Innovator

Sunbathe Joins Laughlin’s License Family
March 16, 2005

Laughlin Products (LPI) proudly announces that Sunbathe of Jonesboro, Arkansas has become its newest licensee, joining the ranks of Mystic Tan (TX), Hollywood Tans (NJ), Jean Paul’s Tanning (Ireland), and Mist-On Systems (TX). The Sunbathe license is for the worldwide, non-exclusive rights to LPI’s patented sunless spray booth technology.

Sunbathe’s key players are former owners, executives and engineers of Sun Industries (AR). The founders of Sun Industries, Porter and Bill Hurt, were pioneers of the North American indoor tanning industry. In 1979, they adopted the popular new sunbed technology, available only in Europe then, into an appropriate product for the American market. Later that year, they formed the first U.S. tanning bed-manufacturing company, Sun Industries. Their long-time marketing director, Jerry Deveney, joined the team in 1986 and was instrumental in their marketing success. In 2000, Ergoline (Germany) purchased Sun Industries.

The Hurts and Deveney plan to use the same energy and expertise that made them pioneers in the UV tanning bed market to launch a line of sunless tanning products . Their flagship product will be their novel sunless booth. They are currently test marketing their booth in select salons under the name Cabana Mist. They plan on moving production to a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility by May.

“Sunbathe will enter the sunless spray booth market with several things in their favor. Especially valuable is their experience as the forerunners in the tanning industry,” stated Dr. Tom Laughlin, president of LPI and inventor of the sunless spray booth. Dr. Laughlin went on to say, “There is an incredible parallel between the trials and tribulations they faced as they pioneered the indoor tanning industry and our current experience in the new sunless spray booth industry.”

Porter Hurt, Sunbathe president, added, “My heart has always been in the tanning industry. I’ve made a lot of friends over the years, and look forward to working with them again in this dynamic arena.”

For more information contact Anne Laughlin, LPI Public Relations Director (817-966-9732), or contact Jerry Deveney, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, at 1-866-778-0003 or www.mist-on.com or www.cabanamist.com.


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