- Location: Mt. Juliet,TN
- Number of Stores: 1
- Years in Business: 8
- Owner: Alex & Michele Friedrichsen
- Staff: 10
- Tanning Units: 14 (Ergoline, ETS, KBL, SunCapsule)
- Tanning Levels: 6
- Lotion Brands: Designer Skin, Devoted Creations, Ed Hardy Tanning & Norvell Skin Solutions
- Software: Helios
- Other Services: Sunless & custom spray-tans (Norvell Skin Solutions)
- Training: Sun is Life®
- Distribution Partner: Four Seasons Sales & Service
TropiTANa is a beautiful, upscale facility that offers attentive customer service, exactly what the growing area of Mt. Juliet, TN needs.
“I wanted to be the one who made the decisions about the direction of the business.” This is why Alex Friedrichsen says he left his job as a labor analyst for a commercial building maintenance company to open TropiTANa with his wife, Michele. It also helped that Michele was a typical “California girl” who loved to tan indoors, and she introduced Alex to the wonders of sunbeds when he moved to San Diego from his native Iowa. “I had never even seen a tanning bed until Michele took me tanning with her one day,” Alex added. “Once I tried it, I fell in love with it and we both knew it was something we could also do professionally if the opportunity arose.”
Michele’s connections as a realtor helped the couple secure the location that would become TropiTANa. She recalled, “My friend owned a hair salon in a shopping plaza that was in the process of adding a free-standing building. Knowing we wanted to open a tanning salon, my friend called me and told me about it.” Leasing the location, the couple set to designing and building its interior from the ground up. The result is a high-end facility featuring cherry wood Tan Walls modular walls, an open, industrial ceiling and a modern décor featuring browns and taupe accented by sea foam green walls. “Our new counter has back-lit glass shelves that prominently display our lotions,” Michele added. “We’re very proud of it.”
The Friedrichsens made a huge investment to create a premiere tanning salon with high-end equipment and products, so they want their business operated by a qualified staff.
“There’s so much more to this business than turning on a tanning unit,” Alex said.
“Employees have to understand the tanning process and the different levels of units and what they offer, and they have to be able to answer guests’ questions in a friendly and professional manner.” To help prepare Team TropiTANa, Alex and Michele are having manager Savannah Crook take Sun is Life® Training and Certification. “The other salon operator training I’ve taken was rather basic,” said Savannah, “so I’m looking forward to Sun is Life because I know it covers so much more!”
Unless the public’s attitude toward indoor tanning changes, Alex says he and his wife have no current plans to expand their business. This hasn’t dampened the couple’s excitement for operating their current salon, however. In fact, Michele says it’s quite the opposite, adding, “I love spending time with my salon guests each day and seeing them leave with smiles on their faces. We plan to continue providing them with the best possible tanning experience!” ■
