Robert K

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) – The JK Products & Services plant is preparing for closure. The company is reportedly moving to Germany.
According to Jerry Deveney Executive Director of Sales with JK Products & Services says the company will be experiencing a "controlled closure."
The company has a total of 123 employees. At this time, 82 people will receive layoff notices. According to JK Products & Services officials 41 people will remain employed.
The company makes tanning beds and tanning bed products off Industrial Drive. The 135,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution facility began operations in Jonesboro in 1979 as Sun Ergoline and sold to JK Products and Services of Windhagen, Germany in 1999.
Region 8 News has received the following statement from JKPS:
JK-North America Moves Manufacturing to Germany
Jonesboro, Arkansas / Windhagen, Germany – JK-North America – a division of JK-Holding GmbH, the world's largest manufacturer of indoor tanning equipment - is consolidating manufacturing operations. As a result the company will be closing its Jonesboro manufacturing facility and shifting all equipment production to its headquarters in Germany.
The move supports JK-North America's efforts to balance manufacturing capacity with market and geographic supply and demand while improving its overall operating efficiencies, the company said.
Going forward the company will ship finished goods from Germany directly to its distribution network in the United States and Canada. Currently the majority of finished goods sales in North America are already made in Germany.
Customers will not experience any interruption in service and support, as the company will maintain core business operations in Jonesboro while continuing to rely on the strength of its nationwide distributor network.
JK-North America provides indoor tanning equipment to more than 14,000 tanning salons, health clubs and beauty salons throughout North America.

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Robert Klem
Superior UV Technologies
(888) 526-7712 x77
robertk@superioruv.com

BuyersGroup

Some good folks worked there I hope they end up OK.

parrot head

Is there any other reason we shouldn't buy Ergoline equipment?

Black Sun

Sad for the local economy in Jonesboro...I could only imagine the high cost of equipment going forward now that it will all be shipped back here....more added on cost to an already expensive product.

OUCH!

peach

This says a lot about the business conditions here in the US moving forward....

planatan

I would like to see sales figures for the past 3 years for all tanning equipment companies. I want to know what is, or is not, selling.

ljtan

That's not going to happen.

Black Sun

So what becomes of ETS?

Do they remain in the US or go as well..

Looks like Heartland is the only true USA equipment provider to remain standing

BuyersGroup

With the exception of Sun Capsule all the good stuff was always made in Europe.

JOHN @ URI

I am mixed on that one.
I feel the US made some strong entry level units in the day: Tan America, Puretan, Heartland. Germans are best at VHOR units: Ergoline, KBL & UWE. Then you have to give it to the Italians when it comes to HP: ISO Italia, Eurosun (Magic), Smart Technologies. Then back to the US with Standups as SunCapsule & Hex have dominated the market for years.

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