Spa makes home an oasis | Progress in Siouxland

LE MARS, Iowa - Doris Day had it in "The Pajama Game." Now Jerry Haack, Derek Langel and Russ Wittkop have - beat, beat, hiss - steam heat.

"Steam heals! It increases your heart rate, detoxifies your pores, moisturizes your skin, cleans out your sinuses and lungs. It just makes you feel better! Steaming every day will change your life!" touted Haack, CEO of Sanspa Five Star Steam Showers.

The trifecta of Haack, Langel and Wittkop rolled out their new products during a June open house at Langel's Plumbing and Heating, Le Mars. Sanspa Five Star is an international company with an office and one full-time American employee at the factory in China and office and warehouse in the heartland of America, Le Mars.

Four years in the making, and fresh off widely successful international shows in Orlando and Las Vegas, owners Wittkop, Langel and Haack positioned their company nationally this past spring.

"We waited until the entire infrastructure was built, set our tech department, parts in America, did our market research, and machine testing," said Haack. "We're ready to roll!"

Originally Wittkop found the steam shower and tub products, produced and manufactured by the Caresee Company in Guangzhou, China. The self-employed importer had been living in the Far East when he was introduced to the product. He began to muse about how steam bathing could work in a U.S. home.

"We bought two containers of the showers, sight unseen, and began examining them," Haack said. "Luckily, we had the smartest technician in the world, Derek Langel, to give us input."

Langel proclaimed the set-up shower "the finest piece of equipment" he had ever seen, Haack said, but in need of a few adaptations. Between 80 and 85 were made over the next two years.

"We designed the shower and tub," Langel said. "We have a patent pending on a shower that will fit in any standard size space."

Once the product was in place, the next challenge was marketing, Haack said.

"Most people have the preconceived notion that steam bathing is for the wealthy or belongs in a health club," he said. "We were committed to making the product affordable and available to anybody and everybody."

The trio began to market the product in metropolitan areas such as Portland, San Diego, Dallas and St. Louis. Wittkop pushed it in Korea.

"We're now at a place where we know we have a high quality product that anyone can afford," Haack told those in attendance at the open house. "We chose Langel's to be the test market for us locally."

Haack added that Sanspa Five Star was committed to bringing their Midwestern value of building relationships through trust and value to everyone who wants to experience "the best steam and shower you have ever had."

"We have the best of both worlds going right now," he said. "Our Chinese partner is just like us. He wants to build his legacy in America using his name."

That approach is unprecedented, Haack pointed out.

"Most American importers will not us a foreign name; they'll put an American name on a product," Haack said. "We chose to use their name with ours. That's the unprecedented part. Sanspa is their name and Five Star is our name."

Steam bathing is not some new fad. For thousands of years, individuals have found relaxation in a steam or sauna approach to bathing. But the high investment costs sent most home-owners toward a traditional bath or shower installation. Now new innovations in steam generating technology have made it possible to install steam baths at a reasonable cost to consumers.

Sanspa Five Star steam showers are free standing, solid, acrylic models with stainless steel components, tempered glass, backed with two-year warranties, service and tech support. Every single unit is tested at the factory in China, disassembled, shrink-wrapped and sent to dealers in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Colorado, Virginia, Texas, California, Oregon, and Washington. Costs for the eight different models range from $3,000 to $6,000.

"It's just a matter of time before the name Sanspa is known and that name will be known locally," Wittkop said. "We have yet to have anybody who has this product not like it."

Wayne and Judy Wittkop of Le Mars (yes, they are Russ' parents) remodeled a bathroom in their home several years ago and decided to put the a unit in.

"I've always been a 'health' person," Judy admitted. "I believe steam is good to remove toxins in the body. So when Russ approached us and suggested the unit, we decided to install it."

The Wittkops were sold on the product and when they remodeled their master bathroom, decided to install the tub and shower.

"Once you've steamed, you can't go back," Judy said with a laugh. "I usually steam a couple of times a week for 15 to 20 minutes. I also turn the steam on while I'm showering because I've discovered you don't need the water quite that hot then."

The feeling of steam bathing was everything and more, she noted.

"Wayne is a contractor and does very strenuous work, so he really enjoys the steam," Judy said. "I've got a little bit of arthritis and I've been very pleased with the results of the steam. But I can imagine for people with pain the steam would provide much needed relief."

Haack stressed that Sanspa is "the newest must-have product" in any remodeling or new home construction."

"Le Mars is the ice cream capital of the world," he said with a grin. "We want Le Mars to also be the steam capital of the world."

For more information visit on line at http://www.Sanspafivestar.com or call (800) 450-7544 and ask for Haack. The models may be seen at Langel's Plumbing & Heating, 735 - 6th St. SW or at Four Seasons Health Club, 1600 - 7th St., Sioux City.