Biz Buzz: Blue Steel brightens up weddings

Wedding days are stressful enough without knowing that the lighting vendor thought his business idea was so off-the-wall that his company name comes from a joke in a movie.

"Now it's too late, and I can't change it," said Jeremy Kilgore, owner of Blue Steel Lighting Design.

The Virginia Beach-based company, which provides custom lighting for weddings and special events, opened a showroom last week in Henrico County. It expects in the next couple of years to make the Richmond area its main hub.

But when Kilgore launched the company six years ago in his garage, he wasn't sure there was much of a future.

So, as a joke, he named the firm after Derek Zoolander's famous pose in the comedy "Zoolander."

"I'm stuck with it," he said.

The new showroom, at 2830 Ackley Ave., which is off Parham Road and east of Staples Mills Road, was created to better reach Richmond-area brides. The company has been doing weddings in the market for a couple of years, but decided it was time to have a local presence.

"We thought it was the perfect time to set up shop here," he said.

Blue Steel designs custom lighting packages for weddings, including spotlights and multiple color schemes that highlight centerpieces, dances and guests. The company serves customers from Washington to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and also handles concerts and special events.

To reach new customers, Kilgore is working with wedding planners and hotels that usually deal with brides.

The new Henrico showroom includes a conference room and a faux ballroom set up with tables and decorations. Brides and their planners can come in and see how the lights will look in a real-world environment.

"Lighting is the biggest wow factor, but it's one of those things that you really need to see to appreciate," Kilgore said. "You can't describe blue. You can't describe green."

Escape expands

Escape Massage is opening a third location.

The Henrico-based therapeutic massage and spa company has signed a lease for a 2,900-square-foot spa at the Rutland Commons shopping center along U.S. 301 at Atlee Road in Hanover County, according to James Ashby, a broker for Cushman & Wakefield/Thalhimer.

Escape will begin construction on the space within 30 days and should open midsummer.

The company became the topic of national conversation in December 2009 when a guest host on Rush Limbaugh's radio show incorrectly stated that "Midlothian, Virginia, Escape massage parlor" had received federal stimulus money to open.

The two shops were inundated with calls within minutes, and the owners had to explain publicly that a portion of the funds for the spa came from a Small Business Administration-backed loan.

Escape has spas at Westchester Commons on Midlothian Turnpike near state Route 288 in Chesterfield County and on West Broad Street in western Henrico near Short Pump Town Center.

Ashby said Escape will most likely look at potential sites for a fourth location in the Richmond area several months after opening the one at Rutland Commons.

Fitness center grows

Styles Group Fitness will open two new centers next month, one in the Richmond area and another in North Carolina.

The personal training center's new local space will be at 11000 Three Chopt Road in Henrico, near the Innsbrook Corporate Center.

That location will be run by Cindy Bennett, the former owner of eco-friendly baby gear and gifts retailer MonkeyGrass.

Bennett, who sold MonkeyGrass in November, has been training for more than a year at Styles' location on Libbie Avenue near Grove Avenue in Richmond.

Styles, which bills itself as a group personal training boutique for women, also will open in Cary, N.C.

Both centers are expected to open the first week in April.

Ham shop moves

HoneyBaked Ham has moved into the Short Pump area of western Henrico.

The shop, which specializes in spiral hams, recently moved to the Towne Center West shopping center adjacent to Short Pump Town Center.

It had previously been located at the Gold's Gym Plaza on West Broad Street west of Parham Road.

The new location has indoor and outdoor seating and a new café menu that includes heated sandwiches.

Owner David Crawford said he wanted to move so that the shop could be in a more convenient location, especially for customers from the southern part of the metro area who could get to the shop easier by using state Route 288.

Max Muscle to RVA

Southern California-based Max Muscle Sports Nutrition is looking to open five stores in the Richmond market.

The company is seeking local franchisees to open and operate the stores. It expects the stores to open within the next three years.

Max Muscle, which sells nutritional supplements, has more than 140 stores in 38 states, including four in Virginia.