After shutting down operations in Flint, Derek DeRosa decided to bring business back to his hometown of Oxford, where he opened O-Town Tanning, located at 981 S. Lapeer Road next to Domino’s Pizza.
‘I wanted to put something in to compete with the neighborhood (tanning salons),? he said. ‘It feels good to be back in Oxford and it’s nice to have everything close by.?
Prior to coming back to Oxford, DeRosa lived in Lapeer, where he moved to when he was a sophomore in high school.
‘If you drove anywhere in Lapeer it was 20 minutes because you got behind a huge combine,? he said ‘I couldn’t get a pizza delivered (to my house).?
O-Town offers 10 beds with the best units available and prices currently ranging from $10 to $50, noted DeRosa.
‘I opened it with the intent (that it) be inexpensive,? he said. ‘It’s a luxury item that anybody can afford. What’s the point of having a $100 bed when nobody can pay to use it??
DeRosa also has plans for a spray tan booth. ‘We have a person who will use a spray gun on you. It’s the only one we’ve found that doesn’t turn you orange,? he said.
DeRosa said he got into the tanning salon business because it was his ex-wife’s fantasy.
I owned a motorcycle shop here in town a long time and she didn’t like the smell of oil, so she asked if we could close it up and build a tanning salon,? he said. ‘I agreed after she put up with that (bike shop) for years.?
After opening his first salon in Davison in 2009, which he still owns, DeRosa said he and his then-wife divorced and she wanted no part of the salon, so he ended up with it.
‘I ended up with them and had to work from the ground up to figure out what to do because I didn’t even know, most guys don’t tan,? he said. ‘I’ve really learned a lot about it and developed a good rapport in the neighborhood.?
While Michigan doesn’t have any governmental bodies looking over tanning salons, DeRosa said they invite the Ohio Board of Cosmetology to check them out and make sure they are following the strictest laws.
‘If the laws do change we do adhere to them,? he said. ‘We value the safety and welfare of the clients.?
Like any business owner, DeRosa said he enjoys getting to know clients.
‘Like working at any bar or beauty salon you get to know all the people and they sit down and talk to you like you’ve been lifelong friends,? he said. ‘In the five minutes you spend with them, you seem to know everything about them and the (employees) I hire get to know everybody in town very quickly as well.?
DeRosa’s salon manager, Meghan Wilson, who’s been in the tanning industry for four years, agreed.
‘It’s definitely two-sided,? she said. ‘When they get to know you they’ll ask about you and know that you have a boyfriend or went on a big trip and they’ll want to know about that, too. It’s just working in the community and getting to know everybody.?
O-Town Tanning is open Mon-Fri 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. – 6p.m. and Sun. noon – 5 p.m. For more information call 248-572-4955, e-mail otowntangirl@gmail.com or see O-town tan on Facebook.