New owners to lead longtime tanning salon in Lacey

The Olympia area has received nearly 50 inches of rain since Oct. 1, making it one of the wettest periods in the area’s history, although it’s not quite a record. The record over the same October-to-March period is 60 inches.

But who’s counting, right? It’s been wet and more than a few of us have been complaining about the weather and yearning for a sustained period of sunshine.

But if better weather isn’t around the corner, check out The Aloha Tanning Co., a longtime tanning salon in Lacey that recently changed hands. The new owners are Krystal King and Andrew Metcalf, who bought the business from Glenda Pordon, Dave Pordon and Ryan Hickey.

The name Krystal King might sound familiar. That’s because she’s worked at the business since 2008 and is known for handling the airbrush tanning end of things for Aloha.

The desire to sell the business accidentally came up in conversation between Glenda Pordon and King one day.

King, 25, jokingly suggested that she might be buy the business, but the more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“Maybe I really do want this,” she said at the time.

The Pordons realized that was the best scenario, too, wanting to sell it to someone who knew the business and who wasn’t a stranger to the operation.

So a deal was struck, with the business officially changing hands during Aloha’s free tanning this weekend, including 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

“I’m ready to retire,” said Glenda Pordon, who turns 64 in April. “I put a lot of work into it; it was my baby.”

Aloha Tanning is home to eight different tanning beds, including two that require you stand. There’s also the airbursh tanning service and the Head Over Heels spa, which will remain on site. Master aesthetician Michaela Hickey, who runs the spa, offers a variety of services, including facials, eyelash extensions and makeup services.

So you want to try tanning, but you’re worried about getting burned.

That’s a common concern for a first-time visitor, so the store’s policy is to interview and have the guest fill out paperwork so they can help determine skin type and other factors to create the best tanning experience. A recent change to state law has made it illegal for anyone under 18 to use a tanning bed, so airbrush tans are popular among teens, said King.

The maximum tanning exposure at one time is 20 minutes.

Aloha’s approach to business has produced a good reputation, one that impressed Metcalf enough to invest in the tanning salon, he said.

Glenda and Dave Pordon, who have frequently vacationed in Hawaii over the years, said they were moved by what they called the “Spirit of Aloha,” wanting to bring that touch of customer service to the tanning salon.

“Enter as guests, leave as friends,” Dave Pordon said.

Meanwhile, King says she has some baking skills to develop. Glenda used to bring home-baked cookies to the salon during the last Saturday of the month and King wants to continue the tradition.

This story was originally published March 12, 2016 at 2:50 PM with the headline "New owners to lead longtime tanning salon in Lacey."