St. Charles man goes from massage-loving CEO to spa owner

During his years as the busy, globe-trotting CEO of a wireless products company, Bill Christy got hundreds of massages to help relieve stress.

When it came time to move on to the next professional venture, that's where Christy decided to look.

Christy, 51, of St. Charles, now is the owner of three Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa locations in the suburbs. He opened the third one Monday in South Elgin after taking over from previous owners a spa in Rolling Meadows in June and another one in Carol Stream in October.

"I know what I got out of it and I know what I liked," he said. "I figured I could do this and do it well, and make a difference."

All three spas offer specialized massages for oncology patients and pregnant women. As business grows, Christy said, he wants to partner with local cancer treatment centers and offer free massages for oncology patients "to help make a difference in the community."

Christy said he founded Xentris Wireless, based in Addison, 17 years ago and has sold his part in the company. "It was a lot of traveling. It grew to be a pretty large international company. It was pretty stressful, and 17 years of doing the same thing was a lot."

Massages were a huge stress reliever, especially after long flights to China and South Korea, he said. "I was on airplanes for 15 to 18 hours at a time. I would immediately run to the hotel and get a massage to relax. It was part of a routine."

Christy said he did a lot of research before settling on the Hand & Stone franchise, which also offers facials and hair removal. "When you walk in you get treated like you're special," he said. "I didn't realized there was one close by my home. I didn't know the company because they were small. Now it's 400 locations and growing. The name is getting out there."

A company spokesman said oncology and prenatal massages are available at a limited number of spas because of the specialized training required.

Christy said he's still hiring full- and part-time employees for the South Elgin location, which used to be a liquor store and was completely renovated. He's already looking at expanding into the space next door that Mattress Firm vacated last month, he added.

So is he less stressed now? Not yet, he said.

"(Opening) three of them in a four-month span was quite an undertaking. It's been a lot of sleepless nights."

But there are already major perks, like being able to spend a lot more time with his family, he said. He's especially glad his teenage daughter wanted to work the front desk at the South Elgin spa, he said.

"I truly believe in the brand," he said, "and I truly believe in what we're doing."