couple opened a second store in 2007. “It was only 25 miles away from our first store,” Andrea explained, “so we ended up serving our existing clients.” The couple closed the second salon on July 5, 2014 to focus upon their first, which had become a mega-store with 27 tanning units, custom spray-tanning and bodywraps. “Our clients love having everything in one location,” she added.
Andrea is thankful to have her sister-in-law, Donna Canoles, and manager Jenna Brannon to help keep Extreme Tan running smoothly. She recently reinvested in her team by providing them with Sun is Life® Training & Certification. “I’ve taken all different kinds of salon training,” Andrea said, “and I was most impressed with Sun is Life. I particularly liked the video and online aspects because it made it much more interactive and fun.” Andrea says that Donna, Jenna and the rest of the staff enjoyed taking Sun is Life training and it shows around the store.
Big plans are on the immediate horizon for Extreme Tan VA. Andrea explained, “We’re moving all of the upgrade units from the location we closed over to our original store. We know many of our clients are excited about being able to tan in these newer units and we’re happy to provide that experience for them.” When she’s not behind the counter, Andrea enjoys spending time with her two grandchildren Nevaeh (7 months) and Hunter (5). “I’m very fortunate to have such a reliable and hardworking staff to count upon when I want to take a little time off,” she added. “I can’t stay gone for too long though because I’d miss all our great salon guests!” ■
