Dog groomer Joy Nachmias says she "wanted to bring a little bling to the [grooming] industry." Her contribution? Designer salon products for the pampered pooch.

After five years developing the formulas at her own grooming salon, Nachmias brought B3 Salon Products to market Oct. 3 at the H.H. Backer Chicago Trade Show.

The line includes shampoo, cologne, clothing and accessories.

"B3" in the name represents the tagline: Buy American, By Americans, Bye unknown foreign products.

As a groomer, Nachmias wasn't satisfied with existing products. She wanted an affordable anti-itch shampoo gentle on dogs' eyes that would brighten and degrease their coats.

"I wanted something that did it all, that was economical," she said.

"Being a groomer for 20 years, I did it out of necessity," she said. "A lot of products don't always do what they claim to do." And she wanted an all-in-one product instead of multiple ones to meet her needs.

In spite of the economy, the U.S. pet care market is growing. Total U.S. pet industry expenditures in 2008 will be more that $43 billion, according to estimates by the American Pet Products Association. That's up 34 percent from 2003.

Of that, $3.2 billion is spent on pet grooming and boarding alone.

Yet Nachmias says companies vying for the annual $127 each dog owner spends on grooming and grooming products miss the mark.

She was betting that other professionals wanted a better product.

"Who better to come up with it than a groomer?" she asked.

Expert sought experts
The certified master groomer left art school for the New York School of Dog Grooming more than 20 years ago.

Why? "Oh, that was a no-brainer for me," she said. "I just had to work with dogs and work with hair for a medium."

She opened Joy's Salty Dog Salon on the square in East Petersburg in 1992. It earned Lancaster Newspapers People's Choice Award in 2007.

She also breeds and shows AKC standard and miniature poodles, and is the founder of Lancaster Area Poodle Rescue.

"My interest in this industry is a lifestyle choice and not just a job," Nachmias said.

Two years ago, she traded the fast pace of the high-volume salon in East Petersburg for a mom-friendly salon in her Conestoga home. She sold the shop, but took its name with her.

Nachmias started experimenting with her own shampoo and cologne recipes in her salon five years ago. Early on, she sought expert help.

"I wanted to go with an absolute qualified chemist that specialized in formulations for pet products," she said.

 She didn't look further than the back of a dog shampoo bottle to find one.

"We played with the fragrances a lot at home but we left the chemistry to the professionals to give us what we wanted ... an all-in-one-use shampoo," said Nachmias . "I wanted a luxury shampoo that was economical."

The process was long and tedious, but the finished product was worth it, she said.

Pearl Wanner has been using the shampoo for several months in her salon, Pearl Wanner Dog Grooming, West Cocalico Township.

She likes the aqua color and suds, she said. "It lathers nice; not too thick or watered down," she said. She was sold when she blow-dried dogs coats and they "fluffed" nicely. Her customers have been happy with results, too, she said.

An 8-ounce bottle of concentrated cologne or shampoo retails for $16. Each bottle dilutes to make about a half-gallon of product, Nachmias said. The products are available through grooming salons and the Internet.

B3 shampoos are mixed and bottled in Kenosha, Wis. Colognes are mixed in upstate New York and bottled in Conestoga and Lancaster.

A corporation offered to buy the secret formula of human-grade synthetic ingredients, Nachmias said. But she doesn't want to lose control of state-side manufacturing or risk short-cuts with ingredients.

Besides, she's confident she's hit the mark for demand that others have missed. Groomers are buying it for the same reason she developed it, she said.

So far, her only marketing has been her introduction at the trade show and talking to other groomers at recent dog shows.

Nachmias said grooming will remain her primary focus but diversifying with salon products has been profitable.

"It's exploded," she said.

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Jeannette Scott is a Sunday News staff writer. Contact her at jscott@lnpnews.com or at 291-8689.