On the heels of the much-anticipated and well-attended launch of the new Jencare Express Mobile Spa, the innovative mogul Jennifer Samuda, founder and president of Jencare Skin Farm, takes a tranquil five with Under the Dryer to talk about her

brand’s latest business venture, which is positioned to change the way we view spas forever — this is the future!

Under the Dryer: Tell us about this new direction Jencare is moving into as a brand.

Jennifer Samuda: We are launching these Jencare Express Mobile Spas all over the world, but being a Jamaican, I wanted it to be on the island first. We’ll go through all of the teething stages from our base here, starting out with two RV units — one for the corporate area and the other to service the 13 other parishes. We’ll troubeshoot the unforeseen issues and iron out the kinks in this new module. We’re hoping to go into Atlanta, Washington, DC, Manhattan, Canada, London, and Geneva. These are the cities that have a strong customer loyalty for the Jencare brand.

UTD: Give us a breakdown of how the mobie spa will work on a day-to-day basis.

JS: We’ll be able to cater to corporate as well as private or individual clients who phone us on our hotline that will operate exclusively for mobile spa appointments; we’ll either come to you or you can come to us at centrally located mobile sites — which the client selects — where we’ll docked in, across the island. Plus, we can dock in your own site for added convenience. Right now, there are just two-strong, 40-foot units, but we hope to expand our Jencare Express fleet in short order. Also, as long as your property can accommodate, the next phase of this venture will be the facilitation of housecalls and shut-ins, employing much smaller mobile or RV units — 15 would be an ideal number. We encourage corporate clients to book us for functions and events that they are hosting as

one of the treats or activities for their guests and employees.

UTD: Who will make up the staff of this side of the business?

JS: Rather than hiring specific staffers just for Jencare Express, we want

all our existing employees to have the opportunity to work in this new area and allow them to reap those remuneratory benefits — everyone who works on the RV will earn overtime.

UTD: Will there be customary Jencare Skin Farm treatments and services that cannot be accom-modated aboard the Jencare Express, at the present time?

JS: Most of our basic services — such as facials, manicures and pedicures, massages, waxing, and body scrubs — will be made available on the mobile unit.

UTD: Is the mobile spa brand an extension of the Hope Road brick-and-mortar spa’s reach

or is it a separate and mutually-exclusive brand under the larger Jencare umbrella?

JS: It’s not a competitor, but it’s certainly an upgrade to Hope Road. The Express is like a Hollywood scene or lifestyle brought to our Jamaican environment.

UTD: Will Jencare Express attract or cultivate a subgroup among Jencare clients or will it be representative of a different platform?

JS: Though our Jencare clients are very loyal to us, I predict more men will use the mobile spa because of the difference in atmosphere and a better opportunity for discretion and privacy.

UTD: Looking to the future, do you think the mobile spas could ever successfully replace the need of a brick-and-mortar location and headquarters?

JS: No, they cannot replace it because there are still specific procedures, such as laser treatments, that cannot be accommodated aboard the mobile spas. As a trend, the mobile units will also appeal to that particular Jencare client who gravitates to Jencare Express’s convenient and portable nature, as well as its incorporation of technological features.