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Sunlight Saunas burns the competition;
becomes Small Business of the Year
By: Holly Kramer, Staff Writer
Curing a debilitating condition proved to be the catalyst to launch Sunlight Saunas, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s 2008 Small Business of the Year.
Co-owner Connie Zack said the idea for Sunlight Saunas started when her brother Jason Jeffers had an illness cured with infrared heat therapy.
“My brother was ill for many years and he tried many different therapies,” Zack said. “His dentist recommended infrared therapy to sweat out the toxins in his body. It changed my brother’s life. It made a big difference.”
Zack and her husband, Aaron, come from a pharmaceutical background. They worked for Proctor and Gamble before starting Sunlight Saunas in 1999.
The company sells residential and commercial far-infrared saunas. Roughly 60 percent of the saunas are sold online.
Connie said being named Business of the Year was exciting.
“We have a lot of respect for the tradition that the award signifies and the other companies that have won,” she said. “To be on the list with companies like Cerner was extremely rewarding and exciting. We want to continue to make Kansas City a vibrant business community.”
The firm partners with 38 distributors in 13 countries.
The Greater Kansas City Chamber judged businesses on growth, employee relations and community service, director of small business and entrepreneurship Brande Baird said.
“The judges saw the growth that Sunlight has experienced and their involvement in Kansas City,” Baird said.
Giving back is an important part of the business, Connie said.
“I think it’s important to pay it forward and to help build momentum,” she said. “One of my favorite things to do is to buy coffee for someone behind me in line at Starbucks. Just doing something nice for someone is rewarding.”
Zack founded a regional angel investment network, Women’s Capital Connection, to support companies led by women.
Sunlight Saunas has given nearly $28,000 in cash and in-kind donations to the American Heart Association and is involved with Harvesters and other charities in the Kansas City area.
Keeping employees happy is another goal for Sunlight Saunas, Zack said.
The company provides employees tuition reimbursement, a fitness center, spa and massage services, a coffee bar and a full-service kitchen.
“We have onsite banking, dry-cleaning delivery, grocery delivery for employees,” Zack said. “Our goal is to make the working experience as productive as possible and try to eliminate some of those errands. So that way, they can leave work and be with their families.”
The newest feature is the Sunlight Spa, which features massage therapy, sauna sessions, facials and other treatments.
“We are really excited for people to come and experience the benefits of the product,” Zack said.
For details, go to www.
sunlightsaunas.com.
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Co-owner Connie Zack said the idea for Sunlight Saunas started when her brother Jason Jeffers had an illness cured with infrared heat therapy.
“My brother was ill for many years and he tried many different therapies,” Zack said. “His dentist recommended infrared therapy to sweat out the toxins in his body. It changed my brother’s life. It made a big difference.”
Zack and her husband, Aaron, come from a pharmaceutical background. They worked for Proctor and Gamble before starting Sunlight Saunas in 1999.
The company sells residential and commercial far-infrared saunas. Roughly 60 percent of the saunas are sold online.
Connie said being named Business of the Year was exciting.
“We have a lot of respect for the tradition that the award signifies and the other companies that have won,” she said. “To be on the list with companies like Cerner was extremely rewarding and exciting. We want to continue to make Kansas City a vibrant business community.”
The firm partners with 38 distributors in 13 countries.
The Greater Kansas City Chamber judged businesses on growth, employee relations and community service, director of small business and entrepreneurship Brande Baird said.
“The judges saw the growth that Sunlight has experienced and their involvement in Kansas City,” Baird said.
Giving back is an important part of the business, Connie said.
“I think it’s important to pay it forward and to help build momentum,” she said. “One of my favorite things to do is to buy coffee for someone behind me in line at Starbucks. Just doing something nice for someone is rewarding.”
Zack founded a regional angel investment network, Women’s Capital Connection, to support companies led by women.
Sunlight Saunas has given nearly $28,000 in cash and in-kind donations to the American Heart Association and is involved with Harvesters and other charities in the Kansas City area.
Keeping employees happy is another goal for Sunlight Saunas, Zack said.
The company provides employees tuition reimbursement, a fitness center, spa and massage services, a coffee bar and a full-service kitchen.
“We have onsite banking, dry-cleaning delivery, grocery delivery for employees,” Zack said. “Our goal is to make the working experience as productive as possible and try to eliminate some of those errands. So that way, they can leave work and be with their families.”
The newest feature is the Sunlight Spa, which features massage therapy, sauna sessions, facials and other treatments.
“We are really excited for people to come and experience the benefits of the product,” Zack said.
For details, go to www.
sunlightsaunas.com.