EDA Office of Foreign Trade • Riverside County, California • USA
August 2012
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EXPORT
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By Phil Pitchford
F
or Mirna Elnar and her company,
Regal Spas Inc., success is measured
in reach and longevity.
The company, based in the Rubidoux
community just west of Riverside, already
has an impressive reach, selling its
high-end spas in Saudi Arabia, Norway,
Mexico and, most recently, Croatia.
The key now, she said, is to continue to
expand that reach and maintain strong
relationships with dealers and customers.
“
We’d love to sell to every country on
Earth,” Elnar, the company’s CEO, said.
“
But it’s not about how much money I
am making; it’s my reputation, my name
recognition and how many customers
that I can keep through the long run.”
Part of the key to reaching those
goals is ensuring that consumers
understand the difference between
the Regal Spas product and other less
expensive, but cheaply made, spas on
the market, Elnar said. Regal, started
in 2005, is the only company in the
U.S. that makes everything that goes
into its spa, in cooperation with a sister
company, Acura Spa Systems Inc., which
has been in business since 1987
“
Others just buy components and
assemble them,” Elnar said. “But when
you engineer everything from scratch,
you know why you are making it
that way, and for what purpose.”
That level of craftsmanship and
engineering means that a Regal Spa
may cost more than a spa made
in China or elsewhere, but it is
going to last longer and ultimately
provide a better value, she said.
“
We are trying to establish a market
for the high end, with quality
and a long-term relationship,”
she said. “We are trying to be a
step above the competition.”
Regal holds numerous patents
for its spa, which uses a unique
combination of water massage and
mechanical massage to create a one-
of-a-kind experience, Elnar said.
“
You cannot find this anywhere else,”
Elnar said. “We have what everybody
else has, with the water massage,
Regal Spas makes everything
that goes into its spas and
exports to overseas buyers
that want a high quality,
reliable U. S. made product.
