Daniel J. Humiston, founder and president of Tanning Bed, Inc., has three children and lives in Buffalo, NY. He graduated from Muskingum College in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and he opened the first Tanning Bed location with a $4,000 loan from his grandparents a month later in his hometown of West Seneca.
Tanning Bed Inc. has grown since that time into the largest chain of tanning salons in New York State, employing over 500 people at its 34 locations. The nearly 11,000 people who have worked at Tanning Bed through the years have witnessed first-hand Dan’s ability to identify opportunity and implement change to keep ahead of competition and adjust to the ever-changing economy. Many of his innovations have set the standard for the industry nationwide, and have led to an astounding 23 million tanning visits to his stores.
Dan has been recognized by many organizations for his entrepreneurial spirit and his creative business ideas. In 2000, Tanning Bed was recognized as Business of the Year by the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce, an organization of which Dan has been a member for over 20 years. In 2002, Dan was named to Business First of Buffalo’s prestigious list of “Top Forty Under Forty” Western New York leaders. He was recognized nationally by Ernst & Young as “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2004.
Dan’s entrepreneurial ideas haven’t been limited to operating tanning salons. Dan has also started several other companies through the years. Sunlync is a software company he founded and eventually sold to a German firm that kept its corporate headquarters and nine employees in Western New York.
Identifying the growing demand for arts and crafts, Dan created Western New York’s first craft mall where independent crafters could sell their items year-round. Handmade Memories featured a coffee shop, and 15,000 square feet of space for local crafters to display their creations.
While traveling in Europe, Dan discovered a company that manufactures high-end modular wall systems. Rather than just importing them for his own use, he successfully negotiated a deal to become the exclusive U.S. distributor for Eurowalls. Dan eventually sold Eurowalls, L.L.C., but the company still maintains its operations in Western New York and has grown into one of the largest importers of modular wall systems in the United States.
Dan, however, has always had a passion for the tanning industry. He works hard to keep the industry strong as the current president of the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA), a nonprofit trade association representing all major manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of indoor tanning equipment as well as professional tanning facilities nationwide and abroad.
In 1999, Dan and 19 other industry leaders founded the ITA. Today, the ITA represents nearly 25,000 small businesses throughout the United States. Dan was first elected president in 2001, and he was reelected in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Under Dan’s leadership, the ITA has experienced tremendous success educating the public to the benefit of moderate exposure to ultraviolet light and preventing irresponsible government regulation.
As the ITA president and spokesperson, Dan spends much of his time in Washington. His role requires him to work with federal agencies, and meet regularly with lawmakers. He has seen our government in operation, and he’s extremely frustrated with the way decisions are made.
Dan is running for Congress because the politicians in Washington either refuse to run our country efficiently or aren’t capable of doing so. To an entrepreneur it is clear that political games and partisan finger pointing aren’t effective ways to run any organization, much less the most powerful nation in the world. Dysfunctional career politicians are putting unnecessary stress on all Americans with their reliance on increasing taxes to cover their out-of-control spending.
The challenges facing our country, our community and our economy are complex; we need imaginative leaders who can identify hidden opportunities and find creative solutions. Now more than ever it’s necessary for members of Congress to have a business background and an entrepreneurial spirit. We need to change the way our government works, which means we need people who can look at things differently and discover new possibilities. This is what an entrepreneur does; this is what Dan does.
The people and the natural resources in Western New York are second to none. We have amazing potential; Dan is running for Congress because he wants to change potential into progress. He’s anxious to make the changes in Washington so our country and our community can rediscover our entrepreneurial spirit and realize our unlimited potential. With enthusiastic leadership, and a shared vision for the future, there are no limits to what we can achieve.
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