In January, it was announced that Bill Pipp was returning to the tanning industry after a five-year absence. A mainstay in our industry, Pipp was Partner/Chief Sales Officer-Global Sales for New Sunshine Holding LLC, Chief Executive Officer for ETS LLC, and Vice President Global Sales for Australian Gold LLC. He also co-founded the Indoor Tanning Association, where he drafted bylaws, served as President and an Executive Committee board member. Pipp recently accepted a position with Indiana-based Tanning Supplies Unlimited, co-owned by Mike and Christina Gilley. TSU is a national distributor of KBL tanning equipment, UltraSun International lamps and parts, tanning lamps, replacement parts, premier indoor tanning lotions and salon accessories. Pipp will serve as Vice President of Sales.
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“Over the last couple of years, TSU has seen tremendous growth and we could really use someone with the level of experience and integrity that Bill exhibits,” commented Mike Gilley.
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During his absence from indoor tanning, Pipp worked in upper-management for Seymour Midwest – a mid-sized industrial and consumer tool manufacturer, and Welch Packaging – one of the Midwest’s largest privately-owned solution-driven corrugated paper and box manufacturers. “The Welch management team was awesome, the learning experience unbelievable and the time well invested – I just didn’t have the passion for the box business that I had for the tanning industry,” Pipp shared.
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“We have always had a tremendous amount of respect for Bill,” Gilley adds. “When TSU was his customer while he was at New Sunshine, he was always very attentive to our needs.” Gilley learned from a friend that Pipp had left Welch in December 2018 and was looking for his next challenge. “When I caught up with Bill, he hadn’t made any real plans yet, and I told him that I had a great opportunity for him to come back to the industry that he loved,” Gilley said. “We set a time to meet the next day, and the rest is history.” Pipp added, “With the passion still in my heart for the tanning business and the potential to once again work with my good friends in the industry, I jumped in the car and drove down to meet with Mike and Christina.”
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Pipp says that, most importantly, he will pick up where he left off in 2014 at New Sunshine. “Fortunately, with 17 years in the industry and another 20 years of executive experience in Fortune 100 public companies, I have the luxury of pulling from a broad base of experiences.”
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“What makes it a great fit for us is that we share the same values for helping customers,” Gilley concluded. “He is a great listener, a problem-solver and as honest as the day is long. Bill is one of the most knowledgeable people ever to be in the tanning industry and I am so excited to have him as part of our TSU family.”
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Pipp shares Gilley’s excitement for the new affiliation. “Needless to say, my long relationship with the Gilleys would make it awesome to work with close friends; however, I will be promoting not only New Sunshine lotions/lamps, but adding the focus on KBL brand tanning beds. I look forward to reconnecting with all my industry friends and providing ‘Value Added’ services to TSU customers.”
