Jason Ray, CEO of Suntek Global

Stylists say "King of Hot Tools" newest offering edges past hot comb

By Sheryl Nance-Nash, My Salon Scoop writer

Nobody had to tell Jason Ray the world is his oyster. Maybe it was the stories his grandfather shared with him about his merchant marine travels, or maybe it was all those country profiles he read in the set of encyclopedias that his mother gave him. But by six, Ray, who grew up in Atlanta, put his mother on notice that one day he would have a business overseas.

In 2000, at age 31, Ray founded Suntek Global in the industrial region of Taipei, Taiwan. His company specializes in the design and production of innovative beauty and lifestyle products.

"The inspiration for Suntek came from my deep admiration of very talented individuals such as Bill Moggridge, I.M. Pei and Bijan Pakzad, who built successful businesses by creatively expressing their visions via design," Ray says. "I set out to design and develop innovative, world-class beauty and lifestyle products that were a personal reflection of my visions, perspectives and experiences."

His products have captured the beauty industry's attention. Take for example the EdgeStick, first introduced in Italy, the U.K. and France in 2008, and a year later in the U.S. It has been called revolutionary, and makes the traditional hot comb obsolete.

The EdgeStick, a heated barrel between two combs, helps to detangle the hair before actually straightening it.

"The EdgeStick is the perfect substitute for the hot comb any day," says Jhavuanna Moody, a stylist with Evolution Green Room Salon in Brooklyn. "We all know how the hot comb changed the black hair market. When you compare the two, EdgeStick is the luxury and green version of the hot comb. It's ceramic, heat-controlled, better for the environment and safer to use on clients."

The EdgeStick Professional Ceramic Styling Comb heats up to 450 degrees.

It's ideal for people between chemical relaxer services because it will tame new growth close to the scalp and hairline. For those on the go, the EdgeStick tucks easily in a purse for touch ups when Mother Nature shows her wrath and gives new meaning to the phrase a "bad hair day."

There's much buzz about the EdgeStick that retails for $69 in the U.S. It was among the 2011 beauty award winners for Essence magazine.

He says watching the hairstyling rituals of the women in his family while growing up inspired him. But so did the TV cartoon The Jetsons. One episode in particular showed a futuristic beauty device that styled hair and applied makeup within 10 seconds at the push of a button. The show made a lasting impression.

"As a child, I got a good sense of how innovative beauty equipment could significantly impact the lives of women," he says.

However, talking with a stylist gave him the idea for the EdgeStick.

"After understanding the concept, my objective was to develop a safer, more advanced version of the traditional comb, which could be used universally on all hair textures," he says.

Two months after opening Suntek, Ray met the president of a top U.S. beauty product company. This relationship sparked the development of Suntek's first beauty product. By 2002, Suntek rolled out its first product-a heart-shaped stress ball for Soft & Beautiful. Two years later, Suntek created its first branded product, the OScope-a digital microscope for viewing teeth.

How is it that a little boy from Atlanta would land in Taiwan? By the time he had his MBA from Emory University and much work experience, he snagged a position with a financial firm and became a superstar. He was the only non-Taiwanese and African-American to become partner.

"I believe I was destined to be there," Ray recalls. "Eighteen months after finishing post graduate study in Venezuela, I was invited to participate in a U.S. $60-million debt restructuring deal of a Hong Kong-listed company."

However to flourish in this arena, he says, he immersed himself in the Asian culture, quickly learned Chinese, and hired a few key employees to help him handle the day-to-day issues that a local Taiwanese would be more suitable to resolve.

With the gazillion beauty and hair products on the market, Ray believes his company stays ahead because he listens to the issues hair care professionals face.

Kirsti Tanner, owner and master stylist at Fabulous Inspirations Hair Salon & Makeup Studio in Suwanee, Ga. says Ray certainly succeeded with the EdgeStick.

"I needed to find a tool that would allow me to get close enough to my client's edges, that would help straighten edges-something other than a one-inch flat iron that can burn the scalp and edges," she says. "The EdgeStick does what I need it to do without burning my clients. There's nothing like it."

Ray's work has not gone unnoticed. Suntek recently received the prestigious "Good Design Product Award," honoring excellence in innovation and creativity within the product design community from the Taiwan Design Center. Suntek was recognized for its line of professional ceramic hair irons.

There will likely be more kudos. Don't expect the innovation train to slow down any time soon. Afterall, Ray is a man who mastered four languages, has gotten three degrees, partnered in two businesses, and earned himself the moniker, "King of Hot Tools," long before his 40th birthday.

Sheryl Nance-Nash is a freelance writer based in Long Beach, N.Y., specializing in personal finance, business, small business, and on occasion, fun stuff like this!

Copyright 2011 © My Salon Scoop, LLC

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