Sunlight Saunas Leading “Green” and

Employee Satisfaction into the Workplace

by Tracy Million Simmons

Following their passion for health and fitness, Aaron and Connie Zack started selling saunas from their basement in 1999. Their first expansion involved creating space in the laundry room for Aaron’s desk … and a chair. Only eight years later, Aaron, Connie and forty employees, invited friends and special guests to celebrate the grand opening of the newly renovated, 40,000 square foot world headquarters building of Sunlight Saunas. Named Kansas City’s fastest growing small business by Ingram’s Magazine in 2005 and one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Hot 100 fastest growing companies for three years running, the Zacks are proof that focus of passion and a little goal setting go a long way. “We said in the beginning that we were going to make Entrepreneur Magazine’s list,” says Connie. “It was a big goal, but we made it happen.”

Despite the financial success of Sunlight Saunas, the company’s focus is about caring for people. Aaron says their business practice—from sales to employee management—is based on intuition as much as anything you would learn in business school. “We’ve created the kind of business we would want to work for as employees,” he says.

“This is a company where your thoughts, ideas, and input are truly valued,” says Lisa Hochanadel, two year sales employee turned manager of Sunlight Spa, which will open in January 2008. Lisa isn’t the only employee to use words like “unique” and “special” to describe the environment at Sunlight Saunas. “There’s energy here,” she says. “We believe in what we do, and the company believes in us.”

This energy can be felt in everything from the open work spaces bathed in soothing shades of blues and grays, to the Inspiration Room where a slinky and small tubs of play-doh sit alongside state of the art wireless technology. The walls have special magnetic paint so that any surface in the room can become, at any time, a brainstorming board. The entire building, a perfect rectangle on the outside, has an inner open and circular feel as you can wander from show room to break room, employee fitness center to the sales hub, all without retracing your steps. Oval conference areas give the space a soft and cozy feel. Private cubicles are equipped for one-on-one conferences or simply for the employee who needs a moment of solitude or silence to get the job done.

Past the showroom, through the Relaxation Room (employee break room complete with pool table, ping pong, and cable television), the kitchen is a balance of beauty and hominess. In this kitchen you will find an example of just how different the Sunlight Saunas environment is from the everyday corporate office. No employee at Sunlight Saunas needs to escape to the local fast food restaurant to grab a greasy burger. Breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack are provided for each employee for five dollars per day.

“We love food and we love health,” says Connie, “That’s what Aaron and I spend all our time talking about. We wanted to create an environment where we walk the talk, where we practice what we preach.” The selection of an in-house chef was undertaken with as much seriousness as any other aspect of growing the business. “We basically made up a food committee of our most ‘high maintenance’ employees, and then we invited six chefs into our own kitchen to make a meal for us,” says Connie.

The results have exceeded expectations. “The kitchen is so much more than a kitchen,” says Aaron. “What we see is that our departments really interact. Rather than the sales team going to eat with the sales team, they all sit down together. It really creates a more cohesive organization. They know each other now. They are able to share ideas and strategies.”

Mike Ferguson, Human Resources Manager says, “So much of what is happening at Sunlight Saunas is employee driven. It’s a fun, informal place to work, but it’s also a place where the employees have ownership. Having your own opinion is an asset here.”

The differences don’t stop with employee enthusiasm.

To take this latest step in expanding their business, the Zacks considered their options carefully. Building a new facility was an option, but by selecting an existing building to renovate, they knew they would use fewer environmental resources, as well as help to revitalize an area within the city rather than encourage further spread to undeveloped areas.  Renovations have been underway for approximately ten months, and the efforts have Sunlight Saunas on track to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification in 2008.

Making the old building energy efficient was the primary goal, as well as utilizing as many recycled products in the remodeling efforts as possible. All the windows were replaced. A white roof reduces the building’s cooling load through reflection of the sun rather than absorption by traditional dark-colored roofing materials. Lights in every room are equipped with motion sensors, reducing total energy consumption by only lighting the areas where people are active. Bathroom sinks also operate with motion sensors to conserve water. The floor tiles are entirely made from recycled materials as are the plastic parking stops. All paints and sealants used in the construction are non-emitting materials. Add this to the long-standing employee mandated recycle programs (paper, plastic, cans – everything has a place) and Sunlight Saunas rates high as a company that is looking toward the future and preservation of the environment. “When we see an opportunity to do our part, we go for it,” says Dalton Garrison, Public Relations Specialist.

In a unique public service measure, Sunlight Saunas advertises ownership of the newly renovated building with a 10’ by 40’ exterior sign connected to a barometer which changes color as the air pressure fluctuates. This alerts the approximate 140,000 passing motorists each day to potential weather changes. It is the only public weather tool of its kind in the US.

The products designed, produced and sold by Sunlight Saunas have been built with environmental impact in mind from the beginning. Saunas are sold as ready-to-assemble kits that can be used anywhere a standard electrical outlet is available. Customers have the choice of saunas constructed of cedar harvested from sustainable forests or hypoallergenic basswood. No glues or potentially toxic substances are used in construction and the saunas have been tested to show that absolutely no harmful gases are released into the air as a result of materials used in building. “As health is our mission, it is important that the saunas, including the air we breathe while in the saunas, be clean,” says Dalton.

A newly unveiled Select Line of saunas, like the popular Signature Line, can be ordered to accommodate from one person to four or five people at a time. The Signature Line has been popular for its elegant and attractive design. Select Line saunas, built with the same high quality standards, are simpler and more cost effective. Both saunas are ideal for individuals who wish to add value, as well as beauty, to their homes. The largest saunas available for commercial settings can accommodate up to fifteen people.

The method of heating the sauna is what really sets Sunlight Saunas apart from its competitors. Traditional saunas heat the air. The far infared light used in Sunlight Saunas provides an experience more like sunbathing; the body is warmed through infared exposure without any of the damaging UV light. Infared light is a safe part of the sun’s invisible spectrum that has the ability to penetrate skin without burning. It is commonly used in hospital nurseries as a way to warm newborn infants. The result is that the body’s core temperature produces a sweat that originates deep within the tissue where many toxins are stored. Therapeutic benefits include detoxification, weight loss, and pain relief.

 People with everything from general back aches to issues from high levels of mercury exposure have reported improvements through sauna therapy. Thirty minute sessions in a sauna three times a week have been clinically proven to lower blood pressure. “I had high levels of Lead and Mercury in my body at the time of purchase,” said Pierre Martin, Sunlight Saunas Customer. “After only three and a half months of daily use of the sauna, my levels of lead and mercury went down very significantly.”

Jorge Cruise, creator of the 3HourDiet.com and New York Times bestselling author writes, “If you want to live well, you need to use a Sunlight Sauna. It will help you maximize your metabolism, remove toxins, and reduce inflammation and soreness. It’s a great secret to extraordinary physical health.”

For more information on the Select or Signature Line of Sunlight Saunas, view the new website at www.sunlightsaunas.com.

© 2008 Physicians Prescription for Healthy Living