IST recently caught up with Lewis Henry, President since the company’s inception, to talk about devoted Creations’ history, philosophy and future.
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Founded in 2004, Devoted Creations is celebrating 15 years of offering tanning salons a diverse array of multi-award-winning brands. The top-quality, aloe-based skin care and tanning products are manufactured from start to finish in their proprietary facility in Oldsmar, FL. The company launched with five products, and a 20-member staff. Since then, the operation has grown to employ 120 people working in six buildings to create and provide nearly 300 products to customers in 60 countries.
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Henry’s indoor tanning background goes back to his high school days in Maine. “My best friend (and senior prom date) told me that my pale Irish skin needed a little color!” he recalls. “So, she brought me to the local gym which had two old Sun Capsule stand-ups. That was my first indoor tanning experience.” He was an avid tanner through college, and introduced many friends to it, as well. After college, he traveled to Florida with friends for what was supposed to be a two-month vacation. “To make the story short,” he shares, “I decided to stay in Florida and found a sales position with a tanning lotion maker called Kava Kava. The rest, as they say, is history.”
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When Devoted Creations was born, there were dozens of other tanning lotion makers in the market. “I remember when there were 50 tanning product distributors and just as many lotion brands, or so it seemed,” says Henry. “Like all industries, we finally experienced consolidation and attrition. You need to invest for the future and what you want your business to be – that is what Devoted did that most lotion manufacturers did not.” DC’s first industry foray was as the premier sponsor of the IST Magazine Solar Seminar trade event in Jamaica. “We didn’t start out as the small kid on the block or the new start-up,” he adds. “We came out of the gate swingin’ the big stick! We were on the same stage as the big lotion companies of that time.”
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“We love product development because it is what makes us Devoted Creations. We are only going to put out the best lotion lineup we can every year, and I think our growth speaks for that.”
Lewis Henry
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Henry soon found himself increasing his presence with a role in the Indoor Tanning Association, devoting several years as an active board member. “Reminiscing, I find it sad that the ITA dissolved in 2017,” he says. “We had some of the best minds in the industry working to better our industry. Unfortunately, as with many associations, some individuals who had nothing invested or anything to lose had their own agendas or priorities which were not the best for growth of our industry.”
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Devoted Creations is committed to the success of the industry and their salon customers. “We have developed a very well-rounded approach to training,” Henry says. “It has evolved as the salon business has evolved. Back when I started, the most expensive tanning lotion was $40 and the main selling point was whether it had a bronzer or a tingle … things were different back then. Our training is all-encompassing and our trainers have worked in tanning salons. We offer our customers every opportunity to create a staff of successful salespeople who also know how to provide a great guest experience.” In addition, Devoted Creations is a Diamond Sponsor of IST Magazine’s Sun is Life® Training & Certification program.
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Henry feels that what keeps Devoted Creations seated at the top is a philosophy that has been shared since Day One: create the best skin care and tanning products they can and that they would want to use, while listening to and interpreting their salon customers’ wants and needs. The chemist continually works with major cosmetic companies to improve the formulas. “We love product development because it is what makes us Devoted Creations,” Henry says. “Our entire team is using, smelling and dissecting the ingredients in every lotion before it goes to market. We are only going to put out the best lotion lineup we can every year, and I think our growth speaks for that.”
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Devoted Creations is unique in that they design, develop, test, manufacture, label and bottle all products in-house. And, Henry gives much credit to the people who make it happen. “We have the best team in the industry – no bias here – it is a fact!” he exclaims. “From product development and graphic design, to manufacturing and shipping, I cannot rave enough about these individuals. They are the true rock stars at Devoted Creations.”
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When asked about the future of the industry, Henry is very optimistic. “Our future growth will always run parallel with science and our political activists,” he states. “Everything runs in cycles, and I feel we are on the upswing coming around. I see owners reinvesting in their salons/studios, which goes to ‘if you build it, they will come’. The tanning salon market has gone from almost 25,000 stores to approximately 9,000 – but, I see great growth for our industry going forward in the near future and I could not be more excited!”
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So, where does Lewis Henry see Devoted Creations in the next 15 years? “We will do exactly what we set out to accomplish,” he says, “and that is to continue as the leader in the skin care tanning space. I can tell you this – our team is all in! We love this business. I live, eat and breathe the tanning industry.”
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