Now operating as Glo Tanning Studio and Laundromat in the plaza with Anytime Fitness, Exact Eye Care and Cricket Wireless, the place used to be called Suds N’ Sun.

When the business went up for sale in 2005, it was operated by two couples with the names Defresne and Prins, according to Stefanie. Though they weren’t the original owners, it’s unclear when Suds N’ Sun first began.

Her father had noticed the business was for sale and suggested checking it out, Stefanie said. She and her husband, Keith Boucher, went to look at the place. It had already been closed for a short time, but not long, and Stefanie had been there recently as a customer. Her name was on a gift certificate in the shuttered Suds N’ Sun, which seemed like a sign, she said.

When the Bouchers were ready to make an offer, they found out that another had already been accepted. About two weeks later, they got a call asking if they were still interested. After some thought, they agreed.

One of the six tanning beds in private rooms at Glo Tanning is shown. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

The sale was finalized around the beginning of 2006, and after some remodeling — painting, reflooring, cleaning the laundromat — Suds N’ Sun reopened under Stefanie’s management on June 12, 2006.

Exactly 20 years later, an event celebrating the anniversary took place, with specials, giveaways, drawings, cake and a beverage truck on premises Friday.

Though the old name had persisted for a few years, the Bouchers finally changed the operating title from Suds N’ Sun to Glo Tanning Studio and Laundromat in 2010.

Upon entering the front door at the eastern end of the strip mall, visitors find themselves in the entryway of the laundromat. Straight ahead are washers and dryers; in the southeast corner is a play area for small children. Tables and chairs, vending machines with food and drinks and a claw machine also occupy the space.

To the left, a window opens to an area where staff members can assist laundromat customers. Next to the window is a door that leads to the reception area of the tanning studio, where the person at the desk can pivot and greet tanning clients.

The larger side of Glo Tanning Studio and Laundromat has washers and driers of many sizes. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

Working at the front is often either Stefanie or her daughter — Ava Boucher, the manager, who has worked at Global Tanning Studio and Laundromat for eight years. A couple part-time staff members are also employed at the two-part business.

The tanning industry has changed some since she first took over the business, Stefanie said, namely in that safety is taken more seriously than in the past. The technology in tanning beds — lights that emit UVA and UVB rays — continues with the same concepts as years ago, but decades ago people weren’t limited in how much time they could spend in a unit.

Stefanie regularly gets updated printed material — books, pamphlets, etc. — and she has attended the National Tanning Expo in Nashville and become Smart Tan certified.

Ava is very knowledgeable, too, not just in regards to how the tanning tech works but also about the products that accompany the experience.

Tanning salons often see repeat customers, but when a person comes in for the first time, the employees at Glo Tanning are able to guide people towards what treatment might be best for them.

The business at 308 N. Lincoln Road in Escanaba was voted best in two categories by Daily Press readers last year. "Best Tanning Salon" and "Best Laundromat/Dry Clean" both went to Glo Tanning Studio and Laundromat. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

The beds at Glo are rated one through four. All have both UVA and UVB, but the ratios are different, the Boucher women explained.

“If you’re very pale, people automatically think that they’re supposed to start in level one, and that’s a common misconception,” Ava said. “They should use level two to start off.”

Stefanie said that the different levels can make a difference between skin turning red or bronze.

“We’re very knowledgeable on the tanning process, and can guide people to what they need,” Stefanie said. “And we help them with the minutes. It’s best just to kind of gradually build your time up. … That’s one of our main focuses, is not to let you burn. It’s a controlled environment.”

There is also a maximum allowable time a person is allowed to spend under the lamps.

At right, a case full of tanning lotions stands near the front of Glo Tanning Studio. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

After bringing in a couple new beds, Glo Tanning Studio now operates with six units. A couple are older models, and though they look different, they work the same way. Each of the beds has light bulbs replaced when they’ve hit a certain number of hours in use.

Though some tanning studios ask customers to clean a bed after use, Stefanie prefers to leave those tasks to herself and her staff so she knows it’s being done properly.

There are a few lotions and other products that are banned from being worn at Glo Tanning because it can damage the equipment.

The acrylic bed surfaces “have microscopic holes, so that’s where the UV rays come through, and if people are using things they’re not supposed to, like oils and outdoor lotions,” damage can be incurred, Stefanie explained. Certain products are banned for two reasons, she said: “It protects our equipment, and most of those lotions are not good for your skin anyway, because they contain a lot of alcohol in them, which is going to dry your skin out, which you don’t want if you’re trying to create a tan; you want to stay as hydrated, moisturized… as you can.”

Ava’s area of expertise is the specialized lotions designed for tanning. In a glass cabinet at Glo Tanning Studio, dozens of different products are available for purchase: There are tan extenders, lotions meant to help absorb light, accelerators, products that help promote faster or deeper tanning.

“These lotions that they make specially for the beds have melanin stimulators in them, so when you stimulate your melanin, it helps you build more. The more melanin you have, the easier you tan,” Ava said.

In addition to the large bottles for sale, Glo Tanning also sells small packets of tanning lotion meant to last about one session. Ava said many people prefer to purchase those so that they can try out different products each time.

While the place sells “everything that you need” for a tanning bed, from lotion to eye protection, some people come in to purchase the products without even using the service. The Bouchers reported that there was a man who visited just recently to purchase solely a bottle of lotion to use in his personal tanning bed at home.

As one might imagine, summer is the slow season for a tanning studio. Ava said that the busiest time of year by far is right before spring break.

In the future, Stefanie said she would like to introduce red light therapy, which has become popular in recent years as a treatment for a number of different afflictions. Cleveland Clinic says that red light therapy — also known as soft laser therapy or biostimulation — is reported to improve wound healing, reduce inflammation and increase blood circulation, but that its full effectiveness has yet to be determined.

For people visiting only the laundromat side of the business, they can utilize the machines with no interaction, or they may choose to take advantage of the wash-dry-fold services offered.

The laundromat at 308 N. Lincoln Rd. is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. 365 days a year; however, attendants are only available during the tanning studio hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.