His idea, now known all over the world as Hawaiian Tropic, took off like a rocket. Ron sold his first bottle on July 16, 1969, the same day America launched the first moon mission. According to Jack Surrette, EVP – Marketing and Sales, who happens to be the son of the high school principal that hired Ron, “Ron has an uncanny ability to really know people. He can motivate people to do their best job to succeed.” There is no doubt that Ron Rice has the determination to succeed at whatever he chooses, but sun worshippers worldwide are thankful he chose to develop Hawaiian Tropic.

Hawaiian Tropic utilizes over 125 product formulations andover 400 different types of ingredients. In 1974, the first truck load of Hawaiian Tropic left the now 306,500 square feet Ormond Beach headquarters. Hawaiian Tropic, employs over 2,000 people worldwide, maintains it production 24 hours a day, seven days a week which produces 2 million dozen bottles of product a year. With annual sales over $100 million and 9 facilities worldwide, Hawaiian Tropic is the only international suncare brand manufactured by a privately owned company, which specializes in suncare. Surrette states that the company’s extensive R&D group is continuously developing new and more advanced products. He says, “We have one of the most extensive suncare labs in the industry.”

Ron Rice, master motivator, has motivated Southern Business
Magazine to name Hawaiian Tropic BEST CONSUMER PRODUCT for 2003.

Rocky Stephens, Founder and Editor In Chief, can be reached:
rocky@southernbusinessmagazine.com

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