Altima Tan and Massage, located at 2891 E. Waterloo Road in Akron, became a reality after salon owner Tim Freeman had a negative experience with tanning just over a year ago. 

Freeman said he was going on a cruise and was encouraged to visit a local tanning salon beforehand, where he bought a one-month tanning package. “I can’t really describe how disappointed I was with my tanning experience except to say that people deserved better,” he said. 

With national pride being forefront in his mind, Freeman made it a point to buy tanning beds that were made in America. “With all of the jobs that are lost to foreign labor, I felt it was important to take a stand and support the workers of our country,” he said. “That, along with their superior quality and having the best warranty in the industry, is why I purchased my beds from ETS Tan.” 

Offering four levels of tanning, Altima Tan and Massage carries a full line of tanning beds manufactured by ETS Tan, including the Sunvision Elite, SunStar 332, Solaris 442, SolarForce 648 and SolarForce 652V. These beds are powered by Wolff® system lamps and have advanced after-tan cooling systems. 

The salon also carries skin products and lotions by Australian Gold, a sister company of ETS Tan, and is operated using software designed by Helios LLC, also a sister company to ETS Tan that is a leader in providing tanning salon management and customer data software. In August 2006, MH Equity entered the indoor tanning industry with the purchase of what is now New Sunshine, the umbrella company for ETS, Australian Gold and Helios LLC. MH Equity is a private-equity firm. 

All employees go through extensive training from the International Smart Tan Network and are certified by the Indoor Tanning Association, which gives each employee in-depth instruction on all aspects of the tanning industry. 

Freeman said he also focuses on cleanliness and the atmosphere of the salon. “When customers come into our salon, I hope the first thing they notice is how clean it is because the absolute first expectation a client has of a tanning salon is cleanliness,” he said. “The next thing I hope they will feel is our inviting atmosphere. Our rooms are the largest in the area and we have decorated them with bright, cheerful colors with a beautiful wood-grained floor. We really want our customers to feel at home.” 

Altima Tan and Massage provides customers with convenient tanning hours, open 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. The salon also has massage therapy services available as well as a SpaCapsule®, a futuristic station combining the healing methods of massage, aromatherapy and audiovisual relaxation techniques. 

For more information, visit Altima Tan and Massage at www.AltimaTan.com or call (330) 628-0500.