Del Sol redefines 'fun in the sun'

Del Sol's mission statement is, by the typical business standard, both pleasantly goofy and overly ambitious: "To create fun, joy, smiles and memories for everyone under the sun."

But consider that many Del Sol customers, vacationing in places like the Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Hawaii, have said their visit to a Del Sol store was a highlight of their trip. Or that the company has donated its products to tsunami victims, Hurricane Katrina victims and Costa Rican and Iraqi schoolchildren.

At that point, the mission sounds pretty realistic — especially for a company whose first retail site was a kiosk at Murray's Fashion Place mall.

Jefferson Pedersen, Del Sol's owner, joined the company when it had a handful of stores selling color-changing T-shirts.

Pedersen implemented a more aggressive growth strategy, increasing Del Sol's product line by 50 percent. He also made sure that the company was entirely self-funding and took on no debt.

Pedersen also helped the company move away from the mall kiosk, where business dried up in the winter, to retail locations in popular cruise-ship destinations. Del Sol found new products in which to use its proprietary Spectrachrome technology and made its stores an entertainment destination, with enthusiastic staff, frequent demonstrations and customer participation.

Pedersen plans to continue expanding the company's product line and its stores around the world.