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<strong>BedTimes</strong><br />
| The Business Journal for the Sleep Products Industry February 2012<br />
When<br />
something<br />
goes<br />
WRONG<br />
Surviving a product recall<br />
What’s new in bed frames<br />
& support systems<br />
Your planning guide<br />
for ISPA EXPO 2012
INTERNATIONAL<br />
SLEEP<br />
PRODUCTS<br />
ASSOCIATION<br />
SUPPLIER<br />
MEMBER<br />
See what’s on our<br />
®<br />
horizon<br />
for 2012<br />
Developed and built<br />
with pride in the USA<br />
Contact a sales representative today at 770-963-7369 to schedule an appointment<br />
to visit our showroom and take a tour of our facility.<br />
The Sudden Service Company<br />
Atlanta Attachment Company • 362 Industrial Park Drive • Lawrenceville, GA 30046 • (770) 963-7369 • FAX (770) 963-7641<br />
©2012 Atlanta Attachment Co. 11231011012
visit booth<br />
# 101<br />
futura extra black bt<br />
to see the latest technology for<br />
the sleep products industry<br />
website: www.atlatt.com email: sales@atlatt.com<br />
Sewing Automation<br />
Atlanta Attachment Company<br />
The Company that<br />
Sudden Service<br />
built
Comfortable. Durable. Natural.<br />
PO Box 128 • Hickory, NC 28603<br />
(800) 438-5341 Ext. 4507<br />
www.preservefoam.com<br />
www.hickorysprings.com<br />
www.earthcareinside.com<br />
© 2011 Hickory Springs Mfg. Co.<br />
See why so many leading bedding manufacturers<br />
(and consumers) prefer Preserve ® , the rst<br />
foam made with renewable resources.<br />
Choosing Preserve® foam delivers an unprecedented level of comfort and consistent support while conserving our increasingly<br />
scarce oil resources. As more consumers continue to demand products made with renewable resources, they’ll be inclined to<br />
buy Preserve for the same reasons.<br />
Made from a natural derivative that’s more sustainable than oil-based foams, Preserve® is one of an entire line of bedding<br />
products manufactured by Hickory Springs under the company’s environmental initiative, EarthCare Inside. For more details,<br />
call (800) 438-5341 ext. 4507 or visit www.preservefoam.com
Editor in Chief<br />
Julie A. Palm<br />
571-482-5442<br />
jpalm@sleepproducts.org<br />
Associate Editor<br />
Barbara Nelles<br />
336-303-1114<br />
bnelles@sleepproducts.org<br />
Managing Editor<br />
Mary Best<br />
571-482-5432<br />
mbest@sleepproducts.org<br />
Art Director<br />
Stephanie Belcher<br />
336-201-7475<br />
stephanie@jimmydog.com<br />
Vice President<br />
of Advertising Sales<br />
Kerri Bellias<br />
336-945-0265<br />
kbellias@sleepproducts.org<br />
Advertising Production<br />
Manager<br />
Debbie Robbins<br />
571-482-5443<br />
drobbins@sleepproducts.org<br />
Circulation Manager<br />
Mary Rulli<br />
336-491-0443<br />
mrulli@sleepproducts.org<br />
Copy Editor<br />
Betsi Robinson<br />
Administrative and ISPA offices<br />
501 Wythe St.<br />
Alexandria, VA 22314-1917<br />
Phone 703-683-8371<br />
Fax 703-683-4503<br />
Volume 140, Number 2<br />
<strong>BedTimes</strong> (ISSN 0893-5556;<br />
Permit 047-620) is published monthly<br />
by the International Sleep Products<br />
Association. Periodicals postage paid<br />
in Alexandria, Va., and additional<br />
entry offices.<br />
Postmaster: Send address changes to<br />
<strong>BedTimes</strong><br />
501 Wythe St.<br />
Alexandria, VA 22314-1917<br />
Contents © 2012 by the<br />
International Sleep Products<br />
Association. Reprint permission<br />
obtainable through <strong>BedTimes</strong>.<br />
Contributors<br />
| Gary James<br />
Gary James is a freelance<br />
writer based in<br />
Chapel Hill, N.C. He<br />
spent more than 20<br />
years with Furniture/<br />
Today, serving as case<br />
goods editor and special<br />
projects editor,<br />
directing the editorial<br />
content of Leather Today, Bedding Today, SOHO<br />
Today, Global Textiles Today and other supplements,<br />
sections and features. He also has served<br />
as managing editor for a variety of other business<br />
publications, including Automotive Executive,<br />
Computer Entertainment News and eCommerce<br />
Business. He can be reached at 919-929-8978 or<br />
gejames1010@gmail.com.<br />
n Coming up<br />
<strong>BedTimes</strong><br />
Deadlines<br />
The deadline for the News and Newsmakers<br />
departments of the April issue is<br />
Thursday, March 1. Submit news releases<br />
and photos to jpalm@sleepproducts.org.<br />
Questions? Call 571-482-5442.<br />
Ahead in <strong>BedTimes</strong><br />
In March ISPA EXPO Show Issue: A comprehensive<br />
exhibitor directory and show<br />
details for the mattress industry’s largest<br />
show of machinery, equipment, components,<br />
supplies and services. Plus:<br />
A Las Vegas Market wrap-up.<br />
In April Customer Feedback: What do<br />
customers really think of your products<br />
and services? <strong>BedTimes</strong> looks at the best<br />
methods for soliciting customer opinions<br />
and shows you the most effective ways to<br />
use feedback.<br />
Get your own copy of <strong>BedTimes</strong><br />
Are you reading a copy of <strong>BedTimes</strong> borrowed<br />
from a colleague? Get your own subscription<br />
and make sure you never miss an issue. If your<br />
company is a member of the International<br />
Sleep Products Association, you can receive<br />
unlimited subscriptions for as many employees<br />
as you’d like at no charge. (Nonmember<br />
mattress manufacturers can receive one free<br />
| Dorothy Whitcomb Dorothy Whitcomb is<br />
a freelance journalist<br />
and editor whose<br />
work has appeared<br />
in a wide range of<br />
business and general<br />
interest publications.<br />
For 25 years,<br />
her primary focus<br />
has been the home furnishings industry. She<br />
writes about businesses, trends, products and<br />
design, specializing in profiles of companies<br />
and industry leaders. She wrote a profile of<br />
Dutch Craft Mattress Co. in the January issue<br />
of <strong>BedTimes</strong>. She can be reached at<br />
dwhitcomb@hughes.net or 410-820-0456.<br />
subscription per facility.) Fill out the subscription<br />
card in the back of this issue or visit www.<br />
bedtimesmagazine.com. Questions? Contact<br />
Mary Rulli, <strong>BedTimes</strong> circulation manager, at<br />
mrulli@sleepproducts.org or 336-491-0443.<br />
Sign up now and have <strong>BedTimes</strong> delivered<br />
directly to you!<br />
Are you an industry expert?<br />
<strong>BedTimes</strong> welcomes articles written by<br />
people working for mattress manufacturers<br />
or supplier companies who have<br />
expertise in a particular area.<br />
Some guidelines:<br />
n The article needs to address general industry<br />
issues and topics. It shouldn’t be<br />
a marketing piece for a specific company<br />
and can’t promote one company<br />
over others.<br />
n We reserve the right to edit all submissions<br />
for length and clarity and to<br />
ensure that they conform to <strong>BedTimes</strong>’<br />
editorial style.<br />
n The article must carry the byline of<br />
a specific individual, not a company<br />
name. We will include a contributor’s<br />
bio in the issue in which the article appears,<br />
listing the writer’s title, credentials<br />
and company affiliation.<br />
If you have an idea for an article, contact<br />
Julie Palm, editor in chief, at 571-482-5442 or<br />
jpalm@sleepproducts.org.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 3 |
Just like glue, we’re stuck on you.<br />
We know that mattress manufacturers get stuck when looking<br />
for a foam bonding adhesive supplier that offers quality, service,<br />
selection and cost-effective savings all rolled into one.<br />
There’s no need to come unglued; just turn to SABA.<br />
SABA’s water- based adhesives are second to none. We offer a<br />
complete selection of adhesive technologies and we can help<br />
you determine which one will work best in your manufacturing<br />
environment.<br />
Since 1933, SABA has combined a world-class adhesive<br />
research and development team with application process<br />
engineering to provide our customers with the most effective<br />
and efficient foam bonding processes.<br />
Only SABA provides the most efficient application processes<br />
on the planet ensuring the lowest possible adhesive cost per<br />
mattress produced. So don’t come unglued; contact SABA<br />
today.<br />
See for yourself first hand how the SABA foam bonding adhesive<br />
system can save you money!<br />
l Enjoy 20 to 50% reduction in adhesive costs<br />
l Zero capital outlay equipment options<br />
l Highest performing water-based adhesive<br />
l Cleaner and safer working environment<br />
l Monitor and control adhesive usage<br />
Contact SABA today for a risk-free 30 day testing period.<br />
Call us at 810 824 4964<br />
Email us at sales@saba-adhesives.com<br />
For sales inquiries,<br />
please contact:<br />
T 810 824 4964<br />
F 810 824 4986<br />
E sales@saba-adhesives.com<br />
W www.saba-adhesives.com<br />
SABA North America LLC<br />
5420 Lapeer Road<br />
Kimball MI 48074 USA<br />
SABA, dedicated to foam bonding<br />
Est. 1933: 78 years of strong bonds
■ Features<br />
| 17<br />
The great frame up<br />
Steel support systems are gaining strength as<br />
makers find ways to entice consumers with<br />
step-up support for higher-end bedding.<br />
| 26<br />
How to handle product recalls<br />
When a product recall occurs, manufacturers<br />
are expected to provide an immediate and<br />
effective response. Vigilance—and a plan—<br />
are keys to survival.<br />
| 51<br />
ISPA EXPO 2012<br />
A special planning section to help you organize<br />
your trip to ISPA EXPO 2012. This year’s<br />
event is March 14-17 in Indianapolis.<br />
■ Plus<br />
07 | Note<br />
64 | Calendar<br />
66 | Advertisers<br />
67 | Classifieds<br />
68<br />
Inside<br />
26<br />
■ Departments<br />
9 | Brief Sheet<br />
■ With help of talk-show host, mattress goes Hollywood<br />
■ Body hair deters bedbugs<br />
■ Mattress sales climb<br />
■ Gen Y redefines 9-to-5 & more…<br />
12 | Profile<br />
Roger Magowitz In memory of his mother, this veteran<br />
retailer founded the Seena Magowitz Foundation<br />
to further awareness of pancreatic cancer and calls on<br />
his industry colleagues to help in the effort.<br />
39 | News<br />
■ Marcus Investments buys Verlo<br />
■ Solstice Sleep expands in Tampa<br />
■ Natura World restructures & more…<br />
61 | Newsmakers<br />
■ Sealy CEO Rogers retiring<br />
■ Paramount Sleep adds to sales team<br />
■ Englander honors factories & more…<br />
65 | ISPA<br />
■ ISPA unveils new logo<br />
■ Proposed legislation puts mattress disposal in<br />
industry hands & more…<br />
68 | On Sleep<br />
■ FAA enacts rules to reduce pilot fatigue<br />
■ Waking up on the wrong side of the bed<br />
■ REM sleep helps bad dreams fade & more…<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 5 |<br />
9<br />
51<br />
7
PATRON: HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES
Julie A. Palm<br />
Editor in chief<br />
Note<br />
Planning<br />
for a recall<br />
you hope<br />
never has<br />
to happen<br />
When it comes to product recalls, the mattress<br />
industry has been fortunate. In the<br />
past decade, there have been fewer than<br />
a dozen recalls of mattresses or mattress<br />
pads, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety<br />
Commission website. That’s a far smaller number than in<br />
some other industries.<br />
In the United States, there are two main federal<br />
flammability standards—the open-flame standard<br />
(16 CFR Part 1633) and the cigarette flammability<br />
standard (16 CFR Part 1632)—under which mattresses<br />
and bed sets are most likely to be recalled. Mattresses<br />
intended for use by children and mattress pads are<br />
subject to some additional federal safety regulations.<br />
Just because it doesn’t happen every day, doesn’t<br />
mean mattress makers and importers can cross “product<br />
recall” off their list of things to worry about.<br />
In fact, as our cover story starting on Page 26 points<br />
out, two of the key strategies for dealing with product<br />
recalls involve planning far in advance for such an event.<br />
One strategy is to put quality control and other measures<br />
in place to ensure that products never have to be recalled<br />
in the first place. Another strategy kicks in if the other<br />
fails: have clear procedures in place for dealing with a recall<br />
to minimize the financial impact and reduce damage<br />
to your company’s reputation.<br />
The industry went full bore to prepare for the cigarette<br />
and open-flame standards before they went into<br />
effect in 1973 and 2007, respectively. Is your company<br />
keeping up with the quality-control and product-<br />
tracking measures you put in place back then? Are<br />
you still meticulous about your record keeping? When<br />
was the last time you conducted random burn tests to<br />
ensure compliance?<br />
You don’t want to have to manage a product recall.<br />
As our cover story emphasizes, a recall is an “expen-<br />
‘The time to repair the roof is<br />
when the sun is shining.’<br />
—John F. Kennedy<br />
sive, labor-intensive process, consuming staff and management<br />
time as companies scramble to determine<br />
exactly what products are affected, where they’ve been<br />
shipped and how to contact all the consumers who are<br />
using them. The process requires an<br />
‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach so that every<br />
stakeholder—anyone involved with producing, selling<br />
or using the product—is informed about the defect and<br />
the company’s plan to remedy the situation.”<br />
And that’s if a recall process goes well. A poorly<br />
managed recall can do irreparable damage to your<br />
company’s relationships with suppliers and retailers,<br />
tarnish your brand among consumers, and cost a<br />
fortune in staff time and recall-related expenses, not to<br />
mention civil penalties that could reach into the millions<br />
of dollars.<br />
If you haven’t already, now is the time to start planning<br />
for a possible recall of your products. Our story<br />
walks you through a typical recall process, points out<br />
potential pitfalls and provides resources for additional<br />
information.<br />
Once your plan is in place, let’s hope you never have<br />
to act on it. ■<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 7 |
U.S. bedding<br />
posts gains<br />
in sales, units<br />
Unit sales of beds<br />
(mattresses and<br />
foundations)<br />
increased by 2.7% in<br />
November 2011 when<br />
compared with the same<br />
month in 2010, according<br />
to Bedding Barometer,<br />
a monthly report<br />
of U.S. mattress sales<br />
published by the International<br />
Sleep Products<br />
Association. But wholesale<br />
revenues rose by<br />
14.4% over the prioryear<br />
period. The average<br />
unit selling price<br />
made similarly strong<br />
gains, up 11.5% over<br />
November 2010. Units<br />
and wholesale dollar<br />
values for January-<br />
November 2011<br />
remained positive—<br />
units sold increased<br />
1.6% and dollar values<br />
rose 9.1%. The<br />
year-to-date AUSP<br />
was up 7.4%.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com<br />
Occasionally, we all have to<br />
step up to the plate and<br />
complete an important project—or<br />
a ton of smaller ones—in<br />
a single workday. Jeff Haden,<br />
ghostwriter of nearly 40 nonfiction<br />
books and columnist for<br />
Inc.com and CBS Moneywatch.<br />
com, offers advice for when you<br />
need to go the extra mile.<br />
1Get the word out Interruptions<br />
destroy your concentration<br />
and productivity. Let<br />
co-workers, key customers, and<br />
even family and friends know<br />
that you’re planning a “project<br />
day.” Tell them what day you will<br />
be unavailable, when you will<br />
return calls and emails, and who<br />
they should contact in an emergency.<br />
The peer pressure from<br />
this kind of announcement also<br />
can motivate you to complete<br />
the work at hand.<br />
Brief Sheet<br />
7 steps to project productivity<br />
2Be specific Don’t set<br />
vague goals or timelines.<br />
Instead, estimate the amount<br />
of time you will need and<br />
commit. The hours will go by<br />
more quickly the longer your<br />
time frame is—and you’ll stop<br />
watching the clock.<br />
3Get an unusually early<br />
or late start By dramatically<br />
changing your normal<br />
routine, your sense of time also<br />
will change. Begin before the<br />
sun rises or pull an all-nighter<br />
like in your college days.<br />
4Delay gratification<br />
Postpone doing the things<br />
or activities that brighten your<br />
workday. They can perk you up<br />
in a few hours when you need<br />
a boost. If you enjoy listening<br />
to music while you work, keep<br />
your iPod in your desk for a<br />
The average American carries $69 in<br />
cash and four credit cards. But with the<br />
advent of the “mobile wallet”—a smart<br />
phone that also behaves like a credit<br />
card, checkbook and price-comparison<br />
service—consumers seem ready to<br />
ditch paper and plastic.<br />
—Time magazine, Jan. 9<br />
few hours. Then, when your<br />
enthusiasm begins to sag, your<br />
favorite music will re-energize<br />
you.<br />
5Anticipate what your<br />
body needs Feeling uncomfortable<br />
is an easy excuse<br />
for calling it a day. Don’t wait<br />
until your stomach is growling,<br />
your throat is parched or your<br />
legs are cramped to refuel,<br />
rehydrate and recharge. Eat<br />
a snack soon after you begin<br />
working. Skip taking an hour<br />
for lunch. Instead, plan meals<br />
that can be prepared easily and<br />
eaten quickly. Begin drinking<br />
water as soon as you arrive at<br />
your office. Move around so<br />
your back or legs won’t ache.<br />
Anticipate your body’s needs to<br />
stay motivated.<br />
6Don’t break your<br />
momentum Slacking off<br />
on the work you need to complete<br />
makes it harder to regain<br />
your energy level. Rather than<br />
rest breaks, take “productivity”<br />
breaks. Instead of taking a<br />
break to watch TV or go online,<br />
take a short walk and plan your<br />
next step on the project.<br />
7It isn’t over till it’s over<br />
Push yourself to complete<br />
your goals. Resist the temptation<br />
to quit because you’re<br />
tired or bored. Remaining committed<br />
and determined will<br />
build stamina and raise your<br />
effort level.<br />
February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 9 |
■ OppOrtunity<br />
off more<br />
than you can<br />
“Bite<br />
chew, then<br />
chew it.”—Ella Williams<br />
most<br />
unhappy<br />
“your<br />
customers<br />
are your greatest source<br />
of learning.”—Bill Gates<br />
way to get<br />
started is to<br />
“the<br />
quit talking<br />
and begin doing.”—Walt<br />
Disney<br />
we keep<br />
doing what<br />
“if<br />
we’re<br />
doing, we’re going to<br />
keep getting what we’re<br />
getting.”—Stephen Covey<br />
| 10 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
Rethinking 9-to-5<br />
Brief Sheet<br />
Thanks to new technologies,<br />
the workplace is<br />
expanding in ways so that<br />
many employees now can<br />
complete their work from<br />
anywhere at any time.<br />
According to a study by<br />
global mobile communications<br />
company Vodafone<br />
Global Enterprises, 90% of<br />
employers allow flexible<br />
work schedules rather than<br />
requiring the traditional,<br />
structured workday.<br />
For increased employee<br />
engagement and retention,<br />
Chief Executive magazine<br />
gives several reasons why<br />
companies should allow flexible<br />
work schedules for their employees, especially workers in<br />
their 20s and 30s.<br />
Gen Y workers (people born after 1980) are always<br />
1 connected to their jobs through technology. Technological<br />
advances mean employees are never off the clock.<br />
They always can be contacted and work at any time.<br />
2Gen Y workers value flexibility more than money. According<br />
to Chief Executive, 37% of Gen Yers would take<br />
a cut in pay in exchange for more work flexibility.<br />
Gen Y workers will work only for companies where<br />
3 they can access Facebook. According to a survey<br />
from networking giant Cisco Systems, access to social<br />
media is more important to this generation than salary.<br />
Body hair keeps<br />
bedbugs at bay<br />
H airy humans don’t let the<br />
bedbugs bite, according to a<br />
recent study from the University<br />
of Sheffield in England.<br />
Fine, sensitive hairs that cover<br />
our bodies enable us to feel parasitic<br />
insects on our skin and create<br />
a natural barrier to prevent<br />
them from biting us, according<br />
to the researchers.<br />
A group of 29 undergraduates<br />
agreed to have one arm shaved<br />
before hungry bedbugs were allowed<br />
to feast on their skin.<br />
The investigation showed layers<br />
of longer hairs and smaller,<br />
almost invisible hairs covering<br />
the participants’ arms helped<br />
detect and defend against the<br />
parasitic insects.<br />
Researchers concluded that<br />
bedbugs and other parasites,<br />
including mosquitoes, midges,<br />
ticks and leeches, favor relatively<br />
hairless areas such as wrists and<br />
ankles.<br />
The study<br />
was published<br />
in the journal<br />
Biology<br />
Letters.<br />
Conan O’Brien takes a break on Kluft mattress<br />
bed from luxury producer E.S. Kluft & Co. recently made a<br />
A cameo appearance on the TBS talk show Conan and gave<br />
late-night host Conan O’Brien a much-needed break when he resttested<br />
a Kluft mattress.<br />
During the four-minute segment, which aired Dec. 21, O’Brien<br />
visited a Los Angeles Bloomingdale’s where employees tried to<br />
teach him how to wrap holiday gifts. In typical O’Brien fashion,<br />
things went awry. After a couple of failed attempts, the exhausted<br />
comedian sneaked over to the bedding department and stretched<br />
out on a Kluft mattress from the Beyond Luxury collection.<br />
“When wrapping gifts, it’s important to take a break every now<br />
and then. It’s a lot of pressure,” O’Brien said. “This is a very nice<br />
mattress!”<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
Below<br />
Strong bond<br />
Roger Magowitz (right),<br />
was raised by a single<br />
mother, Seena<br />
Magowitz, after his<br />
parents divorced when<br />
he was 2 years old.<br />
Top right<br />
Search for a cure<br />
The Seena Magowitz<br />
Foundation works with<br />
Dr. Daniel Von Hoff,<br />
a pancreatic cancer<br />
researcher. Von Hoff is<br />
shown (center) at the<br />
annual Seena Magowitz<br />
Celebrity Golf<br />
Classic, along with<br />
Roger Magowitz,<br />
foundation chairman,<br />
and Von Hoff’s wife,<br />
Ann Von Hoff.<br />
| 12 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
Bedding<br />
By Dorothy WhitcomB<br />
Profile<br />
veteran finds<br />
passion for<br />
philanthropy<br />
Personal loss leads<br />
Magowitz to search<br />
for pancreatic cancer cure<br />
Growing up in Brooklyn in the 1960s<br />
and 1970s taught mattress industry<br />
veteran Roger Magowitz two important<br />
lessons. First, he learned that if he<br />
wanted something, he’d better go after<br />
it. But equally important was the realization that connections<br />
to other people were fundamental to reaching<br />
his goals.<br />
“Growing up in Brooklyn taught me independence<br />
and self-reliance,” Magowitz says. “There was no one to<br />
watch out for you, so you had to watch out for yourself.<br />
If you wanted something, you had to grab it. No one<br />
was going to give you anything.”<br />
Magowitz’s childhood was not an easy one. His parents<br />
divorced when he was 2 years old. In good times,<br />
he, a brother and his mother lived in a small onebedroom<br />
apartment. In bad times, they moved into his<br />
grandparents’ already-cramped home.<br />
“It was a challenge,” he says. “Fifty years ago,<br />
divorce was not an acceptable practice and my mother<br />
was really stigmatized.”<br />
The woman at the center of his life<br />
When Magowitz talks about his mother, Seena Magowitz,<br />
his devotion and respect for her are palpable.<br />
She was, he says, not the kind of woman who would<br />
let social stigma get in her way. And when it came to<br />
her children, Seena Magowitz used every tool at her<br />
disposal to help them attain better lives.<br />
What Seena Magowitz lacked in financial resources,<br />
she made up for in friends, Magowitz says. She went<br />
to high school with Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher<br />
Sandy Koufax and New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon.<br />
Through them and other acquaintances, she made sure<br />
her son spent his summers away from Brooklyn.<br />
“I’d go to Fire Island (N.Y.) and enter a completely<br />
different culture. It was the world of the rich and<br />
famous—a world of household help, sailboats, nice<br />
restaurants and camps for kids,” Magowitz says. “My<br />
mother knew what she was doing: Get the kid out<br />
of Brooklyn and let him see a different kind of life. I<br />
became driven by the experience.”<br />
A traditional route to the good life—go to college,<br />
enter a profession, work your way up—held little appeal<br />
for Magowitz. Instead, he joined the U.S. Marines<br />
after graduating from high school.<br />
Once again, Magowitz entered a new world. As a<br />
Marine, he met people from all over the country—<br />
people of different religions, races and socio-economic<br />
backgrounds.<br />
Climbing into the bedding business<br />
When Magowitz left the service in 1983, he took a<br />
part-time sales job with Mattress Discounters, a retail<br />
bedding chain with stores in several mid-Atlantic<br />
states. Four years later, he was appointed vice president<br />
of the company and offered the chance to purchase<br />
six royalty-free licenses for Mattress Discounters<br />
stores in the area around Hampton Roads, Va.<br />
To make the deal work, Magowitz tapped every<br />
resource and drew on every connection he had. He<br />
leveraged his credit cards, sought loans from family<br />
members and negotiated favorable terms on inventory.<br />
Magowitz incorporated his fledgling business as Maggie’s<br />
Enterprise Inc. and, though still only in his 20s,<br />
he set out to conquer the world of retail bedding.<br />
“The first few years were touch and go. I really<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
didn’t know what I was doing, but thought that I could<br />
do anything. I was convinced that there was no one<br />
smarter than me and that if I put the effort into it, I<br />
could make it,” he says. “I put in a lot of hours learning<br />
the financial and legal sides of the business. It was<br />
persistence that made it happen.”<br />
For the next 27 years, Magowitz built his business<br />
and, at one point, operated 34 stores under the Mattress<br />
Discounters and Metropolitan Mattress names.<br />
By early 2010, however, he had winnowed that number<br />
to 26 and was considering some profound changes<br />
to his life.<br />
Cancer changes everything<br />
It was a process of reflection that started nearly a<br />
decade earlier with his mother’s death from pancreatic<br />
cancer in 2001. Magowitz was shocked by her diagnosis—pancreatic<br />
cancer is generally asymptomatic<br />
■ BRIEFLY<br />
Name Roger Magowitz<br />
Company Mattress Firm<br />
Location Houston<br />
Position Charitable adviser<br />
Passion Founder and chairman of the<br />
Seena Magowitz Foundation, an<br />
organization committed to advancing<br />
awareness, early detection<br />
and the eventual prevention<br />
and cure of pancreatic cancer<br />
Age 52<br />
Family He and his wife, Jeanne, have<br />
been married for 27 years. They<br />
have one son, Craig.<br />
Profile<br />
until well advanced—and devastated by her death just<br />
five months later. He mourned the loss of his mother,<br />
railed against the cancer and, ultimately, resolved to<br />
find a way to beat the disease that had taken her.<br />
Within a year, he created the Seena Magowitz<br />
Foundation with the hope of raising awareness of the<br />
disease so that early detection might prolong other<br />
lives. The foundation’s ultimate goal, Magowitz says,<br />
is to raise funds to advance science to the point where<br />
pancreatic cancer can be prevented or cured.<br />
In 2003, he launched the Seena Magowitz Celebrity<br />
Golf Classic, again building on his wide array of connections.<br />
Since its founding, the annual fundraiser has become<br />
a major bedding industry event, drawing suppliers,<br />
manufacturers and retailers from all over the country to<br />
Arizona in December for a weekend filled with receptions,<br />
auctions, awards, information about pancreatic<br />
cancer research advances and, of course, golf.<br />
“Most of the people who come to the event have no<br />
relationship to pancreatic cancer. They’re coming out<br />
for me,” Magowitz says. “In 2011, we had 225 golfers<br />
and a total of 400 attendees. We raised about $600,000<br />
and received a pledge of $1.5 million. We have no paid<br />
employees and 100% of the money goes to research. I<br />
definitely feel as if we’re beginning to push the needle<br />
on pancreatic cancer.”<br />
To focus his full attention on the foundation,<br />
Magowitz sold Maggie’s Enterprise to Houston-based<br />
bedding chain Mattress Firm in late 2010. He then<br />
signed on as the company’s charitable adviser with<br />
the mandate to focus his attention on ways to fight<br />
pancreatic cancer.<br />
“Mattress Firm has been great to me. This is a<br />
proud moment,” Magowitz says. “How many people<br />
have the opportunity to do something that they have a<br />
passion for and change the world? Steve Stagner (Mattress<br />
Firm president and chief executive officer) is a<br />
young man with the same commitment that I have and<br />
the opportunity that he’s given me is incredible.” ■<br />
■ AnothER SIDE<br />
Teamwork Business,<br />
at its best, is often a<br />
creative, collaborative<br />
process and Roger<br />
Magowitz takes great<br />
pride in the retail<br />
enterprise that he<br />
built. “It was very satisfying<br />
to find that all<br />
of the effort worked,”<br />
he says. “I was able to<br />
build a team of people<br />
who enjoyed running<br />
the stores and being<br />
part of something big.”<br />
A compassionate,<br />
concerned industry<br />
“My hat is off to the<br />
entire mattress industry<br />
when it comes to<br />
efforts on behalf of<br />
pancreatic cancer.<br />
I’ve just rallied them,”<br />
says Magowitz, who<br />
established the Seena<br />
Magowitz Foundation,<br />
a charity that advances<br />
awareness of pancreatic<br />
cancer and<br />
seeks to find a cure<br />
for the disease. “The<br />
industry has a chance<br />
of going down in history<br />
as the force that<br />
actually found a cure<br />
for pancreatic cancer.”<br />
A crossroads<br />
Magowitz says he is<br />
reassessing “what<br />
I want to do when I<br />
grow up.” He thinks his<br />
foundation is having<br />
“good growing pains”<br />
and may benefit from<br />
professional management.<br />
He, in turn, wonders<br />
if he should start<br />
another business or<br />
devote all of his time to<br />
philanthropy. “Change<br />
is good, but balance is<br />
harder to achieve,” he<br />
says.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 13 |
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Product<br />
PEDAL TO THE METAL<br />
New features rev up steel frames<br />
& support systems / By BarBara Nelles<br />
Top left<br />
Understated strength<br />
Leggett & Platt’s<br />
Consumer Products<br />
Group in Whittier,<br />
Calif., has launched<br />
the premium Prestige<br />
frame with triangular<br />
side rails, oversized<br />
recessed glides,<br />
pushpin assembly<br />
and a jet-black finish.<br />
Top right<br />
Contemporary<br />
Knickerbocker in<br />
Carlstadt, N.J., has<br />
launched emBrace,<br />
a composite,<br />
resin-encased frame<br />
that assembles in<br />
seconds.<br />
Steel bedding support systems have long hidden<br />
below headboards, behind footboards and<br />
beneath dust ruffles. Except for perhaps the<br />
occasional squeak, the metal parts that keep<br />
bed sets lifted off the floor have settled for being barely<br />
noticed by consumers and even retailers. That may be<br />
changing.<br />
<strong>BedTimes</strong> spoke with manufacturers and distributors<br />
of the hidden hardware beneath stationary beds to<br />
find out what’s up down there. These companies supply<br />
an array of metal components to mattress manufacturers<br />
and retailers, but the products we focus on here<br />
are bed frames to which a headboard may be attached,<br />
bed rails that link headboard to footboard, bed bases—<br />
popular in hospitality settings because they keep items<br />
from rolling under the bed—and supplemental support<br />
systems that are added to an existing frame or all-wood<br />
bedroom set.<br />
When <strong>BedTimes</strong> last presented an in-depth report<br />
on such products in 2006, suppliers were focused on<br />
educating retailers about the need for supplemental<br />
support beneath inexpensive, imported bedroom sets.<br />
That message seems to have been absorbed by retailers<br />
and furniture manufacturers. Today, frame makers are<br />
vying to entice consumers with step-up support for<br />
higher-end bedding.<br />
The standard brown angle iron promotional bed<br />
frame continues to abound at retail. But there are new<br />
colors, a broad selection of looks and price points in<br />
wheels and glides, and even some different rail profiles.<br />
Giveaways going away<br />
The idea of a giveaway promotional frame with bed<br />
purchase is gradually disappearing, most suppliers agree.<br />
Post-recession, many retailers are focused more on selling<br />
frames—and selling better frames—and that’s spurring<br />
product and marketing innovations among producers.<br />
“Before 2008, when times were good, retailers could<br />
afford to give away an inexpensive frame that might retail<br />
for between $30 and $60,” says Herman Tam, group vice<br />
president of marketing for Leggett & Platt’s Consumer<br />
Products Group in Whittier, Calif., the largest supplier of<br />
frames and support systems in North America.<br />
Today, it’s far more likely that a retailer will offer a<br />
choice: a free promotional frame, free mattress delivery or<br />
free takeaway of a used mattress—but not all three, says<br />
Ron Fredman, executive vice president of Glideaway Bed<br />
Carriage Co. in St. Louis.<br />
“Frames are being sold—not given away—partly because<br />
of inflationary pressures on steel prices,” says Brent<br />
Polunsky, bedding support sales manager for El Paso,<br />
Texas-based W. Silver Products, a vertically integrated<br />
company that produces its own angle iron in an ISO<br />
9001-certified factory.<br />
“With mattresses heavier—and people heavier—it’s especially<br />
important today for retailers to get the consumer<br />
to spend the extra money for extra support,” Polunsky says.<br />
W. Silver is filling out its lineup of support systems. In<br />
October, it introduced the premium Silver-Lock frame,<br />
which has a “wedge-type” rail, an oversized headboard<br />
bracket and new leg design.<br />
February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 17 |
| 18 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
Product<br />
Reroll steel mills go beyond ‘green’<br />
Most bed frames and support systems manufactured in the United<br />
States are made from recycled rail steel.<br />
The story behind the use of such steel in bed frames is a powerful<br />
one to tell consumers, says Ron Fredman, executive vice president of Glideaway<br />
Bed Carriage Co. in St. Louis.<br />
“Rail steel is known for its exceptional strength. Consider that rail steel has<br />
spent years being crushed—impacted by 250,000 tons on a regular basis,”<br />
he says. “When you turn that rail<br />
steel into a bed frame, you get<br />
resiliency. Take a sledge hammer<br />
to a bed frame, it’s not<br />
going to bend.”<br />
W. Silver Inc., based in El<br />
Paso, Texas, is a 43-year-old<br />
steel mill that supplies W. Silver<br />
Products, as well as other bedding<br />
hardware producers and<br />
industry sectors, with rerolled rail<br />
steel. The company takes being<br />
“green” seriously. It has a number<br />
of sustainability initiatives in<br />
place that reduce, reuse and recycle<br />
throughout the manufacturing<br />
process. Sister company<br />
Top<br />
Sustainable steel W. Silver Inc. in El<br />
Paso, Texas, processes recycled rail<br />
steel at its energy-efficient reroll mill.<br />
Bottom<br />
Negative carbon footprint Jersey Shore<br />
Steel in Jersey Shore, Pa., powers its<br />
furnaces with methane from the local<br />
landfill. (Photo by Mark Nance, Williamsport<br />
Sun-Gazette, used by permission. Photo copyright<br />
Williamsport Sun-Gazette.)<br />
W. Silver Recycling, in business<br />
for 90 years, is nearby to process<br />
and recycle metals, including<br />
used machinery blades, as well<br />
as plastics, paper, cardboard,<br />
electronics waste and more.<br />
Mattress industry supplier Jersey<br />
Shore Steel, based in Jersey<br />
Shore, Pa., also takes environmental<br />
sustainability seriously.<br />
In 2001, Jersey Shore began<br />
heating one of its furnace zones<br />
with methane gas piped in from<br />
the local landfill. By 2006, it had converted all six furnace zones to landfill gas.<br />
In addition to burning methane, the mill’s energy-efficient recuperative<br />
furnace captures exhaust gas and recirculates it, reducing the need for air<br />
preheaters. The company has converted more than 100 motors that drive<br />
water pumps, compressors and other mill equipment to electricity-saving,<br />
variable-frequency drives. The company recycles scrap and waste throughout<br />
its plant and has installed energy-efficient lighting.<br />
“We were very aggressive and ahead of the curve in following this environmentally<br />
friendly path,” says Marshall Welch, Jersey Shore president and chief<br />
executive officer. “The whole point of the sustainability movement is that it<br />
makes dollars and sense when managed properly. We were consuming a lot<br />
of electricity and natural gas before getting to where we are today.”<br />
In fact, according to Pennsylvania State University researchers who conducted<br />
an assessment in 2011, Jersey Shore Steel’s environmental impacts<br />
are so low, the company has what amounts to a negative carbon footprint.<br />
Framing the sale<br />
The focus on selling bed frames varies from retailer<br />
to retailer, with some placing much greater emphasis<br />
on upselling shoppers to better frames. Suppliers<br />
say they have put considerable effort into educating<br />
retailers about how to sell better frames.<br />
“We do see a lot of cost-driven retailers, which is<br />
why we have something for everyone, from inexpensive<br />
$30 frames up to $199,” Tam says. “There are<br />
thousands of SKUs, including frames, rails, supports<br />
and other hardware.”<br />
An emphasis on sales training is part of the<br />
Leggett & Platt Retail Solution program for mattress<br />
retailers. L&P also supplies an array of<br />
point-of-purchase information for consumers.<br />
Whatever a retailer’s philosophy about selling<br />
frames and supports, presenting a “good-better-best”<br />
choice will increase the likelihood of making the<br />
sale, Tam says.<br />
A typical three-step collection of frames from<br />
L&P might range from the promotional Restmore<br />
series to the mid-priced Inst-A-Matic (which retails<br />
for approximately $100 in queen size and is the<br />
company’s most popular “better” frame) to the Edge<br />
premium frame with a tubular design.<br />
Niles Cornelius, general manager of Hickory at<br />
Home in Hickory, N.C., is another proponent of a<br />
good-better-best merchandising strategy.<br />
“We find that major sleep shop chains who master<br />
the art of step-up mattress sales are quite successful<br />
at selling ‘better’ bed frames, too,” Cornelius<br />
says. Hickory distributes a line of good-better-best<br />
support systems manufactured by Mantua Mfg. Co.,<br />
including Insta-Lock bed frames and the Strong Arm<br />
brand of center support systems.<br />
“Often for about a $20 premium, you can purchase<br />
a ‘better’ frame with your new bed and for<br />
about $50 more, you can get the very best,” Cornelius<br />
says. “On the other hand, many furniture stores<br />
only stock inexpensive frames and are missing out<br />
on an opportunity. They are not really focusing on<br />
the support under the bed as they should be.”<br />
“Some retailers tell us they have no problem selling<br />
a step-up frame when the consumer is spending<br />
$1,000 to $2,000 on a bed set,” says David Jaffee,<br />
president of Mantua, which has headquarters in<br />
Walton Hills, Ohio. “People understand they are<br />
protecting their investment by purchasing a good<br />
frame.”<br />
“But,” Jaffee continues, “it takes a certain level of<br />
commitment to sell a step-up frame and you must<br />
be willing to train your RSAs. Oddly, sometimes<br />
low-cost retailers are all about it and high-end<br />
retailers can’t be bothered. Those retailers who have<br />
focused on frames and supports have been incredibly<br />
successful with them.”<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
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Top<br />
Store your stuff<br />
Forever Foundations<br />
LLC in Orange, Calif.,<br />
imports a collection<br />
of tubular steel<br />
platform<br />
foundations that<br />
provide a 14-inch<br />
high storage space<br />
underneath.<br />
Bottom<br />
Super strong Mantua<br />
Mfg. Co. in Walton<br />
Hills, Ohio, offers a<br />
top-of-the-line bed<br />
frame with 1 ¾-inch<br />
rails.<br />
| 20 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
Product<br />
Mantua has four U.S. manufacturing plants for<br />
frames and supports. About 70% of the products it<br />
sells are made in the United States from recycled<br />
rail steel. Mantua’s bed frame line includes a “good”<br />
and “better” Insta-Lock series with 1 ¼-inch rails or<br />
1 ½-inch rails. It also offers a heavy-duty, premium<br />
Craftlock bed frame with 1 ¾-inch rails.<br />
Glideaway offers four grades of frames—from<br />
promotional to ultra-premium—in addition to<br />
other specialized premium products, all of which<br />
are made in the United States, Fredman says. The<br />
company recently introduced a POP display unit<br />
that showcases as many as five miniature <strong>version</strong>s<br />
of its steel bed frames and support systems, plus<br />
brochures detailing product information.<br />
“Once customers can see and feel the difference<br />
between the 1 ¼-inch by 1 ¼-inch side rails in the<br />
promotional line and the 1 ¾-inch by 1 3 /8-inch<br />
ribbed side rails of the ultra-premium line, the cost<br />
difference can be better justified,” Fredman says.<br />
Glideaway’s ECO frame, which is packaged<br />
in recycled cardboard, enhances and illustrates<br />
the frame’s sustainability story for consumers. It<br />
launched in August and is a hit with “green” retailers,<br />
Fredman says.<br />
Boyd Specialty Sleep, a mattress maker and<br />
furniture distributor based in St. Louis, has created<br />
a series of short videos that explain how to assemble<br />
its collection of imported platform-style steel foun-<br />
dation frames. While shopping, consumers can scan<br />
a quick response, or QR, tag on the product box<br />
and watch the video of the frame’s easy assembly on<br />
their smart phone.<br />
Several support system makers say they supply<br />
e-commerce sites. Some report that Internet<br />
sales have jumped, but mostly in the promotional<br />
category.<br />
“We are seeing much more Internet activity,<br />
but it’s amazingly competitive,” Jaffee says. “Most<br />
e-commerce companies are great at selling products<br />
off the shelf, but they’re basically in the technology<br />
business, not the sleep products business. It’s a little<br />
harder for them to execute a step-up program.”<br />
Latest features<br />
With giveaways no longer a given, manufacturers<br />
say there is a greater a demand from retailers for<br />
innovation in under-the-bed hardware.<br />
While the L&P angle iron Inst-A-Matic frame<br />
remains a “volume seller,” in 2008 the company<br />
launched what it says was the industry’s first stylish,<br />
tubular steel frame, the Edge. It has a satin silver<br />
finish, round legs and locking rug-roller wheels.<br />
“You build in features and benefits that retailers<br />
can use to make the sale,” Tam says. “We spoke to<br />
consumers and discovered some want something<br />
special, not just functionally good, but something<br />
better looking.”<br />
At the recent Las Vegas Market, L&P introduced<br />
a “best of the best” bed frame, the Prestige. Features<br />
include tubular steel rails, extra-large recessed<br />
glides and pushpin assembly. The frame adjusts to<br />
any bed size. Although it’s finished in a sleek, highgloss<br />
jet black, it’s designed to be mostly hidden<br />
from view.<br />
Both the Edge and Prestige have suggested retail<br />
prices in the $179 to $199 range.<br />
“The bed frame is not the lead actor—it’s a highly<br />
functional product that we are making a little more<br />
sexy to capture the consumer’s attention in the<br />
store,” Tam says. “You want the frame to say, ‘Buy<br />
me now!’ But when they get it home, most consumers<br />
don’t want to showcase the bed frame. That’s the<br />
design balance we’re trying to strike.”<br />
In addition to its full line of Bed Architecture—sturdy<br />
bed frames with center supports and<br />
supplemental center support systems, including<br />
the Bedbeam series— Knickerbocker now offers the<br />
emBrace frame.<br />
“Your bed feels better and performs better on<br />
an emBrace,” says Richard Polevoy, president of the<br />
Carlstadt, N.J.-based company. “It supports 2,000<br />
pounds without deflection and no ‘creep.’ ” The<br />
frame has seven patents issued or pending, including<br />
one for a T-section side rail.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
In response to growing concerns in many healthcare and institutional settings over<br />
certain harmful or suspect chemical compounds, Vintex has introduced the Safe Guard<br />
Barrier Systems certification. This is your assurance that pillows, pads or mattresses<br />
covered with Vintex SoffTICK ® fabrics are manufactured to be free of lead, cadmium,<br />
mercury, arsenic and phthalates. So, look for the Vintex name and rest assured that you<br />
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M a d e i n n o r t h a M e r i c a | w w w . v i n t e x . c o M | 1 . 8 0 0 . 8 4 6 . 8 3 9 9
Top left<br />
Stylish platform Boyd<br />
Specialty Sleep in<br />
St. Louis offers a line<br />
of metal platform<br />
frames, some with<br />
decorative elements<br />
such as this one with<br />
arched legs.<br />
Right<br />
Comparison shop<br />
Glideaway Bed<br />
Carriage Co. in<br />
St. Louis makes<br />
step-up sales a cinch<br />
with a display unit for<br />
as many as five<br />
miniature bed frames.<br />
| 22 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
Product<br />
“With emBrace, we’ve developed a new product<br />
and new branding and are reinventing the category,”<br />
Polevoy says. “With a combination of form and function,<br />
this does not look like hardware. It looks like<br />
a piece of furniture and is the strongest bed frame<br />
that’s ever been designed.”<br />
The angle iron frame is encased in a smooth,<br />
rounded composite resin that comes in black, white,<br />
gray and brown. The emBrace retails for about $299<br />
in queen size. Once unboxed, the frame assembles<br />
quickly, Polevoy says.<br />
“Bedding keeps moving up in price, quality and<br />
feel,” Polevoy says. “We wanted to enhance the<br />
performance and look of a set of bedding and finish<br />
it properly.”<br />
Glideaway recently introduced the premium T9<br />
Series, which Fredman describes as a “cool-looking”<br />
universal frame that retails for $179 to $199 in<br />
queen. It has nine legs, new wheel styles and three<br />
cross supports.<br />
“Retailers who already carry it are seeing a 50%<br />
attachment rate with queens and 60% with king<br />
beds,” Fredman says. “With consumers spending<br />
$200 for a pillow, upselling them to a $200 frame<br />
with a bit of a ‘wow’ factor is not such a big deal.”<br />
While rainbow colors don’t exactly dominate<br />
this product segment—in fact, most are finished in<br />
neutral or metallic hues—L&P has a powder-coat<br />
facility capable of producing frames in virtually any<br />
color, Tam says.<br />
Another design trend: Wheeled legs are giving<br />
way to glides, which are more stationary but still<br />
allow a bed to be moved across hardwood floors or<br />
rugs, Tam says.<br />
“We encourage people to go with glides and there<br />
is a definite trend toward them,” Jaffee says. “Glides<br />
are incrementally stronger, less expensive and, if<br />
you look at how vacuum cleaners are engineered<br />
today, there’s less need to be able to move the bed to<br />
clean under it.”<br />
Urban dwellers and a trend toward smaller<br />
houses have led to increased interest in under-bed<br />
storage.<br />
“Under-bed storage is a really big thing now and<br />
we are focusing on that,” Jaffee says. “We’re finding<br />
that more folks are buying bed bases for the home—<br />
it’s not just a hospitality sale anymore. In addition to<br />
storage, consumers like that nothing can roll under<br />
the bed.”<br />
At the winter Las Vegas Market, Mantua’s major<br />
launch was a new bed base. It’s available in three<br />
neutral finishes with a large storage drawer at the<br />
foot of the bed.<br />
Step up to steel foundations<br />
The lines appear to be blurring between support<br />
systems and foundations.<br />
Three years ago, L&P introduced the Out of the<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
Box Foundation, a “box spring” with flexion, fabric<br />
cover and detachable legs. The unit folds in half for<br />
easy shipping and is designed for e-commerce sales<br />
and easier deliveries to apartment dwellers.<br />
The trend toward thick, one-sided mattresses<br />
sold with no-flex or low-flex wood foundations has<br />
paved the way for acceptance of the steel platform<br />
bed frame, which takes the place of both foundation<br />
and bed frame. Most of these steel platform frames<br />
knock down for easy shipping. The product first<br />
appeared in North America about five years ago as<br />
an import from China. The bases vary in quality and<br />
strength and are imported by a number of companies.<br />
Boyd Specialty Sleep offers a collection of allmetal<br />
platform bases that have suggested retails<br />
from $99 to $199 in queen size. The foundations<br />
offer superior strength and support, says President<br />
Dennis Boyd.<br />
“The steel supports are significantly stronger<br />
than any spaced pine framing used on an all-wood<br />
foundation. I don’t see many foundation suppliers<br />
advertising that their product can support 2,500<br />
pounds,” he says.<br />
Product<br />
“In container quantities, the queen platform base<br />
lands for about $50—this is approximately the same<br />
price or less than a retailer pays for a foundation,”<br />
Boyd says. “In addition, the mattress would then<br />
need a metal bed frame, usually $30 to $50. A platform<br />
frame is both less expensive and more durable<br />
and does not bend, squeak, warp or break. They can<br />
be transported in a car, fit easily in an elevator and<br />
go up virtually any stairway.” Boyd’s higher-priced<br />
metal foundations incorporate decorative elements.<br />
Forever Foundations LLC, based in Orange,<br />
Calif., imports a collection of Forever brand tubular<br />
steel platform foundations from China. Key benefits<br />
are durability, easy assembly and under-bed storage,<br />
the company says. The foundations, including the<br />
Forever Storage bed base with tilt-up access, provide<br />
a 14-inch high storage space beneath the bed.<br />
“They’re made of 80% recycled tubular steel in<br />
16 gauge,” says Mike Echevarria, Forever Foundations<br />
national director of sales and marketing. “The<br />
top has support bars and a taut trampoline-material<br />
cover. Our customers range from mom-and-pop<br />
stores to major sleep shop chains.” ■<br />
‘With<br />
consumers<br />
spending<br />
$200 for<br />
a pillow,<br />
upselling them<br />
to a $200<br />
frame with a<br />
bit of a “wow”<br />
factor is not<br />
such a big<br />
deal.’<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 23 |
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Note: Information in this article is intended<br />
for general educational purposes.<br />
Consult with your own legal counsel or<br />
product safety adviser for specific<br />
guidance related to your company.<br />
| 26 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
DAMAGE<br />
CONTROL<br />
Surviving a product recall<br />
By GARy JAMES<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
When mattresses need to be pulled from<br />
consumers’ homes and repaired or destroyed because<br />
of safety concerns, the process is called a “recall.”<br />
But for the companies involved, it’s an experience<br />
they would rather forget.<br />
A product recall can be an expensive, labor-intensive process, con-<br />
suming staff and management time as companies scramble to deter-<br />
mine exactly what products are affected, where they’ve been shipped<br />
and how to contact all the consumers who are using them. The<br />
process requires an “all-hands-on-deck” approach so that every<br />
stakeholder—anyone involved with producing, selling or using the<br />
product—is informed about the defect and the company’s plan to<br />
remedy the situation.<br />
In addition, the process of conducting a product recall exposes<br />
a company to increased scrutiny from the U.S. Consumer Product<br />
Safety Commission—the federal agency charged with protecting<br />
the public from harm caused by certain consumer products—as<br />
well as the media and consumers. Handled incorrectly, a recall<br />
can result in damaged supplier and retailer relationships and a tar-<br />
nished brand image that may be difficult to correct. And the legal<br />
stakes of a misstep are higher than ever.<br />
“With the enactment of the Consumer Product Safety Improve-<br />
ment Act of 2008, the amount of penalties the CPSC is permitted to<br />
seek has been raised substantially—to $100,000 per violation, with the<br />
maximum penalties raised to $15 million for a related series of viola-<br />
tions,” says Cheryl Possenti, an attorney with Goldberg Segalla in Buffalo,<br />
N.Y., a civil litigation specialist for a number of Fortune 100 companies.<br />
According to Possenti, the CPSC can pursue civil penalties, not only for the<br />
sale of products that violate government safety standards, but also “when a compa-<br />
ny fails to report immediately to the CPSC that a product contains a defect that could<br />
create a substantial risk of injury to the public.”<br />
In the mattress industry, there are two primary federal regulations under which bed sets<br />
might be recalled: 16 CFR Part 1633, the open-flame standard that took effect in 2007; and 16<br />
CFR Part 1632, the cigarette flammability standard issued in 1973. According to the CPSC website,<br />
fewer than a dozen recalls involving mattresses or mattress pads have been conducted in the past 10<br />
years, a relatively small number compared with many other industries. Baby mattresses and pads also<br />
are occasionally recalled under different regulations.<br />
Despite the low frequency of mattress-related recalls, manufacturers and their business partners—<br />
everyone from component suppliers to distributors to retailers—must be vigilant to ensure that if<br />
problems with product safety do occur, they are reported to the CPSC quickly and that any issues are<br />
addressed and fixed.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 27 |
| 28 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
Reporting responsibility<br />
While U.S. manufacturers have the lead responsibility<br />
for reporting problems to the CPSC,<br />
distributors and retailers also must report if<br />
they are aware of a product defect or a company’s failure<br />
to comply with a regulation. They can either contact the<br />
CPSC directly or send a letter to the manufacturer or importer.<br />
Failure to report means distributors and retailers<br />
also may be liable for any legal penalties that are assessed.<br />
In cases in which mattresses and foundations are being<br />
brought into the United States from other countries,<br />
the importer of record—the U.S.-based company that<br />
takes possession of the goods after they clear customs—is<br />
responsible for informing the CPSC of potential product<br />
safety problems. This company ultimately bears the<br />
responsibility for making sure the products it sells in the<br />
United States comply with regulations and for conducting<br />
a recall if they don’t.<br />
To confirm that manufacturers and importers have the<br />
necessary safety programs in place, the CPSC conducts<br />
unannounced inspections of production plants and<br />
warehouses, examining products, records and procedures.<br />
It also can pull products from retailers to test for compliance.<br />
The process of compliance starts with burn testing and<br />
confirmation burns of bedding prototypes and components<br />
by manufacturers, importers and suppliers before<br />
new mattresses and foundations reach the market. All bed<br />
sets sold in the United States must bear a label showing<br />
that products have been properly tested and comply with<br />
The mattress recall process at a glance<br />
Who must report a hazardous product? Any manufacturer,<br />
distributor, importer or retailer that has information about a<br />
potentially hazardous product must report it, according to<br />
the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.<br />
What types of defects must be reported? Companies must<br />
report to the CPSC if they obtain information that a product<br />
fails to meet a consumer product safety rule, standard<br />
or ban; contains a defect that could create a substantial<br />
hazard; or creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or<br />
death. This information may be in the form of quality control<br />
data, product returns, warranty information, customer<br />
complaints, reports of deaths or injuries to consumers using<br />
a product, lawsuits or any other input suggesting a product<br />
safety problem.<br />
When does a company need to report a hazardous product?<br />
A company must report to the CPSC within 24 hours of<br />
obtaining reportable information. The CPSC considers that<br />
a company has obtained knowledge of reportable information<br />
when that information is received by an employee or<br />
official of the company who may be reasonably expected<br />
to be capable of appreciating its significance. Under ordinary<br />
circumstances, five working days is the maximum time<br />
for information to reach the chief executive officer or the<br />
official assigned responsibility for complying with reporting<br />
requirements. However, if a company is uncertain whether<br />
information must be reported, it may spend “a reasonable<br />
amount of time” investigating the matter. The CPSC generally<br />
defines this period as 10 or fewer days.<br />
Where should a report be filed? A company should file its<br />
report with the CPSC’s Division of Recalls and Compliance.<br />
The report may be filed by mail (4330 East West Highway,<br />
Room 613, Bethesda, MD 20814), telephone<br />
(301-504-7913), fax (301-504-0359) or electronically<br />
through the CPSC website (www.cpsc.gov).<br />
What can a company do beforehand to prepare for a<br />
product recall? In addition to performing and thoroughly<br />
documenting all of the product and component tests<br />
required for a given product, companies should have a<br />
system in place to make sure that product defect and<br />
hazard information is captured and channeled to responsible<br />
managers so that they can evaluate and report it to<br />
the CPSC, if appropriate. A company also should assign<br />
the responsibility of reporting product safety hazards to<br />
someone with knowledge of the product in question and of<br />
the CPSC’s reporting requirements. The person should have<br />
the authority to report to the CPSC or to quickly raise the<br />
reporting issue with appropriate decision-makers within the<br />
company.<br />
How will the CPSC evaluate a company’s handling of<br />
safety information? In evaluating when a report should<br />
have been filed, the CPSC considers what a company actually<br />
knew about the potential hazard posed by a product<br />
and what a reasonable person or firm acting in those<br />
circumstances would have known. Companies that are not<br />
responsible and informed about the safety of their products<br />
run a “great risk of future civil penalty liability” should a<br />
product recall ever be necessary, according to the CPSC.<br />
What is the Fast Track program? Fast Track is a CPSC<br />
program designed for companies willing and able to<br />
move quickly with a voluntary recall of their products. The<br />
program eliminates some of the procedural steps in the<br />
traditional recall process, including the CPSC’s preliminary<br />
determination that the product contains a defect that presents<br />
a substantial hazard.<br />
What is a CAP? A CAP, or “corrective action plan,” is a remedial<br />
action taken by a company in response to a product<br />
defect or risk. Depending on the nature of the defect or risk,<br />
CAPs could include the return of a product to the manufacturer<br />
or retailer for a cash refund or a replacement product,<br />
the repair of a product or public notice of the hazard. The<br />
goal of a CAP is to correct as many product defects or risks<br />
as possible in the most practical, cost-effective manner.<br />
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
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Accurate<br />
labeling is<br />
the first line<br />
of defense<br />
against a<br />
potential<br />
product<br />
defect<br />
investigation.<br />
| 30 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
federal regulations.<br />
Accurate labeling is the first line of defense against<br />
a potential product defect investigation, according to<br />
Joanne E. Mattiace, a principal of the Law Offices of<br />
Joanne E. Mattiace, a Westbrook, Maine-based law firm<br />
with a Washington, D.C., presence and focus.<br />
“If a label doesn’t appear to be right, that may lead to a<br />
product being singled out for inspection and testing,” she<br />
says.<br />
To avoid problems, Mattiace recommends that all parties<br />
in the distribution chain—manufacturers, importers,<br />
distributors, retailers—make sure that the products they<br />
are selling carry up-to-date safety law labels and registration<br />
numbers.<br />
When a company has reason to suspect a product<br />
may pose a risk to public safety, the law requires it to file<br />
a report with the CPSC within 24 hours of a responsible<br />
party—an official or employee capable of recognizing its<br />
significance—receiving the information. Prior to that<br />
point, the company is allowed five days for that information<br />
to move up the chain of command. A maximum of<br />
10 days is permitted for investigating the situation prior<br />
to filing a report.<br />
“A lot of companies won’t recognize a triggering event<br />
for a violation right away,” says David Osterman, also<br />
When a bedding manufacturer discovered a 16<br />
CFR Part 1633 burn test failure during a routine<br />
quality control check involving one of its popular<br />
mattresses several years ago, the company immediately<br />
initiated an investigation.<br />
The company spoke with <strong>BedTimes</strong> about its experiences<br />
but asked not to be identified.<br />
After conducting re-tests with similar products from multiple<br />
plants, it determined that a problem existed with a specific<br />
core-FR sock combination used on one mattress model during<br />
a limited time frame. The problem was sporadic—sometimes<br />
the mattress would fail a burn test and other times it would<br />
pass. It also was puzzling: Both the core and the sock were<br />
being used separately on other mattress models without a<br />
problem.<br />
“It was very alarming,” says a company executive directly<br />
involved with the recall. “None of our records until that point<br />
had indicated a problem. And neither of the suppliers responsible<br />
for these components claimed they had made any<br />
changes. But there clearly was a danger when these two specific<br />
components were combined. We knew we had to move<br />
quickly to address the situation.”<br />
The company immediately stopped production of the<br />
model with the troublesome core-sock combination. It also<br />
started tracing how many of the mattresses already had been<br />
made and where they had been shipped. A team was created<br />
to determine what other corrective actions needed to be<br />
taken and which parties—from suppliers and employees to<br />
retailers and consumers—needed to be notified.<br />
an attorney with Goldberg Segalla. “One trigger is the<br />
subjective standard: a defect in the product that poses a<br />
substantial risk of serious injury or death. The other is<br />
more objective: three lawsuits involving a product that<br />
have resulted in verdicts or settlements, no matter how<br />
nominal, within a two-year period.”<br />
Working with the CPSC<br />
Reporting a product to the CPSC doesn’t<br />
automatically mean that the agency will<br />
conclude that the product creates a substantial<br />
hazard or that a recall or other corrective action<br />
is necessary. The CPSC staff works with the reporting<br />
company to determine what’s appropriate. But since<br />
2008, the CPSC has taken a more active role in product<br />
safety inspection and enforcement.<br />
“Since the passage of the CPSIA, the CPSC has gotten<br />
a lot more sophisticated,” Mattiace says. “They are saying<br />
to companies, ‘Don’t just tell us about a problem; take a<br />
look at the problem and determine what you can learn<br />
from it.’ They want companies to constantly be fine-<br />
tuning their systems and procedures so that future problems<br />
are minimized.”<br />
If a recall is needed, the CPSC works with the company<br />
to put together an effective plan for public notifica-<br />
One mattress maker’s recall experience<br />
The company also made early contact with the U.S. Consumer<br />
Product Safety Commission to alert officials about the<br />
problem and the steps being taken to address it.<br />
“The CPSC was very helpful,” the bedding executive says.<br />
“They worked closely with us every step of the way, approving<br />
our plan for conducting a recall and providing other support<br />
as we moved forward.”<br />
Using its existing product traceability systems, the company<br />
determined that the core-sock combination in question<br />
had been used on nearly 6,000 beds already produced,<br />
shipped or sold. The company’s records showed exactly<br />
which stores had bought the beds, so contacting dealers<br />
was straightforward. Identifying individual consumers,<br />
however, was more of a challenge, since some stores had<br />
detailed records and others did not.<br />
“Tracking down consumers isn’t easy, so we made sure<br />
to use redundant methods of communication to spread<br />
the word,” the bedding executive says. In addition to news<br />
releases sent to the media and posted on the CPSC website,<br />
the company asked retailers to post notices. Using an<br />
outside specialist, a hotline was set up to field consumer<br />
inquiries.<br />
For those consumers who could be identified as potentially<br />
being affected, the company created a letter for retailers<br />
to send out explaining that the product “has a manufacturing<br />
defect, does not meet our standards and qualifies for a<br />
replacement.” The letter invited consumers to contact the<br />
retailer for further information.<br />
The fact that the core-sock combination was designed to<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
tion and implementation of the recall. According to the<br />
CPSC’s Recall Handbook, the objectives of a recall are:<br />
1. to locate all defective products as quickly as possible<br />
2. to remove defective products from the distribution<br />
chain and from the possession of consumers<br />
3. to communicate accurate and understandable information<br />
in a timely manner to the public about the<br />
product defect, the hazard and the corrective action.<br />
The CPSC advises companies to design all informational<br />
material “to motivate retailers and the media to get<br />
the word out and consumers to act on the recall.” Typical<br />
forms of communication include a joint press release<br />
from the CPSC and the company; a dedicated toll-free<br />
number for consumers to call to respond to the recall notice;<br />
postings on company websites; video news releases;<br />
notices to distributors, dealers, sales representatives,<br />
retailers and other parties involved with the product; and<br />
other notices to consumers.<br />
“Companies need to communicate clearly and completely,”<br />
Mattiace says. “It’s important that messages be<br />
consistent so that consumers understand the nature of<br />
the problem and what their options are.”<br />
Because the goal of any recall is to retrieve and then<br />
repair or replace products already in consumers’ hands,<br />
as well as those in the distribution chain, it’s essential that<br />
be easily zipped on or off the mattress made the recall easier<br />
than it might have been. For those products still in factory or<br />
store warehouses, the company was able to simply swap out<br />
the core-sock combination with another approved sock.<br />
The company offered consumers three, free-of-charge options:<br />
They could get a replacement kit mailed directly to them<br />
for self-installation, they could arrange for a technician to<br />
come to their home to install the kit for them or the company<br />
‘Consumers ended up with a<br />
positive attitude about our company<br />
because we offered to customize<br />
the corrective action.’<br />
would take back their mattress and give them a new <strong>version</strong>.<br />
During the first week the recall was made public, the<br />
company received 202 contacts from consumers. After a<br />
year, a total of 1,222 consumers called or wrote the company<br />
to inquire whether the recall affected them. Serial<br />
numbers were used to determine if particular products were<br />
part of the recall.<br />
In the end, the company received fewer than 600 verified<br />
consumer claims under the recall. Of those, 285 were sent<br />
a kit for self-installation, 260 were sent a kit for installation<br />
by a technician and 26 received a replacement mattress.<br />
“The CPSC says that about 20% of the product affected<br />
by a typical recall comes back and gets changed out,” says<br />
the company representative. “But you have to be geared<br />
companies maintain accurate records about the design,<br />
production, distribution and marketing of each product<br />
for the duration of its expected life cycle. To make sure<br />
that these records are accurate and accessible at the time<br />
of a recall, the CPSC recommends companies appoint a<br />
recall coordinator, as well as a backup coordinator, before<br />
an event actually occurs.<br />
A company’s recall coordinator should be responsible<br />
for receiving and processing all information regarding<br />
the safety of the company’s products, including quality<br />
control records, engineering analyses, test results, consumer<br />
complaints, warranty returns or claims, lawsuits<br />
and insurance claims. Ideally, the recall coordinator has<br />
full authority to take the steps necessary to initiate and<br />
implement all recalls, with the approval and support of<br />
the president or chief executive officer.<br />
Getting help<br />
When faced with a recall, company executives<br />
have two choices: They can do the work<br />
themselves, following the steps outlined in<br />
the CPSC’s online Recall Handbook, or they can hire an attorney<br />
or other adviser, such as ExpertRECALL. Based in<br />
Indianapolis, ExpertRECALL handles everything involved<br />
in a recall, from setting up a call center and managing<br />
‘At all times,<br />
consumers,<br />
the media<br />
and<br />
regulators<br />
need to see<br />
that the<br />
company has<br />
a clear plan<br />
in place and<br />
is doing<br />
everything it<br />
can to make<br />
things right.’<br />
up to repair or replace it all. Thankfully, we weren’t required<br />
to start taking back product right away so we had time to<br />
build up a stock of replacement covers.”<br />
It took about four months between the time the company<br />
discovered the problem and when it started replacing<br />
product.<br />
Reflecting on the recall experience, the executive says<br />
everything went smoothly. For that, he credits good organization,<br />
teamwork and clear communication with the CPSC<br />
and other outside parties.<br />
“The CPSC was very complimentary about our attitude<br />
and attention to detail in dealing with this recall,” the company<br />
official says.<br />
In addition, he says, “consumers ended up with a positive<br />
attitude about our company because we offered to<br />
customize the corrective action for them and make it as<br />
painless and easy as possible.”<br />
For other companies faced with a possible recall, the executive<br />
says his best advice is “to follow the law, keep good<br />
records and bring in consultants when it’s appropriate.”<br />
In this case, the company hired Gordon Damant, former<br />
head of the California Bureau of Home Furnishings and<br />
Thermal Insulation and an expert on the mattress industry’s<br />
fire safety issues, “because we wanted an outside source to<br />
make sure we were analyzing the problem correctly. Having<br />
him involved also gave us more credibility with the CPSC.”<br />
“We also would suggest, in addition to the required<br />
prototype and confirmation burns, that companies do<br />
random burns on all their models periodically to make sure<br />
everything is still in compliance,” the executive says. “That’s<br />
how we discovered this problem and were able to correct it<br />
before it became much larger.”<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 31 |
| 32 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
claims to collecting and destroying products after they’re<br />
returned. Since its formation in 2003, the company has<br />
handled more than 2,500 recalls.<br />
With any recall, there are four key goals, says Mike<br />
Rozembajgier, ExpertRECALL vice president of recalls:<br />
“Protect the public, protect the brand, remove and destroy<br />
the product, if necessary, and complete the process<br />
as efficiently as possible. And, at all times, consumers, the<br />
media and regulators need to see that the company has a<br />
clear plan in place and is doing everything it can to make<br />
things right.”<br />
Finally, Rozembajgier urges company leaders to regard<br />
product safety compliance as a “moving target” that<br />
requires daily attention.<br />
“A compliance program needs to be more than a<br />
binder on a shelf collecting dust,” he says. “It has to be<br />
something that the whole company understands and puts<br />
into practice so that all rules and standards are met.”<br />
To help companies ensure that they have the proper<br />
systems in place, firms such as Lilly Management Group<br />
in St. Charles, Ill., conduct mock CPSC plant inspections<br />
and reviews of flammability compliance programs.<br />
“Our program is designed to help companies evaluate<br />
their compliance status, identify shortcomings or gaps<br />
Crisis planning requires good communication<br />
When faced with a possible product recall, too<br />
many company executives “play ostrich” rather<br />
than take decisive action and communicate with<br />
all stakeholders, says Jonathan Bernstein, president<br />
of Bernstein Crisis Management in Sierra Madre, Calif.<br />
“They wait until the recall is required and then try to figure<br />
out what to do, resulting in additional risk for consumers and<br />
the company’s reputation,” Bernstein says.<br />
The author of the new book, Manager’s Guide to Crisis<br />
Management, Bernstein has handled communications for a<br />
number of major product recalls. He offers these 10 tips for<br />
effective crisis communications:<br />
1. Be prepared The best time to prepare for a negative event<br />
is before it happens. Bernstein recommends that companies<br />
conduct brainstorming sessions about potential recalls and<br />
then develop a clear plan of response that addresses key<br />
operational, legal and public relations issues.<br />
2. Appoint and train a team A small team of senior executives<br />
should be formed and trained to manage communications<br />
in the event of a crisis. Ideally, the team is led by the<br />
president or chief executive officer, along with the company’s<br />
top PR executive and legal counsel as advisers. If the in-house<br />
PR executive doesn’t have sufficient crisis communications<br />
expertise, the company may need to retain an agency or<br />
independent consultant. Other team members should be the<br />
heads of all major divisions, such as finance, human resources<br />
and operations.<br />
3. Create contact lists Who are the stakeholders—employees,<br />
suppliers, distributors, retailers, etc.—who would be affected<br />
by a recall? Company leaders must ensure that a system is in<br />
place so that all stakeholders can be reached quickly in the<br />
event of a recall.<br />
4. Empower all employees with accurate information During<br />
a crisis, employees are PR representatives—whether a company<br />
wants them to be or not. “Don’t try to control damage<br />
by restricting the flow of information internally,” Bernstein says.<br />
“Be sure every member of your organization is equipped with<br />
the information necessary to represent the situation accurately<br />
to anyone who asks.”<br />
5. Use all available communication channels It is “absolutely<br />
essential,” Bernstein says, for companies to establish notification<br />
systems that will allow them to rapidly reach stakeholders<br />
using multiple channels, including phone, email and fax. This<br />
increases the odds that a message will get through. “It’s better<br />
to over-communicate than take the risk that important stakeholders<br />
miss the message,” he says.<br />
6. Consider the use of “virtual” incident management There<br />
are a number of Internet-based systems that allow recall team<br />
members to exchange real-time information, access current<br />
communications documents and keep team leaders updated,<br />
even if they are geographically scattered.<br />
7. Identify backups for critical people and systems “Assume<br />
that some recall-related lead personnel will not be available<br />
when you need them,” Bernstein says. “Assume that the computer<br />
system where you maintain your stakeholder contact lists<br />
might crash. Assume other similar worst-case scenarios and<br />
make backup plans accordingly.”<br />
8. Make decisions based on protecting the brand, not just<br />
the legal risks The infamous Bridgestone-Firestone tire recall<br />
in 2000 started “far too late because the company’s leadership<br />
was considering risks other than the most important<br />
one—the risk of aggravating the court of public opinion,”<br />
Bernstein says.<br />
9. Focus communications A few angry people can make<br />
waves completely disproportionate to their numbers or even<br />
to the injury suffered. The recall process should include an<br />
“escalated cases” team to focus on such complaints.<br />
10. Take responsibility Public backlash over a recall can<br />
occur for two reasons, Bernstein says: Distress that a product<br />
is defective and distress over the manner in which the<br />
recall was—or wasn’t—communicated. “you minimize public<br />
backlash by being proactive and transparent,” he says. And<br />
don’t wait for regulating agencies, such as the CPSC (U.S.<br />
Consumer Product Safety Commission), to get involved before<br />
communicating. “Bureaucratic processes can often delay<br />
how much time passes before distributors and consumers are<br />
notified—a delay which, in worst-case scenarios, can cause<br />
injuries or deaths,” Bernstein says.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
n RESOURCES<br />
U.S. Consumer<br />
Product Safety<br />
Commission<br />
Main site<br />
www.cpsc.gov<br />
To download the<br />
CPSC’s Recall<br />
Handbook<br />
www.cpsc.gov/<br />
businfo/8002.html<br />
CPSC’s consumer<br />
database for reporting<br />
unsafe products<br />
www.saferproducts.gov<br />
Goldberg Segalla<br />
Law firm with offices<br />
in Connecticut, New<br />
Jersey, New York<br />
and Pennsylvania<br />
that specializes in<br />
litigation and serves<br />
as trial attorneys for a<br />
number of Fortune 100<br />
companies.<br />
www.goldberg<br />
segalla.com<br />
The Law Offices of<br />
Joanne Mattiace<br />
Law firm based in<br />
Westbrook, Maine, that<br />
specializes in helping<br />
corporate clients<br />
meet product safety<br />
requirements and<br />
standards.<br />
www.productsafety<br />
law.net<br />
ExpertRECALL<br />
Indianapolis-based<br />
company that helps<br />
businesses manage<br />
the various aspects of<br />
a product recall.<br />
www.expertrecall.com<br />
Lilly Management<br />
Group<br />
Consulting firm based<br />
in St. Charles, Ill., that,<br />
among other things,<br />
helps mattress makers<br />
comply with federal<br />
safety standards.<br />
www.lilly<br />
management.com<br />
| 34 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
in their program and then resolve those issues,” says Bob<br />
Sabalaskey, Lilly Management Group vice president of<br />
manufacturing and product engineering. “It provides<br />
mattress manufacturers with a ‘real-world’ inspection<br />
experience and the opportunity to assess their FR compliance<br />
readiness prior to an inspection by the CPSC.”<br />
As part of that readiness, it’s critical that mattress<br />
manufacturers “keep complete, organized records that<br />
show they meet federal standards,” Sabalaskey says. “And<br />
when they modify a product’s materials or construction,<br />
they need to provide ‘reasonable criteria’ data that demonstrate<br />
changes made to that model will not affect FR<br />
performance of that model.”<br />
A company with a consistent, well-designed program<br />
of testing, monitoring and record keeping is in the best<br />
position to deal with any complaints that may arise, Possenti<br />
says.<br />
“That company will have the most credibility with the<br />
CPSC and will be in a position to remedy the situation<br />
with minimal impact,” she says. “You may end up recalling<br />
just one out of 10 products, say just the queen-size<br />
models, rather than 10 out of 10.”<br />
Unlike toys and other smaller, less expensive<br />
items, a bedding set is a relatively pricey item that’s<br />
typically difficult to fix.<br />
“That makes the cost of a recall higher, since<br />
the product typically has to move quickly out of<br />
the distribution chain and a replacement needs to<br />
be made,” Possenti says. “A mattress also has a long<br />
life span, which means there’s a longer period of<br />
liability.”<br />
In the end, a company with a strong compliance<br />
program will be in the best position to ensure product<br />
safety and avoid a possible recall.<br />
As Possenti concludes, “The best-managed recall<br />
is the one that never occurs.” n<br />
Consumer website bears watching<br />
Companies should monitor reports their about products<br />
While formal recalls of mattresses and foundations are rare, a new government website<br />
launched in 2011 invites any consumers who believe they were harmed by a consumer<br />
product regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to report their complaints<br />
for posting on the site.<br />
Required as part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the website,<br />
www.saferproducts.gov, provides a publicly accessible, searchable database of all such incident reports.<br />
Among the consumer product categories listed are mattresses, covers and pillows.<br />
Consumers submitting reports are not required to provide any proof to support the alleged incidents.<br />
Instead, consumers are asked to “click” on a button verifying that the information is accurate to<br />
the best of their knowledge. Consumers are asked to disclose their identities to the CPSC, but they can<br />
choose whether the CPSC, in turn, may disclose their identity to the company that made, imported or<br />
sold the product.<br />
Manufacturers, importers and private-labelers mentioned in these reports receive copies of the claims<br />
prior to posting. They then have 10 days to challenge the accuracy of the report, after which time the report<br />
will be posted on saferproducts.gov unless the CPSC finds it contains confidential or inaccurate information.<br />
If a decision is made to post the report, it is accompanied by the manufacturer’s written response.<br />
“Producers must be prepared to respond quickly to these notifications,” says Cheryl Possenti, an attorney<br />
with Goldberg Segalla in Buffalo, N.y. “Otherwise, they risk an untrue or misleading accusation being posted<br />
for all to see.”<br />
Though reported in news media, including <strong>BedTimes</strong>, many companies are unaware that this database<br />
exists, Possenti says.<br />
“They find out only after a complaint has already been posted and the damage to their image has been<br />
done,” she says.<br />
Possenti says it’s critical that all producers take the time to register on the site so that the CPSC has current<br />
contact information in the event of a complaint. Without that information, the CPSC’s notification may<br />
not reach a company in time for it to respond to the complaint prior to its public posting.<br />
The seriousness with which companies treat these claims varies greatly, says attorney David Osterman,<br />
also with Goldberg Segalla.<br />
“Brand-sensitive companies with strong consumer recognition will want to be very engaged so that erroneous<br />
claims aren’t put into the public domain,” he says. “And, if the claim is legitimate, it’s important to<br />
file a timely response so that the public knows how you’ve handled the problem and can be assured that it’s<br />
no longer an issue.”<br />
At the very least, companies need to be aware that a report has been received by the CPSC, he says:<br />
“That way, they can consider its merits and decide whether they want to respond or not.”<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
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Natura World files for<br />
bankruptcy protection<br />
Natura World, a producer<br />
of organic and natural<br />
sleep products, has filed<br />
a notice of intent to restructure<br />
its business under the Canadian<br />
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.<br />
The notice was filed Dec. 27 at<br />
the Office of the Superintendent<br />
of Bankruptcy in Canada.<br />
Earlier that month, the Cambridge,<br />
Ontario-based company<br />
reached an agreement with<br />
its lender, Callidus Capital of<br />
Toronto, to provide $7.8 million<br />
Canadian ($7.6 million U.S.) in<br />
new financing. Natura World<br />
said that during the restructuring,<br />
it expects no disruption<br />
of service to its customers and<br />
that its improved cash position<br />
will enable it to improve<br />
relationships with company<br />
stakeholders.<br />
Natura World USA and its<br />
NexGel product group, headquartered<br />
in Wichita Falls,<br />
Texas, are not included in the<br />
filing. In October, the company<br />
cut its Texas work force by 26<br />
people and reduced production<br />
to a single shift.<br />
Ralph Rossdeutscher, Natura<br />
president, said the bankruptcy<br />
filing and restructuring were<br />
necessary to enable the company<br />
to shed debt it amassed<br />
when it made significant<br />
investments in new products,<br />
equipment and technologies<br />
just prior to the start of the<br />
recession.<br />
Under the plan filed with<br />
the bankruptcy office, Rossdeutscher<br />
would maintain a<br />
majority ownership stake in the<br />
company.<br />
“While we have reduced<br />
operating expenses significantly<br />
over the past two years and<br />
our current business run rate<br />
is actually profitable, we could<br />
not fully right the ship and<br />
pay down the debt we amassed<br />
several years ago without going<br />
through this reorganization process,”<br />
Rossdeutscher said.<br />
Solstice Sleep Products<br />
expanding in Florida<br />
Mattress, convertible sofa<br />
and futon maker Solstice<br />
Sleep Products has expanded<br />
into South Florida, leasing a<br />
former Spring Air manufacturing<br />
facility in Tampa, Fla.<br />
The Columbus, Ohio-based<br />
company currently occupies<br />
90,000 square feet of the<br />
206,900-square-foot facility<br />
and, as of November, had hired<br />
25 employees to begin mattress<br />
production, according to a news<br />
release from the Tampa Hillsborough<br />
Economic Development<br />
Corp.<br />
The company said it may add<br />
as many as 60 more workers as<br />
it increases production over the<br />
next several months.<br />
South Florida lost 150 mattress<br />
manufacturing jobs when<br />
the former Spring Air Co. ceased<br />
operations in 2009.<br />
“Not only was the former<br />
mattress factory well suited to<br />
handle our production requirements,<br />
the experienced labor<br />
pool helped us ramp up quickly<br />
and get production under way,”<br />
said Tom Szczurek, Solstice<br />
Sleep chief executive officer.<br />
News<br />
Investment firm buys Verlo<br />
New faces David Marcus, (left)<br />
president of Milwaukee-based<br />
Marcus Investments, and Chris<br />
Nolte, Verlo Mattress Factory<br />
Stores chief executive officer,<br />
say Verlo franchisees will see<br />
increased support under the<br />
new ownership.<br />
Family-owned investment firm Marcus Investments LLC has<br />
acquired franchisor Verlo Mattress Factory Stores from<br />
VyMaC Corp. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.<br />
Last year, Milwaukee-based Marcus Investments bought<br />
a Verlo franchisee group and its six southeastern Wisconsin<br />
stores out of receivership.<br />
“When we bought the Milwaukee franchisee stores, we<br />
quickly realized what a tremendous organization Verlo was<br />
and we saw the potential to really impact other franchisees<br />
on a broader scale,” said David Marcus, Marcus Investments<br />
president.<br />
The new owners said Verlo franchisees will begin to see<br />
increased support from the parent company and consumers<br />
will see enhancements in customer service and overall in-store<br />
experiences over the coming months.<br />
“Marcus Investments has actively sought investment opportunities<br />
with successful organizations that share a passion<br />
for their businesses and a commitment to superior customer<br />
service,” Marcus said. “The Verlo brand is known throughout<br />
the industry as a leader, and the franchise model of selling<br />
customized product on a local level was very appealing to us<br />
because, in many ways, it mirrors how the Marcus Corp. has<br />
achieved success for nearly 70 years.”<br />
Verlo Mattress Factory Stores, part of multifaceted industry<br />
supplier and sleep products producer VyMaC, was founded in<br />
1958 by Dale Williams and Guy Day and has about 40 stores<br />
throughout the United States.<br />
“Verlo needed a transfusion. I believe the new owners can<br />
deliver on that need,” said Dave Young, chief executive officer<br />
and majority owner of VyMaC, which has headquarters in Fort<br />
Atkinson, Wis. “What has been the focus of my entire adult life is<br />
being passed to another. I am entrusting them to steward the<br />
dream beyond where I have taken it. VyMaC will continue to<br />
supply goods to the great Verlo organization as my companies<br />
transition into a more focused position. We at VyMaC are<br />
excited about this change. We look forward to the separation<br />
and to growing our other mattress industry businesses.”<br />
Verlo headquarters have relocated to Milwaukee from Fort<br />
Atkinson. Chris Nolte will serve as CEO, Thomas Cass as president<br />
and Scott Baitinger as chief marketing officer.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 39 |
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| 40 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
+H_Ad_1drittel_Page_02_2012.indd 1 06.01.2012 14:03:12<br />
News<br />
Judge grants permanent injunction<br />
against Brooklyn Sleep Products<br />
federal judge has granted a default judgment and a permanent injunction ordering Brooklyn,<br />
A N.Y.-based Brooklyn Sleep Products Inc. and company President Francisco Chavez to stop<br />
manufacturing, importing, renovating and selling mattresses until they provide evidence that the<br />
company’s mattresses comply with federal flammability laws.<br />
Additionally, U.S. District Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf of the Eastern District of New York<br />
ordered Brooklyn Sleep Products and Chavez to recall all mattresses, mattress sets or mattress<br />
pads sold to consumers that failed federal flammability tests. If the company fails to comply with<br />
the judge’s order, it can face fines of $1,000 per day.<br />
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission filed suit against Brooklyn Sleep Products<br />
and Chavez after discovering that the company was selling mattresses that did not comply with<br />
federal flammability standards. The firm committed violations even after it had been preliminarily<br />
enjoined from selling mattresses in violation of federal standards, the CPSC said in announcing<br />
the judge’s decision on Nov. 10.<br />
“The judgment is a victory for the safety of consumers and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety<br />
Commission,” the CPSC said in a new release. Chavez could not be reached for comment.<br />
According to the CPSC, it conducted inspections and collected mattress samples at Brooklyn<br />
Sleep Products’ headquarters facility and at retail stores selling the company’s mattresses in Fall<br />
River, Mass., and Providence, R.I., in 2008. The CPSC also collected a noncompliant mattress<br />
made by Brooklyn Sleep Products at a Newark, N.J., store in 2010. The mattresses failed openflame<br />
tests conducted by the CPSC, the agency said.<br />
“Chavez admitted to CPSC inspectors that neither he nor Brooklyn Sleep Products tested<br />
their mattresses and mattress sets as required by law,” according to the news release. “Chavez<br />
failed to respond to numerous court filings against him.”<br />
In September 2008, January 2009 and again in March 2010, the CPSC requested that Brooklyn<br />
Sleep Products stop selling and distributing mattresses that failed to comply with federal laws.<br />
“But the firm continued to manufacture, renovate, sell, offer for sale and introduce into commerce<br />
mattresses in violation of the federal mattress flammability requirements, putting consumers<br />
at risk,” the CPSC said.<br />
Mattresses and mattress sets sold in the United States are required to comply with federal<br />
mattress flammability requirements, 16 CFR Part 1632 (the cigarette-ignition standard) and 16<br />
CFR Part 1633 (the open-flame standard).<br />
SHORTS<br />
SABA opens Dallas distribution center<br />
Adhesives supplier SABA North America, headquartered in Kimball, Mich., has<br />
opened a new warehouse in Dallas. The facility will provide more localized<br />
service to customers in the region, the company said. SABA also has distribution<br />
centers in its Michigan headquarters and in Atlanta; Commerce, Calif.; and<br />
Toronto. “We made this decision to better serve our customers within this rapidly<br />
expanding region,” said Jim Turner, SABA North America president. “This fits<br />
perfectly within our regionalized distribution strategy and will save our customers<br />
money and reduce transit times.”<br />
Glideaway, Jersey Shore Steel assist flood victims<br />
Mattress industry supplier Glideaway Bed Carriage Co., headquartered in St.<br />
Louis, and rerolled steel producer Jersey Shore Steel in Jersey Shore, Pa., have<br />
supplied 96 mattresses and other products to the American Rescue Workers of<br />
Williamsport, a charitable organization aiding residents of central Pennsylvania<br />
devastated by tropical storms Lee and Irene in September. “The mattresses<br />
were intended to provide some help and relief to families who have suffered<br />
from this horrible, unprecedented flooding,” said Ron Fredman, Glideaway<br />
executive vice president.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
Jamison consolidates manufacturing<br />
Mattress producer Jamison Bedding will close its Albany,<br />
Ga., manufacturing facility on March 1.<br />
The closure is part of an effort to maximize and consolidate<br />
production at its facility in Gallatin, Tenn., the company said.<br />
Jamison will transition customer deliveries, equipment and raw<br />
materials to its facility there.<br />
“The many measures we took over the past few years to<br />
reduce expenses proved insufficient, especially in the face of<br />
the general economic downturn,” said Frank Gorrell, president<br />
of the Franklin, Tenn.-based company. “While the decision<br />
to close a factory is never an easy one, we know it’s the<br />
right move for Jamison Bedding. This change will enable us<br />
to operate more efficiently, reinvest in our business and serve<br />
our customers even better.”<br />
Retailers in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and southeast<br />
Alabama that received product from the 90,000-square-foot<br />
Albany factory will be served by the Gallatin plant, which is<br />
in relatively close shipping proximity to the Albany facility, the<br />
company said.<br />
“We’re very confident that retailers will experience few, if any,<br />
interruptions in the level and quality of service they’re accustomed<br />
to,” Gorrell said.<br />
| 42 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
News<br />
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Comfort Solutions inks<br />
Bedding producer Comfort<br />
Solutions will be the exclusive<br />
licensee for the<br />
Dr. Breus Bed, the mattress<br />
collection developed<br />
by Michael Breus, a clinical<br />
psychologist, author and sleep<br />
expert.<br />
Breus’ successful eightmodel<br />
Dr. Breus Bed program<br />
will be incorporated into<br />
Comfort Solution’s sciencefocused<br />
family of brands,<br />
the Willowbrook, Ill.-based<br />
producer said.<br />
“We’re very excited about<br />
our alliance with Dr. Breus<br />
and the consumer’s confidence<br />
and trust in his mission,”<br />
said Dave Roberts,<br />
Comfort Solutions president<br />
and chief operating officer.<br />
“We recognize his credentials<br />
and expertise in the field of<br />
sleep and his achievements in<br />
developing bedding products<br />
and programs that simultaneously<br />
address sleep, health<br />
and life.”<br />
“I have great respect for<br />
the scientific and technological<br />
approach that Comfort<br />
Solutions employs in the<br />
design and development of its<br />
products,” Breus said. “We’re<br />
all looking forward to combining<br />
our expertise as part of<br />
a shared mission to help the<br />
consumer sleep better.”<br />
The Dr. Breus Bed had<br />
been produced since 2010<br />
under a licensing deal with<br />
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based<br />
International Bedding Corp.,<br />
When you are looking to create a one-of-a-kind environment<br />
of significance...Take a closer look at Wright...You'll love all<br />
we have to offer...<br />
foot protectors • bolsters • pillow shams • accent pillows<br />
headboards • floor graphics • handles • corner guards<br />
labels • retractable banners • wall and hanging posters<br />
backlit posters • window clings • digital signage<br />
www.wrightlabels.com • salesinfo@wrightlabels.com Snap to learn more.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
News<br />
deal with sleep expert Gold Bond expands west, south<br />
Since August 2011, mattress manufacturer Gold Bond has<br />
which ceased operations at<br />
the end of 2011.<br />
The Dr. Breus Bed line uses<br />
advanced, in-store diagnostics<br />
and marketing concepts<br />
that include information and<br />
question-and-answer<br />
sessions led by Breus at<br />
retail stores. It is aimed<br />
at attracting shoppers<br />
and tapping consumers’<br />
natural interest in sleep<br />
issues and better sleep<br />
health.<br />
A fellow of the American<br />
Academy of Sleep<br />
Medicine and a diplomat<br />
of the American Board<br />
of Sleep Medicine, Breus<br />
has authored two books<br />
on sleep and health and<br />
serves as the sleep expert<br />
for the website, WebMD. He’s<br />
also a contributing columnist<br />
to The Huffington Post website<br />
and appears regularly on<br />
TV shows such as The Today<br />
Show and The Dr. Oz Show.<br />
SHORTS<br />
opened 50 new accounts, expanding its sales territory south<br />
and west of the company’s Hartford, Conn., base. “Retailers at<br />
both the Las Vegas Market and High Point Market recognize<br />
that the Gold Bond name is synonymous with high-quality,<br />
value-priced mattresses—two things that are of the utmost<br />
importance to consumers, especially when the economy is in<br />
flux,” said Bob Naboicheck, Gold Bond president. “By expanding<br />
our sales force, we’ve been able to give Gold Bond a stronger<br />
presence in several new markets.” Retail accounts have<br />
been added in Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina,<br />
Ohio, western Pennsylvania, South Carolina and West Virginia.<br />
Mathis Brothers to build sleep shop in Oklahoma<br />
Furniture retailer Mathis Brothers plans to build a new sleep<br />
studio in Edmond, Okla., a suburb of Oklahoma City. The<br />
store is expected to open in June. “We’re building something<br />
really nice,” Kerry Tramel, president of Mathis Brothers’<br />
Lady Americana mattress division, told The Edmond Sun.<br />
When completed, the 11,800-square-foot store will showcase<br />
more than 60 models from brands, including Sealy,<br />
Serta, Detail Comfort, Lady Americana, Tempur-Pedic and<br />
Stearns & Foster.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 43 |
Boyd launches Gel Rest<br />
Line extension In addition to Gel Rest gel foam mattresses,<br />
Boyd Specialty Sleep is offering three mattress toppers featuring<br />
its Micro Tec Gel.<br />
Boyd Specialty Sleep has<br />
introduced Gel Rest, a gelinfused<br />
memory foam mattress<br />
line. The four-bed collection began<br />
shipping in mid-December.<br />
With suggested retail prices<br />
from $799 to $1,299 in queen<br />
size, Gel Rest is aimed at giving<br />
| 44 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
FR Materials (Fire Retardant)<br />
Barrier / Filler Cloth / Thread<br />
Quilt Backing<br />
Filler Cloth<br />
Flange<br />
Mattress Bags<br />
Staples & HogRings<br />
Insulator Pads<br />
Threads<br />
Adhesives<br />
Ticking<br />
Staple & HogRing Guns<br />
Springs<br />
retailers “outstanding quality<br />
and comfort, patent-pending<br />
features and great visual appeal<br />
at value price points that satisfy<br />
the middle market,” said Dennis<br />
Boyd, president of the St.<br />
Louis-based company. “It fills<br />
a gap that exists in the market<br />
News<br />
between higher- and lowerpriced<br />
memory foam or gel<br />
foam offerings.”<br />
Patent-pending features<br />
differentiate the beds from<br />
competing gel foam products,<br />
according to the company. Each<br />
model uses up to 3 inches of<br />
Micro Tec Gel, the company’s<br />
exclusive open-cell memory<br />
foam. The gel layer features<br />
Stay Cool channel venting in<br />
three zones, a patent-pending<br />
design that increases air flow<br />
through the bed.<br />
Gel Rest beds, which range<br />
from 8 inches to 13 inches high,<br />
can be shipped via overnight<br />
delivery service.<br />
The company also is offering<br />
Gel Rest toppers in 2-, 3- and<br />
4-inch thicknesses. They have<br />
suggested retail prices of $99 to<br />
$299 in queen size.<br />
Productos Retardantes<br />
de fuego<br />
(fibra / hilo / tela no-tejida)<br />
Tela No-Tejida<br />
Grapas<br />
Bolsas Plasticas<br />
Pegante<br />
Hilos<br />
Malla Plastica<br />
Cintilla de Cierre<br />
Pistolas para Grapas<br />
Telas<br />
Resortes<br />
Warehouse / Showroom Tel.: 305 885-9761<br />
Miami, FL 33166 Fax: 305 884-1803<br />
info@costainternational.net www.costainternational.net<br />
SHORT<br />
Comfort Solutions<br />
remodels Vegas space<br />
Willowbrook, Ill.-based<br />
licensing group Comfort<br />
Solutions has redone its<br />
showroom in the Las Vegas<br />
Market’s World Market<br />
Center to highlight its new<br />
Never Stop Dreaming<br />
brand identity. The sleek<br />
space blends new technologies,<br />
media and materials<br />
to better showcase<br />
market introductions. Also<br />
included are stations for<br />
sleep education, product<br />
training and discussion.<br />
The lobby—dedicated to<br />
the Never Stop Dreaming<br />
message—features<br />
a giant video screen,<br />
sofa seating and other<br />
amenities.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
Denver-based mattress manufacturer<br />
and retailer Denver<br />
Mattress has signed a distribution<br />
deal with Dehco Inc., an Elkhart,<br />
Ind.-based supplier to the recreational<br />
vehicle industry.<br />
“Denver Mattress has a longstanding<br />
tradition of providing<br />
quality sleep products at a reasonable<br />
price,” said Steve Papandrea,<br />
Dehco executive vice president of<br />
sales. “A good night’s sleep starts<br />
with a good mattress. RV owners<br />
expect to return from their vacation<br />
fully relaxed and re-energized<br />
and this can’t happen when<br />
they are sleeping on some of the<br />
inferior products currently being<br />
shipped with new RVs. With this<br />
new line of RV mattresses from<br />
Denver Mattress and Dehco,<br />
RVers can now receive a top-<br />
quality sleep product and feel<br />
completely at home on the road.”<br />
Denver Mattress’ collec-<br />
News<br />
Denver Mattress and RV supplier partner<br />
LAVA<br />
ZIPPERED<br />
MATTRESS COVERS<br />
tion of RV mattresses includes<br />
polyurethane foam beds with<br />
bio-based content, as well as<br />
GSG quilter makes U.S. debut<br />
innerspring models. They are<br />
made by the company’s hospitality<br />
division. Denver Mattress is<br />
part of the Furniture Row family<br />
of companies.<br />
Quilting equipment supplier Gribetz International, part of Leggett & Platt’s Global Systems<br />
Group in Sunrise, Fla., will debut its V16 mattress quilter at ISPA EXPO 2012, held March<br />
14-17 in Indianapolis. It will be the machine’s first U.S. appearance.<br />
Gribetz called the V16 “the newest, fastest quilter in the industry” and said the machine<br />
was well received by the international market when it was introduced at Interzum Cologne<br />
in Cologne, Germany, last year. The V16 can quilt continuous or tack-and-jump patterns<br />
at 1,600 rpm.<br />
Also at EXPO, the company’s Porter International brand will introduce new systems that<br />
have been designed to improve production efficiency when creating mattress designs that<br />
include zippers, handles, specialty borders and other features.<br />
GSG partner Merello will demonstrate its new wrapper for the first time in the United States.<br />
The ME105 can package as many as five mattress units per minute.<br />
The V16, ME105 and other machines will be exhibited in Booth 2433 in the Indiana Convention<br />
Center.<br />
Creativity Sewn<br />
to Meet Your Needs<br />
A.LAVA & SON CO. 4800 S.KILBOURN AVE. CHICAGO, IL 60632<br />
PHONE: (800)777-5282 FAX: (773)254-0800 customerservice@alavason.com<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 45 |
| 46 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
News<br />
CertiPUR-US launches consumer website<br />
CertiPUR-US, a foam<br />
certification program, has<br />
created a new website,<br />
www.certipur.us, aimed at<br />
consumers with health and<br />
safety concerns about bedding<br />
and upholstery materials.<br />
The site also provides a list of<br />
companies that offer products<br />
containing certified flexible<br />
polyurethane foam, as well as<br />
resources for furniture and<br />
mattress industry manufacturers<br />
and suppliers.<br />
The new site is the first<br />
step in a marketing campaign<br />
to educate consumers about<br />
the benefits of CertiPUR-UScertified<br />
flexible polyurethane<br />
foams and to drive demand for<br />
certified products.<br />
“Mattress and furniture<br />
shoppers want to know where<br />
SHORT<br />
to find products containing<br />
certified foams and the website<br />
was designed to make that easier,”<br />
said Doug Sullivan, executive<br />
director of the Alliance for<br />
Flexible Polyurethane Foam,<br />
the organization that manages<br />
the certification program. “Being<br />
able to verify that the foam<br />
in your products is certified is<br />
also a powerful selling tool for<br />
manufacturers and retailers.”<br />
Sullivan said he has seen<br />
a surge in calls and emails<br />
from consumers looking for<br />
foam products that carry the<br />
CertiPUR-US seal and from<br />
companies in the furniture and<br />
mattress industries that want<br />
to promote their participation<br />
in the program. The seal<br />
validates that flexible polyurethanes<br />
for use in mattresses<br />
and upholstered furniture<br />
meet certain environmental,<br />
Gold Bond earns CertiPUR-US seal<br />
Mattress manufacturer Gold Bond, based in Hartford, Conn., is now including CertiPUR-US<br />
certified flexible polyurethane foams in its Cool Response Gel collection. The beds are part<br />
of the company’s U.S.-made EcoSense line of specialty sleep mattresses. “As more and<br />
more consumers become environmentally conscious, the materials used in the products<br />
they buy become equally as important,” said Bob Naboicheck, Gold Bond president. “The<br />
CertiPUR-US seal offers consumers looking for eco-friendly sleep products the confidence<br />
of knowing that some of the components used to make the collection are not only cooling<br />
and comfortable but have passed strict environmental, health and safety standards.”<br />
health, safety and performance<br />
guidelines.<br />
Details of the steps required<br />
in the certification process<br />
are available in the industry<br />
sections of the website. The<br />
resource also makes it easier<br />
for manufacturers and retailers<br />
to find participating foam suppliers<br />
and to review registration<br />
documents. The program<br />
is open to domestic and foreign<br />
producers of flexible polyurethane<br />
foam.<br />
Cranston Trucking Company . . . We Deliver VALUE<br />
The #1 Choice of USA Mattress Manufacturers<br />
. . . “ Since 99% on time delivery is not good enough” . . .<br />
We also offer 80% discount from the Carolinas<br />
LTL Direct • Logistics • Consolidation • Time-Definite Delivery<br />
Dianne Francin • 877-282-5282 • dfrancin@triad.rr.com<br />
Serving AZ CA CT MA NC RI SC ISPA BOOTH #2204 www.cranstontrucking.com<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
Protect-A-Bed relocates<br />
to larger headquarters<br />
Protect-A-Bed, a provider of bedding protection products, has<br />
moved its U.S. headquarters to a new office and warehouse facility<br />
in Wheeling, Ill.<br />
The new facility includes 20,000 square feet of office space and<br />
a 200,000-square-foot warehouse. Since 2008, the company had occupied<br />
a 31,000-square-foot facility in Northbrook, Ill.<br />
“Our company is quickly expanding, so we have moved to a much<br />
larger space to accommodate our growing customer needs,” said<br />
James Bell, Protect-A-Bed chief executive officer. “Protect-A-Bed is on<br />
track to grow 35% over 2010. Our new facility will help perpetuate<br />
our continual growth pattern and poise us for accelerated growth.”<br />
In addition to the Wheeling headquarters, Protect-A-Bed maintains<br />
a sales office in Philadelphia and product showrooms in Chicago,<br />
Las Vegas and New York City.<br />
News<br />
Pure LatexBLISS redesigns website<br />
A tlanta-based Pure LatexBLISS has revamped its<br />
website, www.latexbliss.com. The tablet- and smart<br />
phone-friendly site uses a combination of video and other<br />
online tools to educate on-the-go consumers about the<br />
company’s latex mattresses, pillows and toppers.<br />
“Our brand strategy has evolved to preselling consumers as<br />
they canvas the Internet in their search for the perfect mattress,”<br />
said Kurt Ling, Pure LatexBLISS co-founder and chief<br />
executive officer. “The company’s vision is to make selecting a<br />
mattress and pillow simple, easy and fun. We aim to help them<br />
get answers that are easy to understand. With the new website,<br />
retailers have a place to send customers to teach them about<br />
Pure LatexBLISS mattresses and pillows in a straightforward, fun<br />
and informative way.”<br />
The site is designed to appeal to both women and men.<br />
“Men and women experience different thought processes<br />
when shopping,” Ling said. “Women respond to emotional cues<br />
and language while men prefer more rational information.<br />
Avoiding industry jargon, our website will feature compelling,<br />
unambiguous content demonstrating how our mattresses and<br />
pillows contributes to a better night’s sleep.” The site will be<br />
updated frequently with content for consumers and retailers.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 47 |
| 48 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
News<br />
Duxiana redresses beds for 2012<br />
Duxiana, an ultrapremium<br />
mattress and<br />
sleep accessories producer<br />
based in Trelleborg, Sweden,<br />
and with U.S. headquarters<br />
in New York, has redesigned<br />
its DUX Bed for Life collection<br />
with coordinating store decor<br />
and point-of-sale materials.<br />
The collection is sold<br />
internationally at exclusive<br />
DUX sleep shops, 28 of which<br />
are in North America.<br />
The handmade four-bed<br />
line features new chocolate<br />
brown upholstery. Suggested<br />
Security-minded The top model in the DUX Bed for Life<br />
collection includes a safety compartment and comes<br />
with a fire extinguisher.<br />
retail prices range from $3,405 to $11,970 for a queen set.<br />
In addition to adjustable lumbar support, the top bed in the collection now has a security<br />
compartment for storing valuables and comes equipped with a portable fire extinguisher. The<br />
top two models in the group have six zones of interchangeable, innerspring “cassettes”—the<br />
Pascal Comfort Zone System allows two sleepers to adjust their side of the bed to their liking.<br />
Innovative Mattress<br />
buys retail chain<br />
Innovative Mattress Solutions<br />
in Winfield, W. Va., the parent<br />
company of sleep shop chains Mattress<br />
Warehouse and Sleep Outfitters,<br />
has purchased Mattresses<br />
Unlimited, in Nashville, Tenn.<br />
The acquisition includes 16<br />
stores and two distribution centers<br />
in the Louisville, Ky., and Nashville<br />
markets. This is the retailer’s first<br />
entry into Tennessee and gives it<br />
a total of 120 stores in five states,<br />
including Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio<br />
and West Virginia.<br />
“We are very pleased to expand<br />
our company’s presence in the<br />
Louisville market, my hometown,<br />
and the opportunity to enter the<br />
Nashville market is particularly exciting,”<br />
said Kim Knopf, Innovative<br />
Mattress Solutions chief executive<br />
officer.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
SHORT<br />
Fabrictech expanding<br />
Fabrictech International,<br />
a bedding protection<br />
supplier based in Cedar<br />
Grove, N.J., added more<br />
than 400 stores in the<br />
fourth quarter of 2011.<br />
The company attributed<br />
its expansion to successful<br />
merchandising and<br />
retailer incentives, along<br />
with new product offerings<br />
and improved product<br />
performance. Recent<br />
growth also has been<br />
driven by the introduction<br />
of OmniGuard Advance<br />
protectors, partnership<br />
with the National Sleep<br />
Foundation and the development<br />
of the PureCare<br />
Plush Antibacterial Silver<br />
pillow line, the company<br />
said.<br />
Graphic design and marketing<br />
services provider Wright<br />
of Thomasville has completed a<br />
major solar panel installation at its<br />
headquarters in Thomasville, N.C.<br />
The 364 panels are connected<br />
directly to the power grid at Duke<br />
Energy Corp., the power company<br />
serving central North Carolina.<br />
The panels generate about 83.72<br />
kilowatts of energy, which Duke<br />
Energy credits back to Wright,<br />
essentially cancelling out Wright’s<br />
electric bill. The company also received<br />
state and federal tax credits<br />
for the installation.<br />
“Our company has always<br />
been committed to environmental<br />
stewardship—be it through the<br />
inks we use or the recycling of<br />
production materials,” said Greg<br />
Wright, Wright of Thomasville<br />
president and chief executive<br />
News<br />
Wright of Thomasville harnesses solar energy<br />
Let the sun shine The new solar panels at Wright of Thomasville’s<br />
facility in Thomasville, N.C., produce more than 83 kilowatts<br />
of energy.<br />
officer. “We are now happy to add<br />
energy conservation to this list.<br />
The decision to install solar panels<br />
seemed like a natural progression<br />
in reducing our carbon<br />
footprint and advancing our<br />
environmental mission.”<br />
To illustrate its harnessing of<br />
solar power, the company has<br />
added a power-generating meter<br />
to its website and in the facility’s<br />
lobby.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 49 |
Networking innovation<br />
education<br />
to the<br />
mattress industry!<br />
Meet mattress industry suppliers from around the world<br />
See the latest machinery, products, supplies and services<br />
Build relationships and make business connections<br />
Stay on top of industry trends and news<br />
Special Events!<br />
International Reception Tuesday, March 13, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm<br />
Sponsored by Flexible Foam Products, Inc. A reception exclusively<br />
for international attendees the evening before the show floor opens!<br />
Welcome Reception Wednesday, March 14, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm<br />
Sponsored by Atlanta Attachment Co. Enjoy food, drinks and<br />
fun socializing at this entertaining and interactive opening event!<br />
ISPA Industry Breakfast Friday, March 16, 7:45 am – 10:00 am<br />
Featuring Keynote Alan Hobson, Mt. Everest<br />
climber, world adventurer, best-selling author,<br />
and cancer survivor.<br />
The only trade show in the world devoted<br />
exclusively to the mattress industry.<br />
register today! www.ispaexpo.com<br />
march 14-17<br />
Indiana Convention Center<br />
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA<br />
2012<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com Feburary 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 51 |
Tuesday, March 13<br />
Pre-Conference Seminar for International Attendees<br />
The World Mattress Industry: An Overview<br />
and the Latest Trends, 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm<br />
Speakers:<br />
n Alessandra Tracogna, Director, Country Analysis and<br />
Forecasts Unit, CSIL Centre for Industrial Studies<br />
n Mark Rupe, Senior Analyst for Consumer Durables,<br />
Longbow Research<br />
n Representatives of the Better Sleep Council (BSC)<br />
Designed especially for our international guests, this<br />
session will give you a comprehensive view of the current<br />
state of the international mattress market from several perspectives.<br />
The session will begin with the numbers, including<br />
a summary of the latest CSIL report covering mattress<br />
production, consumption and international trade from CSIL’s<br />
director of the country analysis and forecast unit. You will<br />
then hear from Mark Rupe, a senior analyst with Longbow<br />
Research, who has more than 10 years of experience in<br />
covering the consumer goods and services sector. Mark will<br />
discuss the mid and long-term consumer trends in the U.S.<br />
and global markets, and the impact the recession and changing<br />
demographics have on the mattress replacement cycle.<br />
Representatives of the Better Sleep Council (BSC) will then<br />
help you understand how to apply this information, as well<br />
as the results of the BSC’s research and other tools to your<br />
own market messaging.<br />
This session will be immediately followed by an<br />
INTERNATIONAL RECEPTION — your exclusive opportunity to<br />
network with colleagues and make valuable business connections<br />
with exhibitors and other attendees.<br />
RegistRation foR this session is limited to inteRnational attendees,<br />
and is pResented in english.<br />
Most sessions are free for ISPA members!<br />
Register online today at www.ISPAEXPO.com<br />
| 52 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
First class educational sessions<br />
will help you stay on top<br />
of the latest trends!<br />
Wednesday, March 14<br />
Leveraging Key Benchmarking Tools to<br />
Improve Your Bottom Line! 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm<br />
Speaker: Thomas Noon, Principal, Industry Insights, Inc.<br />
How does your company measure up compared to your peers<br />
and how can you best plan for the future? ISPA’s Mattress<br />
Industry Wage and Cost Surveys (covering the U.S. and<br />
Canadian markets) can help! Both exclusive surveys, available<br />
only to ISPA members, provide a treasure trove of industryspecific<br />
data designed to help you understand how you stack<br />
up against your competitors and help you make better business<br />
decisions. Tom Noon, co-founder and principal of Industry<br />
Insights, Inc., the consulting and research firm that compiles<br />
ISPA’s surveys, will bring these numbers to life so you can you<br />
interpret and leverage the results while gaining insights into<br />
your own operations. All session participants will receive valuable<br />
executive summaries of the most recent surveys.<br />
Thursday, March 15<br />
What Motivates Women to Buy?<br />
Insights into How to Influence Women to Purchase<br />
and Build Loyalty with Your Brand, 7:45 am – 9:00 am<br />
Speaker: Delia Passi, CEO, Medelia, Inc.<br />
Women make or influence the vast majority of all consumer<br />
purchases, including mattresses. Marketing messages are<br />
important, but they only go so far in closing sales and creating<br />
loyalty with female customers. In this engaging session, you’ll<br />
hear from Delia Passi, the nation’s leading authority on selling<br />
to women and CEO of a successful training, consulting,<br />
and research firm. Her WomenCertified® series of training<br />
programs are based on more than a decade of research and<br />
experience in understanding what motivates women to buy.<br />
You’ll also be the first to hear the results of a survey of 5,000<br />
female consumers that will be conducted exclusively for this<br />
event. Hear Delia’s findings about what influences women to<br />
purchase one brand over another!<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
The Importance of Selling Sleep, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm<br />
Moderator: Cindy Williams, VP of Client Services, InfoRetail<br />
Panelists: n Karrie Forbes, VP Marketing, Mattress Firm<br />
n Pete Bils, VP, Sleep Innovation, Select Comfort<br />
A mattress is more than just a commodity; it is an integral<br />
part of overall health and well-being. Find out how simply<br />
focusing on the importance of a good night’s rest can help<br />
educate consumers and sell more mattresses! In this interactive<br />
panel discussion, you’ll hear how you and your retailers<br />
can successfully engage customers by using sleep, rather than<br />
price, as the main discussion. Learn about statistics that show<br />
that more and better mattresses and accessories are sold<br />
when sales associates use this messaging. Also hear about the<br />
latest efforts of the Better Sleep Council to support you in<br />
correlating quality sleep to the purchase of a new mattress.<br />
Come armed with your questions for our panelists!<br />
Succeeding in the Chinese Market –<br />
Opportunities and Obstacles, 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm<br />
Speaker: Jeff Holmes, President & CEO, J. Holmes, LLC<br />
With an exploding middle class the demand for goods in<br />
China is growing rapidly. This offers many opportunities<br />
for mattress manufacturers, but entering this market<br />
also presents challenges and pitfalls. Jeff Holmes, former<br />
president and CEO of several of the largest U.S. furniture<br />
and bedding manufacturers/importers, and now consultant<br />
for manufacturers of interior furnishings, will discuss his<br />
insights on selling consumer goods in China. You’ll learn:<br />
• What is the Chinese consumer looking for?<br />
• How demographics, a rising standard of living and<br />
politics are driving Chinese consumption patterns<br />
• The dos and don’ts of exporting and strategic issues to<br />
consider when establishing your presence in China<br />
Hear what it takes to succeed in this and other growing Asian<br />
markets!<br />
There’s lots of exhibit hall space to cover at ISPA<br />
EXPO, so come with your colleagues so you can<br />
gather information, then share and compare!<br />
schedule subject to change. photogRaphy and videotaping is stRictly pRohibited on the exhibit flooR. audiotaping and videotaping of ispa educational sessions is<br />
not peRmitted. official photos and video taken at the event aRe the pRopeRty of ispa and may be used in futuRe pRomotion and on ispa’s social media sites.<br />
indianapolis, indiana<br />
has it all!<br />
Friday, March 16<br />
The Future of Mattress Recycling, 11:00 am – 11:45 am<br />
Moderator: Ryan Trainer, President, ISPA<br />
Panelists: n Mary Sharkey, Sales and Production Manager,<br />
St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County<br />
n Pascal Cohen, President, Recyc-Mattresses Inc/<br />
Recyc-Matelas Inc.<br />
A growing number of consumers and local governments are<br />
concerned about what happens to discarded mattresses. In<br />
response, more companies are dismantling used mattresses<br />
and selling the steel, foam and other materials they contain<br />
for use in manufacturing other products. At the same time,<br />
some states are considering whether to enact so-called<br />
Extended Producer Responsibility rules, which would make<br />
manufacturers legally responsible for collecting and recycling<br />
all used mattresses discarded in their states. While many agree<br />
that increased recycling of used mattress components would<br />
be good for the environment and the industry’s image, how<br />
best to accomplish that goal is unclear. Hear two seasoned<br />
recyclers as they share their insights on trends likely to affect<br />
mattress recycling, and discuss best practices they have<br />
developed to be more efficient and to attract a steady supply<br />
of used products. ISPA staff will also discuss the status of<br />
pending legislation.<br />
Register online today at WWW.ISPAEXPO.COM<br />
Learn more about the city at WWW.ISPAEXPO.COM/HOSTCITY.HTML<br />
ispa expo 2012 will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, a<br />
convenient, centrally-located city. Accessible by all modes of transportation,<br />
downtown Indianapolis is easy to get to and the convention center is just 15<br />
minutes from the international airport.<br />
The Convention Center is connected to major hotels, restaurants, and<br />
attractions via enclosed skywalks. The appealing and compact downtown<br />
area features public art and gardens, fine dining, shops, and entertainment.<br />
And in a city that built its reputation on sports both amateur and professional,<br />
you’ll almost always find some sort of competition going on. Indy<br />
is the perfect place for business and pleasure!<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com Feburary 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 53 |
Book Your Stay at One of the Following<br />
Official ISPA EXPO Hotels<br />
OFFICIAL HOUSING RESERVATION FORM • HOTEL RESERVATION DEADLINE FEBRUARy 15, 2012<br />
Hotel Reservation Deadline: February 15, 2012<br />
There’s still time to take advantage of special low rates negotiated<br />
Indiana Convention Center<br />
with the following hotels, Indianapolis, located within IN walking distance of the<br />
Indiana Convention Center.<br />
ur Ways to Book<br />
1<br />
www.ispaexpo.com<br />
fficial Hotels & Rates<br />
2<br />
eadquarters Hotels<br />
Marriott Indianapolis Downtown<br />
350 W Maryland St<br />
Single/Double: $195<br />
3<br />
. Westin Indianapolis<br />
50 S Capitol Ave<br />
Single/Double: $188<br />
. Comfort Suites City Centre<br />
515 S West St<br />
Single/Double: $108<br />
4<br />
MARRIOTT INDIANAPOLIS DOWNTOWN (Co-Headquarters Hotel)<br />
350 West Maryland Street sleep@onpeakevents.com<br />
Indianapolis, Indiana 46225<br />
$195 Single/Double<br />
The lowest available room rates at event hotels have been specially negotiated.<br />
Other booking channels are continuously monitored to track down rival rates.<br />
Event rates are re-negotiated when necessary and the lower rates are applied to<br />
WESTIN INDIANAPOLIS (Co-Headquarters Hotel)<br />
already-booked rooms.<br />
50 South Capitol Ave<br />
Indianapolis, IN 46204<br />
$188 Single/Double<br />
COMFORT SUITES CITY CENTER<br />
515 South West Street<br />
Indianapolis, IN 46225<br />
SOLD OUT<br />
COURTYARD INDIANAPOLIS DOWNTOWN<br />
601 West Washington Street<br />
Indianapolis, IN 46204<br />
$154 Single/Double<br />
. Courtyard Indianapolis Downtown<br />
601 W Washington St<br />
Single/Double: $154<br />
. Crowne Plaza Union Station<br />
123 W Louisiana St<br />
Single/Double: $149<br />
5<br />
. Hampton Inn Downtown<br />
105 S Meridian St<br />
Single/Double: $125<br />
Staybridge Suites City Centre<br />
535 S West St<br />
Single/Double: $108<br />
6<br />
CROWN PLAzA UNION STATION<br />
123 West Louisiana Street<br />
Indianapolis, IN 46225<br />
$149 Single/Double<br />
HAMPTON INN DOWNTOWN<br />
105 S. Meridian<br />
Street Indianapolis, IN 46225<br />
SOLD OUT<br />
Rates do not include current tax of 17% or applicable surcharges, subject to change.<br />
Hotel Extras<br />
ave even more money by booking an official hotel.<br />
7<br />
Continental Breakfast<br />
Hot Breakfast<br />
Wireless Internet Access<br />
Internet Access<br />
STAYBRIDgE SUITES CITY CENTER<br />
535 South West Street<br />
Indianapolis, IN 46225<br />
SOLD OUT<br />
| 54 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
ISPA ExPO 2012<br />
March 14-17, 2012<br />
Map<br />
(800) 220 5918 US Toll-free<br />
(312) 527 7300 Local<br />
7<br />
Book<br />
Now<br />
4 1<br />
3<br />
2<br />
Low<br />
rates!<br />
5<br />
(312) 329 9513 Fax<br />
Book online today and you could win a<br />
free night’s stay during the ISPA EXPO!<br />
Use our online system to simplify your group/block<br />
booking and reserve your rooms in real-time with an<br />
immediate confirmation. Log on to www.ispaexpo.com<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com<br />
and look for the housing link.<br />
6<br />
Map used to indicate approximate locations only.
Come See the Future of the Mattress<br />
ISPA 2012 | MARCH 14-17 | BOOTH 901<br />
It’s What’s Next. Now. by Springs Creative.<br />
www.springscreative.com • 803-324-6505
ispa expo 2012<br />
event sponsors<br />
| 56 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
to the<br />
schedule at a glance<br />
Tuesday, March 13, 2012<br />
8:00 am – 5:00 pm Registration Open<br />
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Pre-Conference Seminar: The World Mattress Industry: An Overview and the Latest Trends<br />
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm International Reception<br />
Wednesday, 14 March 14, 2012<br />
7:00 am – 5:00 pm Registration Open<br />
8:00 am – 9:00 am ISPA Women’s Network Breakfast<br />
9:00 am – 5:00 pm ISPA EXPO Exhibit Hall Open<br />
3:00 pm – 3:45 pm Leveraging Key Benchmarking Tools to Improve Your Bottom Line!<br />
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm WELCOME RECEPTION, featuring the Insomniaczzz<br />
Thursday, March 15, 2012<br />
7:00 am – 5:00 pm Registration Open<br />
7:45 am – 9:00 am What Motivates Women to Buy?<br />
9:00 am – 5:00 pm ISPA EXPO Exhibit Hall Open<br />
11:00 am – 12:00 pm The Importance of Selling Sleep<br />
3:00 pm – 3:45 pm Succeeding in the Chinese Market – Opportunities and Obstacles<br />
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Private Exhibitor Appointments<br />
Friday, March 16, 2012<br />
mattress industry!<br />
7:00 am – 5:00 pm Registration Open<br />
7:45 am – 10:00 am Industry Breakfast featuring Alan Hobson – “Redefine the Possible”<br />
(included with your EXPO attendee registration)<br />
10:00 am – 5:00 pm ISPA EXPO Exhibit Hall Open<br />
11:00 am – 11:45 am The Future of Mattress Recycling<br />
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Private Exhibitor Appointments<br />
Saturday, March 17, 2012<br />
8:30 am – 10:00 am Registration Open<br />
9:00 am – 12:00 pm ISPA EXPO Exhibit Hall Open<br />
Follow EXPO on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to receive the latest updates!<br />
www.sleepproducts.org<br />
schedule subject to change.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
The new foam for mattress relaxing the man<br />
without stressing the nature.<br />
ISPA EXPO 2012<br />
March 14-17, 2012<br />
Indianapolis, IN USA<br />
B O O T H - 1 7 0 1<br />
Via A. Colombo, 60 21055 Gorla Minore (VA) Italy<br />
E-mail: orsafoam@orsafoam.it - www.orsafoam.it www.bbfoam.it
expo<br />
2012<br />
exhibiting companies *<br />
| 58 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
A. Lava & Son Co.<br />
Adfast Corp.<br />
Advance Fiber Technologies Corp/AFT<br />
AEC Narrow Fabrics<br />
American & Efird, Inc.<br />
American Nonwovens Inc.<br />
Apropa USA<br />
Aquila Textiles, Inc.<br />
Ateja Tritunggal<br />
Atlanta Attachment Company<br />
Balcan Plastics-First Film Extruding<br />
Baumer of America<br />
Bechik Products, Inc.<br />
Bekaert Textiles<br />
Black Bros. Co.<br />
BLR Lumber<br />
Bo-Buck Mills, Inc.<br />
Bodet & Horst GmbH & Co. KG<br />
BoMei Tex Ltd.<br />
Boyd Specialty Sleep<br />
BRK Group, LLC<br />
Bruin Plastics Company Inc.<br />
Burgess-Built Machinery Ltd.<br />
C.J. Hodder Lumber Company<br />
Carpenter Co.<br />
Changshu DAFA Warp<br />
Knitting Co., Ltd.<br />
ChemTick Coated Fabrics, Inc.<br />
Coats North America<br />
Costa International<br />
Cranston Trucking and Logistics<br />
Services<br />
Creative Ticking<br />
CT Nassau Tape - Ticking<br />
Culp Home Fashions<br />
D.R. Cash Inc<br />
Deslee Textiles USA<br />
Diamond Needle Corporation<br />
DMM Bedframe Lumber<br />
Duncan Tickings, Inc.<br />
Dunlap Sunbrand Int.<br />
DBA Jumpsource<br />
Earnhardt Manufacturing, LLC<br />
East Grace Corporation<br />
Eclipse Sleep Products/Eastman<br />
House Sleep Products<br />
Edgewater Machine Co., Inc.<br />
Enkev Group BV<br />
Enriquez Materials & Quilting, Inc.<br />
Entex Textil S. L.<br />
Ergomotion, Inc.<br />
FabricTech International<br />
Farnsworth Logistics, Inc.<br />
Fecken-Kirfel America<br />
Fine Cotton Factory, Inc.<br />
Flex-A-Bed<br />
Flexible Foam Products, Inc.<br />
FMA Trading LLC<br />
Foam Solutions, Inc.<br />
Foshan Qianfang Home<br />
Supplies Co., Ltd.<br />
Foshan Ruixin Nonwoven Co., Ltd.<br />
GelMakers LLC<br />
Global Latex<br />
Global Systems Group<br />
gommagomma s.p.a.<br />
Guangzhou Xinsheng<br />
Industrial Co.,Ltd.<br />
Hangzhou Chenyu Textile Co.,Ltd.<br />
Hangzhou Dongya Textile Co. Ltd.<br />
Hangzhou Landscape Imp.& Exp.<br />
Co. Ltd.<br />
Hangzhou Xiaoshan Lianhong<br />
Polyester Textile Co<br />
Hangzhou Xiaoshan Meixin<br />
Decorative Fabric Plant<br />
Hangzhou Xiashan DanDan Textile<br />
Hangzhou Xinyada Fabric Co., Ltd<br />
Harvard Manufacturing<br />
Enterprises, Inc.<br />
Healthcare Co., Ltd.<br />
Henkel Corporation<br />
Herculite Products, Inc.<br />
Hickory Springs Mfg.<br />
Hot Melt Technologies, Inc.<br />
IDEAL Fastener Corporation<br />
Industrias Marves S.A. de C.V.<br />
Innofa<br />
Integrity Software Solutions<br />
Intertek<br />
Interwoven Group<br />
Jacquard Textile South America S.A.<br />
James Cash Machine Company<br />
Jayhawk Plastics, Inc.<br />
Jiangsu Dreamerry Mattress<br />
Manufacturing LTD<br />
John Marshall & Company LTD<br />
Jomel Industries, Inc<br />
Jones Fiber Products, Inc.<br />
JSP New Market Development Group<br />
Knickerbocker Bed Company<br />
Komar Alliance LLC<br />
Ko-SI d.d.<br />
Lampe USA Inc.<br />
Latex Green (Private) Ltd.<br />
Latex International<br />
Latex Systems Co Ltd.<br />
Latexco LLC<br />
Lava<br />
Leggett & Platt Bedding<br />
Components Group<br />
Leigh Fibers, Inc.<br />
Lenzing<br />
Liberty Threads, N.A., Inc.<br />
Lonza Microbial Control<br />
Lucerne Textiles Inc.<br />
Macao Com. & Ind. Spring<br />
Mattress Manufacturer<br />
Maklada Spring Wire<br />
Markwell Florida<br />
Masias Maquinaria, S. L.<br />
Matsushita Industrial Co., Ltd.<br />
Matt Tech Inspections Inc.<br />
Maxime Knitting Mills Inc.<br />
Middleburg Yarn Inc.<br />
MidWest Nonwovens<br />
Milliken & Company<br />
Monks International NV<br />
Ningbo New Haiyan Belt<br />
Industry Co. Ltd<br />
OHM Systems Inc.<br />
Orsa Foam SPA<br />
P. Bjerre Inc.<br />
Pacific Spring Inc.<br />
Plastic Monofil Company<br />
Power Springs LLC<br />
Pratrivero Group<br />
Precision Blades Inc.<br />
Precision Fabrics Group<br />
Precision Textiles<br />
QAI Laboratories<br />
Qingdao Richriver Electrics Co., Ltd.<br />
Response Computer Group, Inc.<br />
Rock Island Industries<br />
SABA North America<br />
Shaoxing Huajian Mattress<br />
Machinery<br />
Simalfa<br />
Simmons Engineering Corporation<br />
Soff-Art<br />
Spec-Tex, Inc.<br />
Springs Creative Products Group<br />
Spuhl AG<br />
Stein Fibers Ltd.<br />
Stork Twin City Testing<br />
Sunkist Chemical Machinery Ltd.<br />
Tekscan Inc.<br />
Texas Pocket Springs<br />
The Govmark Testing Services Inc.<br />
Therapedic International<br />
Tietex<br />
TMI Products, Inc.<br />
Transfer Master Products, Inc.<br />
Uni-Source Textile<br />
Upaco Adhesives<br />
Veysel Kutuklu Mattresses Machinery<br />
Viking Engineering<br />
Vintex Inc<br />
VMOD Fibers LLC<br />
Westech Building Products ULC<br />
(Westlake)<br />
Wm. T. Burnett<br />
Wright of Thomasville<br />
Xidengbao Mattress Machinery<br />
(Guangzhou)Co., Limited<br />
Xsensor Technology Corp.<br />
Z Wood Products Co Inc<br />
register for<br />
ispa expo By<br />
feBruary 22<br />
aNd save!<br />
*as of January 3, 2012<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
QUALITY BEDFRAME LUMBER MANUFACTURER<br />
Please stop by Bois Le Roux’s booth # 1443 during ISPA EXPO 2012 in Indianapolis<br />
March 14-17. You are welcome to meet our team to discuss what BLR can do for<br />
you regarding your lumber needs.<br />
Our FSC certi ed wood is another added value to our bedframe lumber<br />
and our company<br />
• Rigid, lightweight, resistant products providing better support that extends<br />
• Deal closely with the mill.<br />
• Two separate production lines for more versatility and greater productivity.<br />
Bois Le Roux Inc.<br />
www.blrlumber.com<br />
Phone: 819-877-2092 Toll Free from USA: 888-877-2098 Email: blr@blrlumber.com
Sealy CEO Rogers to step down<br />
Larry Rogers, president and chief executive officer of mattress<br />
major Sealy, is retiring after a 33-year career with<br />
the Trinity, N.C.-based company.<br />
Rogers, 63, will continue to lead Sealy until his successor is<br />
appointed. The company has hired an executive search firm.<br />
“On behalf of the board and everyone at Sealy, I would like<br />
to thank Larry not only for his leadership, but also for the dedication<br />
and commitment that he has given to Sealy for more<br />
than 30 years,” said Paul J. Norris, nonexecutive chairman of<br />
the Sealy board of directors. “During his tenure as CEO, he<br />
has guided the company through some of the most tumultuous<br />
times that we have seen in both the industry and the U.S.<br />
economy, while advancing Sealy’s status as the pre-eminent<br />
mattress company in the world. We appreciate his countless<br />
contributions over the years.”<br />
Before being named president and CEO in 2008, Rogers<br />
held various positions in the company, including president<br />
of Sealy North America, president of Sealy International and<br />
president of Sealy Canada.<br />
Newsmakers<br />
Rogers is credited with building Sealy’s international business<br />
and forging relationships, including those in the retail and<br />
supplier communities, throughout the global bedding industry.<br />
He played a critical role in entering the Chinese market,<br />
establishing a joint-venture system in Asia and building the<br />
company’s first plant in China. He also led the company’s<br />
entry into South America.<br />
More recently as CEO, Rogers guided Sealy through the<br />
most significant decline ever experienced by the bedding<br />
industry, stabilizing the business and leading the successful<br />
refinancing of the company in 2009, according to the company.<br />
He also focused employees on delivering innovative<br />
new product offerings, including a revamping of the Stearns &<br />
Foster line.<br />
“After more than three decades at Sealy, I have decided<br />
that the time is right for me to retire, knowing that I will leave a<br />
company that is well-positioned, despite the ongoing difficulties<br />
in the macroeconomic environment,” Rogers said. “I am<br />
proud to have been a part of this great company and to have<br />
played a role in Sealy’s expansion across the U.S. and<br />
worldwide.”<br />
Simmons promotes specialty products execs<br />
Atlanta-based mattress<br />
producer Simmons Bedding<br />
Co. has promoted Brad<br />
Hill to senior vice president<br />
and general manager of<br />
specialty products North<br />
America and Scott Smalling<br />
to chief of specialty innovation.<br />
Both report to Gary<br />
Fazio, Simmons chief executive<br />
officer.<br />
The promotions reflect<br />
Simmons’ commitment to advancing its position<br />
in the specialty category, the company said.<br />
Hill is responsible for creating consumer<br />
demand, elevating brand awareness, and driving<br />
the growth and profitability of the specialty<br />
category.<br />
He has 25 years of industry experience, most<br />
recently serving as senior vice president of sales<br />
operations and development in the Program<br />
Management Office for Simmons’ parent, AOT<br />
Bedding Super Holdings LLC. Hill joined Simmons<br />
in 2005 as senior vice president of supply<br />
chain.<br />
“Brad has been a valuable asset to Simmons<br />
and our parent company, AOT Bedding,” Fazio<br />
said. “Over the years, he has been responsible for<br />
developing our entire sales operations process,<br />
which includes a formalization of the robust ana-<br />
The promotions<br />
reflect Simmons’<br />
commitment to<br />
advancing its<br />
position in the<br />
specialty category.<br />
lytics capabilities that we rely<br />
on today. His expertise in operational<br />
excellence is perfectly<br />
suited for taking our specialty<br />
sleep division to the next level<br />
as we experience tremendous<br />
growth in the category.”<br />
Smalling’s new role as chief<br />
of specialty innovation allows<br />
him to focus more closely on<br />
the innovation and development<br />
of new foam specialty<br />
products, the company said. In addition to his<br />
technical work, he continues to serve as a brand<br />
ambassador, dedicating a portion of his time to<br />
promotional efforts.<br />
Smalling joined Simmons in 2007 as president<br />
of specialty sleep after Simmons acquired<br />
Comfor Products Inc., where Smalling served as<br />
CEO. At Comfor Products, he created a line of<br />
foam bedding products that evolved into Simmons’<br />
ComforPedic brand.<br />
“Scott’s knowledge of the foam category and<br />
his passion for the product is legendary in the industry,”<br />
Fazio said. “Scott really has his finger on<br />
the pulse of foam technology and what consumers<br />
want, and we look forward to him having the<br />
ability and resources to focus on innovations that<br />
will lead Simmons to become a formidable player<br />
in the specialty category.”<br />
Paramount Sleep<br />
expands sales group<br />
with two ‘elevators’<br />
M attress producer<br />
Paramount Sleep in<br />
Norfolk, Va., has added<br />
two “business elevators”<br />
to its sales team serving<br />
the Southeastern United<br />
States.<br />
Jim Vaughn was added<br />
to work with Paramount<br />
customers in North Carolina<br />
and South Carolina.<br />
He is a sales veteran with<br />
more than three decades<br />
of experience in the home<br />
furnishings industry, managing<br />
key and national<br />
accounts at Klaussner<br />
Furniture Industries and<br />
Broyhill Furniture.<br />
Aimee Matlock was<br />
hired to work with Paramount<br />
dealers in Florida<br />
and southern Georgia.<br />
Previously, Matlock was a<br />
territory sales manager<br />
for Sealy.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 61 |
Pure LatexBLISS adds<br />
director of operations<br />
Mike Quinn<br />
Furniture First, a purchasing<br />
cooperative of U.S. furniture<br />
retailers headquartered in Harrisburg,<br />
Pa., has named Andrew<br />
Kauffman director of mattresses<br />
and Shauna Snyder director of<br />
accents and accessories.<br />
Kauffman has more than<br />
20 years of experience in the<br />
furniture and mattress industries.<br />
Most recently, he was operations<br />
manager and assistant<br />
buyer for a furniture retailer.<br />
He joined that company as sales<br />
manager and helped institute<br />
sales training guides for mattresses<br />
and upholstery. Prior to<br />
that, he was store manager and<br />
sales manager at a sleep shop<br />
chain in Pennsylvania. He began<br />
his home furnishings career<br />
delivering mattresses.<br />
“Andrew brings a working<br />
knowledge of the day-to-day<br />
challenges that independent<br />
furniture retailers face in this<br />
tough economy,” said Bill Hart-<br />
| 62 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
Mike Quinn has been named director of<br />
operations at Atlanta-based latex mattress<br />
and accessories maker Pure LatexBLISS. In the<br />
newly created position, he oversees all manufacturing<br />
and distribution for the company.<br />
For the past 13 years, Quinn has held a<br />
number of positions at Shelton, Conn.-based<br />
Latex International, the new majority owner of<br />
Pure LatexBLISS. Most recently, he was director<br />
of operations for its largest latex factory. He<br />
joined the company as a lab technician as part of his degree program<br />
at Northwestern University.<br />
“As our production needs and distribution continue to grow at a<br />
brisk pace, we felt it was time to have a dedicated operations leader<br />
for our organization,” said Kurt Ling, Pure LatexBLISS co-founder<br />
and chief executive officer. “Our expanded relationship with Latex International<br />
presented us with an unprecedented opportunity to find a<br />
seasoned executive in-house to move into this key role for us.”<br />
Quinn is based in Connecticut and reports to Tom Sirois, Latex<br />
International chief operating officer.<br />
man, Furniture First president.<br />
“His knowledge of mattresses<br />
and sales will be a great resource<br />
for our members.”<br />
Snyder joined Furniture<br />
Newsmakers<br />
Boyd hires sales vice president<br />
Mattress producer Boyd Specialty<br />
Sleep, with headquarters in St.<br />
Louis, has appointed Dirk Smith<br />
vice president of sales for the Southwest<br />
region.<br />
Smith, based in Dallas, is responsible<br />
for sales and sales development for Boyd<br />
Specialty Sleep and the company’s Accent<br />
Furniture division in 10 Southern states. He Dirk Smith<br />
reports to President Dennis Boyd.<br />
Before joining Boyd, Smith was with Sealy for 16 years,<br />
holding posts in district sales management and field sales<br />
before serving as senior national account manager. Prior to<br />
that, he worked in food sales and distribution for Campbell<br />
Soup Co.<br />
“Dirk has a solid record of mattress sales, sales management<br />
and marketing performance involving a number of key<br />
retailers and chains, including national accounts,” Boyd said.<br />
“His proven industry expertise in the South will be very valuable<br />
to our continued development of the Southwest region<br />
and to the growth of our companies overall.”<br />
Furniture First names directors for mattresses, accessories<br />
First as director of accents and<br />
accessories, a newly created<br />
position. She is responsible for<br />
creating, managing and improving<br />
Furniture First’s supplier<br />
Englander honors two factories<br />
program relationships. She<br />
previously held positions with<br />
furniture retailers Art Van and<br />
Storehouse, as well as rug vendors<br />
Rizzy Home and Surya.<br />
M attress licensing group Englander Sleep Products, based in Olive Branch, Miss., held<br />
an awards presentation during its Dec. 8 board of directors meeting in Rome, Ga.<br />
The presentation and board meeting are annual events held at a different Englander<br />
licensee each year and include a review of the host plant’s best manufacturing practices.<br />
Kevin Toman, Englander president, presided over the awards ceremony.<br />
Mark Savel, general manager of Englander Northeast in North Billerica, Mass., accepted<br />
the Manufacturing Excellence Award.<br />
The criteria for manufacturing excellence are based on an assessment using a random<br />
teardown of an Englander product, Toman said. Components, tailoring and overall<br />
product quality are evaluated on a point system.<br />
Harvey Freeman, president of Englander Mid-Atlantic in Philadelphia, was presented<br />
with the Outstanding Sales Achievement Award.<br />
When presenting Freeman with the sales award, Toman said, “Englander is proud to<br />
present the award for outstanding accomplishment in achieving the highest percentage<br />
increase in the group and increasing Englander market share in the mid-Atlantic.”<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
John Clark Jr., Eastern division<br />
vice president of sales for mattress<br />
producer Southerland Inc.,<br />
died Dec. 10 in Winter Haven,<br />
Fla., of heart failure. He was 57.<br />
Clark was a bedding industry<br />
sales veteran and had been with<br />
Nashville-based Southerland for<br />
five months.<br />
He began his career in the<br />
mattress industry at Sealy, where<br />
he spent nearly 20 years. He<br />
later held sales management<br />
positions at a Comfort Solutions/<br />
King Koil licensee (now Paramount<br />
Sleep) and Spring Air.<br />
Clark is survived by his wife,<br />
Debbi; three children, Janelle,<br />
Newsmakers<br />
Sales veteran John Clark Jr. dies<br />
Magniflex names sales director<br />
Mattress and sleep accessories producer Magniflex, based<br />
in Prato, Italy, has promoted Stefano Marescotti to sales<br />
director for North America. He is responsible for the growth and<br />
development of business in the United States and Canada.<br />
Marescotti joined Magniflex in 2010 as development manager,<br />
facilitating training, customer service and support between<br />
operations in the United States and Italy.<br />
Marescotti has more than 15 years of experience in retail,<br />
Darren and Ryan; three siblings,<br />
Karen, Sara and Bryant; and one<br />
grandchild.<br />
In lieu of flowers, the family<br />
requests contributions be made<br />
to Boy Scout Troop 565, Hope<br />
Presbyterian Church, 2110<br />
Cypress Garden Blvd., Winter<br />
Haven, FL 33884.<br />
n are you a newsmaker?<br />
Have you hired someone<br />
new? Earned a promotion<br />
yourself? Let us know. The<br />
deadline for Newsmakers<br />
in the April issue is March<br />
1. Email news releases to<br />
jpalm@sleepproducts.org.<br />
wholesale, production and customer relations in the Western<br />
European and U.S. markets. He spent three years with mattress<br />
retailer Sleepy’s as a district sales leader.<br />
“Stefano has a tremendous understanding of the mattress<br />
business at the retail level,” said Marco Magni, Magniflex global<br />
sales director. “He has played an important role with many of<br />
our North American customers in helping them better merchandise<br />
and sell our line. Stefano has relocated to the United States<br />
where he will be able to devote his full attention to our North<br />
American customers.”<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 63 |
| FEBRUARY<br />
Feb. 1-3<br />
Australian International<br />
Furniture Fair<br />
Sydney Exhibition Centre<br />
Sydney, Australia<br />
furniture@aec.net.au<br />
www.aiff.net.au<br />
Feb. 16-18<br />
Tupelo Furniture Market<br />
Mississippi Complex<br />
Tupelo, Miss.<br />
Phone 662-842-4442<br />
tfm@tupelofurnituremarket.com<br />
www.tupelofurnituremarket.com<br />
Above ISPA EXPO 2012<br />
March 14-17 in Indianpolis<br />
Right Tupelo Furniture Market<br />
Feb. 16-18 Tupelo, Miss.<br />
| 64 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
Calendar<br />
| MARCH<br />
March 9-12<br />
International Furniture Fair<br />
Singapore/ASEAN<br />
Furniture Show<br />
Singapore Expo<br />
Singapore<br />
Phone 65-6569-6988<br />
sales@iffs.com.sg<br />
www.iffs.com.sg<br />
March 14-17<br />
ISPA EXPO 2012<br />
Indiana Convention Center<br />
Indianapolis<br />
Phone 703-683-8371<br />
kbellias@sleepproducts.org<br />
www.ispaexpo.com<br />
March 27-30<br />
Interzum Guangzhou<br />
China/China International<br />
Furniture Fair<br />
China Import & Export Fair<br />
Complex Pazhou<br />
Guangzhou, China<br />
Phone 86-20-8755-2468<br />
k.lee@koelnmesse.cn<br />
www.interzum-guangzhou.com<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com-
ISPA<br />
ISPA rolls out new logo<br />
For the first time in<br />
nearly 25 years, the<br />
International Sleep<br />
Products Association has<br />
a fresh logo design.<br />
“During the past<br />
three years, the mattress<br />
industry and ISPA<br />
have both faced many<br />
challenges and have had<br />
to adapt to a number<br />
of important market<br />
changes. The logo we<br />
adopted nearly 25 years<br />
ago when we became<br />
the International Sleep<br />
Products Association has<br />
served us well. But as our<br />
role as ‘the voice of the<br />
mattress industry’ has<br />
evolved and matured, the<br />
time has come to update<br />
our look,” says Mary<br />
Helen Uusimaki, ISPA<br />
vice president of membership<br />
and communications.<br />
“Like the enhanced<br />
level of commitment the<br />
ISPA team has taken in<br />
serving our members and<br />
the industry, our new<br />
logo takes a fresh look at<br />
ISPA battling producer responsibility laws<br />
One of the International Sleep Products Association’s key<br />
legislative fights this year is against “extended producer<br />
responsibility” legislation in states that would hold mattress<br />
manufacturers responsible for the disposable of their products<br />
at the end of their useful life cycles, driving up costs for the entire<br />
industry. <strong>BedTimes</strong> sat down with Chris Hudgins, ISPA vice<br />
president of government relations, to discuss the proposed<br />
bills and what they mean for the mattress industry.<br />
<strong>BedTimes</strong>: What is meant by the term “extended producer<br />
responsibility”?<br />
Hudgins: “Extended producer responsibility, or EPR for short, is<br />
a concept that’s been advanced by the environmental community<br />
during the past 10 or 15 years in various states. It essentially<br />
means that the manufacturer of a product is entirely responsible<br />
for the destruction and disposal of that product—usually in an<br />
environmentally friendly way—after the consumer is done using<br />
it. EPR started with products that posed a threat to the environment<br />
when improperly disposed of—electronics, tires, that kind<br />
of thing. Over time, environmentalists have begun to extend the<br />
concept to products such as mattresses, even though they don’t<br />
present environmental threats.”<br />
<strong>BedTimes</strong>: What is ISPA’s concern about EPR legislation?<br />
Hudgins: “EPR legislation considered in states generally requires<br />
that an industry create, fund and administer a state-specific<br />
system to dispose of its products at the end of their useful life<br />
cycle. That means providing ways of collecting the product from<br />
consumers and disposing of it in an environmentally sound way.<br />
It’s not only costly to the entire industry (many of the associated<br />
costs explicitly cannot be passed along to consumers), it makes<br />
the industry responsible for establishing and managing an<br />
entirely new bureaucracy. All of a sudden the mattress industry is<br />
visually representing who<br />
we are.”<br />
ISPA created its previous<br />
logo in 1987 when<br />
the association changed<br />
its name from the National<br />
Association of Bedding<br />
Manufacturers.<br />
The new logo was<br />
designed by Kung fu<br />
Creatives, a boutique<br />
design cooperative in<br />
Vienna, Va.<br />
ISPA encourages its<br />
members to use the association’s<br />
logo in their<br />
own marketing materials,<br />
including corporate<br />
stationery, websites and<br />
trade advertisements.<br />
There are some restrictions.<br />
For instance, ISPA<br />
logos can’t be used on<br />
any sleep product.<br />
Members using the<br />
old ISPA logo are asked<br />
to replace it with the<br />
new <strong>version</strong> as soon as<br />
possible.<br />
To download the new<br />
logo and read the guidelines<br />
for its use, visit the<br />
“Member Resources”<br />
section of the ISPA<br />
website,<br />
www.sleepproducts.org.<br />
For questions or<br />
comments about the<br />
logo, contact Uusimaki<br />
at mhuusimaki@<br />
sleepproducts.org or<br />
703-683-8371.<br />
in a whole new business, having to become experts in recycling<br />
instead of mattress manufacturing. In addition, we’re concerned<br />
that a state-by-state approach could leave mattress manufacturers<br />
having to manage product disposal under 50 different<br />
systems with 50 different rules. Advocates of EPR bills have said<br />
their goal is to have laws like these in every state. A state-by-state<br />
solution isn’t practical. If would end up being too costly and<br />
inefficient.”<br />
<strong>BedTimes</strong>: Where is EPR legislation being considered right<br />
now that could affect mattress producers?<br />
Hudgins: “ISPA led the way to defeat a bill in Rhode Island last<br />
year, but the R.I. General Assembly is back in session until June<br />
and we expect the bill to be reconsidered. The Connecticut legislature<br />
convenes this month and we expect lawmakers to consider<br />
a bill during the session before adjourning in May. Vermont and<br />
other states may consider a framework bill that doesn’t specifically<br />
address mattresses but could affect mattress producers.”<br />
<strong>BedTimes</strong>: What is ISPA doing to combat state EPR efforts?<br />
Hudgins: “In Connecticut and Rhode Island, we’re working with<br />
ISPA members in those states and state business groups such as<br />
the local Chamber of Commerce to build coalitions to defeat<br />
the bills. As part of a broader effort, ISPA is a founding member<br />
of the Product Management Alliance, a national group that promotes<br />
free-market solutions to product stewardship, and I serve<br />
on its board. Alliance members share a common belief that all<br />
parties in the supply chain share responsibility for managing a<br />
product throughout its life cycle. The group advocates for voluntary,<br />
flexible, market-based solutions.”<br />
<strong>BedTimes</strong>: What can ISPA members do?<br />
Hudgins: “If you’re an ISPA member, especially if you’re in one of<br />
these states, and want to get involved, contact me at<br />
chudgins@sleepproducts.org or 703-683-8371.”<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 65 |
a d v e r t i s e r s<br />
A. Lava & Son Co. 45<br />
Steve Appelbaum<br />
800-777-5282<br />
(800-777-LAVA)<br />
www.alavason.com<br />
Atlanta Attachment C2-1, 35<br />
Co. Inc.<br />
Hank Little<br />
770-963-7369<br />
www.atlatt.com<br />
Bloomingburg Spring 67<br />
& Wire Form Co. Inc.<br />
Vickie Schwarm<br />
740-437-7614<br />
www.bloomingburgspring.com<br />
BLR 60<br />
Martin Leroux<br />
819-877-2092<br />
www.blrlumber.com<br />
Bodet & Horst GmbH 40<br />
& Co. KG<br />
Ute Schmiedel<br />
49-37349-697-27<br />
www.bodet-horst.de<br />
Boyçelik Metal AS 33<br />
Erol Boydak<br />
90-532-274-3193<br />
www.boycelik.com<br />
Boyteks Tekstil AS 36-37<br />
Deniz Boydak<br />
90-352-322-0588<br />
www.boyteks.com<br />
Buhler Quality Yarns 29<br />
Corp.<br />
Victor Almeida<br />
706-367-9834<br />
www.buhleryarns.com<br />
Costa International 44<br />
Daniel Vazquez<br />
305-885-9761<br />
www.costa-international.com<br />
| 66 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
Cranston Trucking 46<br />
& Logistics Services<br />
Dianne Francin<br />
336-887-9712<br />
www.cranstontrucking.com<br />
Diamond Needle Corp. 64<br />
Abe Silberstein<br />
800-221-5818<br />
www.diamondneedle.com<br />
Duroflex International 67<br />
George Mathew<br />
415-990-4343<br />
www.latexglobal.com<br />
Edgewater Machine 19<br />
Co. Inc.<br />
Roy Schlegel<br />
718-539-8200<br />
www.edgewatermachine.com<br />
Enriquez Materials 59<br />
& Quilting Inc.<br />
Silvia Enriquez<br />
323-725-4955<br />
www.enriquezquilting.com<br />
Foshan Ruixin Nonwoven 63<br />
Co. Ltd. (Rayson Global)<br />
Himy Lee<br />
86-757-85806388<br />
www.raysonchina.com<br />
Global Systems 24-25, C3<br />
Group<br />
Russ Bowman<br />
954-846-0300<br />
www.gsgcompanies.com<br />
Hengchang Machinery 43<br />
Factory<br />
Ren Ying<br />
86-769-8330-7931<br />
www.hcjixie.com<br />
Hickory Springs Mfg. Co. 2<br />
Rick Anthony<br />
828-328-2201<br />
www.hickorysprings.com<br />
John Marshall & Co. Ltd. 6<br />
Peter Crone<br />
64-3-341-2004<br />
www.joma.co.nz<br />
Kenn Spinrad Inc. 64<br />
Randy Weinstock<br />
800-373-0944<br />
www.spinrad.net<br />
Latex Systems Co. Ltd. 8<br />
Kitti Charoenpornpanichkul<br />
66-2-326-0886, Ext. 204<br />
www.latexsystems.com<br />
Lien A Co. Ltd. 41<br />
Pham The Duy<br />
84-8-38-777-999<br />
www.liena.vn<br />
Maxime Knitting Mills Inc. 50<br />
Lorne Romoff<br />
514-336-0445, Ext. 127<br />
514-265-8782<br />
www.maximeknitting.com<br />
Midwest Quality Bedding 48<br />
David Pritchett<br />
614-873-6667<br />
www.mqbedding.com<br />
MPT Group 14-15<br />
Andrew Trickett<br />
44-1706-878-558<br />
www.mptgroup.com<br />
New England Needles Inc. 38<br />
Tom Lees<br />
800-243-3158<br />
www.newenglandneedles.com<br />
Orsa Foam S.p.A. 57<br />
Monica Rossi<br />
033-160-9111<br />
www.orsafoam.it<br />
Pacific Spring Inc. 23<br />
Victor Nguyen<br />
626-272-8882<br />
P.T. RubberFoam 49<br />
Indonesia<br />
Andreas Janssen<br />
62-21-53662190<br />
www.rubberfoam.co.id<br />
SABA North America LLC 4<br />
Jim Turner<br />
810-824-4964<br />
www.saba-adhesives.com<br />
Simalfa 16<br />
Darren Gilmore<br />
973-423-9266<br />
www.simalfa.com<br />
Springs Creative 55<br />
(Firegard Brand Products)<br />
Scott Frisch<br />
803-324-6505<br />
www.springscreative.com<br />
Therapedic International 11<br />
Gerry Borreggine<br />
800-314-4433<br />
www.therapedic.com<br />
Tietex International C4<br />
Wade Wallace<br />
800-843-8390<br />
www.tietex.com<br />
Vintex Inc. 21<br />
Customer Service<br />
800-846-8399<br />
www.vintex.com<br />
Wright of Thomasville 42<br />
Area Account Executive<br />
800-678-9019<br />
www.wrightlabels.com<br />
XSENSOR Technology 47<br />
Corp.<br />
Isabelle Desroches<br />
866-927-5222<br />
www.xsensor.com<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
For Sale<br />
n TAPE-EDGE MACHINES, MULTINEEDLE AND SINGLE-<br />
NEEDLE QUILTERS, long-arm label machines, sergers, etc.<br />
Contact Victor LeBron, American Plant and Equipment.<br />
Phone 864-574-0404; Fax 864-576-7204;<br />
Cell 864-590-1700; Email apesales@charterinternet.com;<br />
Web www.americanplantandequipment.com.<br />
n REBUILT AND RECONDITIONED MULTINEEDLE QUILTING<br />
MACHINES. Specializing in PATHE precision parts and service.<br />
Technical consultants. SEDCO. Phone 201-567-7141;<br />
Fax 201-567-5515.<br />
n TAPE-EDGE MACHINES, QUILTERS AND MISCELLANEOUS<br />
SEWING MACHINES. Contact Frank Carlino, U.S. Mattress<br />
Machinery. Phone 815-795-6942; Fax 815-795-2178;<br />
Email usmattmach@hotmail.com.<br />
n SURPLUS MACHINES FOR SALE BY OWNER. Gribetz<br />
DG2100 ($12,900), DG5500 ($5,900), DG1200 computerized<br />
($18,900), GI4300 tack-and-jump capable ($45,000)<br />
and DG3200 computerized ($35,000); EMCO 8413<br />
($3,000); tape-edge machines ($5,000); Spuhl, James Cash<br />
and Gribetz panel cutters from $2,500; WBSCO and Gribetz<br />
wrappers from $7,000; Spuhl unbalers from $2,500. Second<br />
C l a s s i f i e d s<br />
location: 3 computerized quilters—DG2100 and panel<br />
cutter, DG5500 tack-and-jump, EMCO 88-1-3-6<br />
computerized. Email mattressmachine@gmail.com.<br />
Employment Opportunities<br />
n LOOKING FOR MATTRESS TICKING FABRIC DESIGNER<br />
for contract work. Email ticking999@gmail.com.<br />
n PRODUCTION MANAGER NEEDED. Experience in the<br />
following:<br />
n running high-volume plant (2,000 pieces per day and<br />
growing)<br />
n l ean manufacturing and efficiency expertise with<br />
just-in-time fulfillment of orders<br />
n total quality management and eliminating<br />
nonvalue-added activity.<br />
Must be willing to relocate or commute to central New<br />
Jersey from close proximity, e.g., New York or eastern<br />
Pennsylvania. Other lead positions are available. Salary is<br />
commensurate with experience. Benefits include profit sharing,<br />
401(k), health insurance and life insurance. Join a winning<br />
team—Bedding Industries of America, makers<br />
of Eclipse, Therapedic and Eastman House brands of<br />
mattresses. Email resume to bedshop@aol.com or<br />
fax to 732-628-0155.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com February 2012 <strong>BedTimes</strong> 67 |
FAA battling<br />
pilot fatigue<br />
The U.S. Department<br />
of Transportation and<br />
the Federal Aviation<br />
Administration recently<br />
announced a sweeping<br />
overhaul of the schedules<br />
of commercial passenger<br />
airline pilots to ensure they<br />
are well-rested before they<br />
enter the cockpit.<br />
Among other things, the<br />
new rules limit a pilot’s flight<br />
time to eight or nine hours—<br />
depending on the time of day<br />
he begins his first flight, the<br />
number of scheduled flight<br />
segments and the number of<br />
time zones he crosses.<br />
The FAA has set a 10-hour<br />
minimum rest period before<br />
a pilot begins a flight, a<br />
two-hour increase over the<br />
previous requirement.<br />
The revised rules also<br />
mandate that a<br />
pilot must have<br />
the opportunity<br />
to have eight<br />
hours of<br />
uninterrupted<br />
sleep<br />
within the<br />
10-hour rest<br />
period.<br />
| 68 <strong>BedTimes</strong> February 2012<br />
On Sleep<br />
REM sleep softens painful memories<br />
There may be something to the adage that time heals all wounds. Research from the University<br />
of California Berkeley indicates time spent in dream sleep can help a person overcome<br />
a painful ordeal.<br />
In a recent study, researchers found that during the dream phase of sleep, or REM sleep, the<br />
chemistry in our bodies that generates stress shuts down while the brain processes emotional experiences<br />
and takes the edge off difficult memories.<br />
The findings offer an explanation for why people with post-traumatic stress disorder have a hard<br />
time recovering from stressful experiences and suffer recurring nightmares. The research also offers<br />
clues into why we dream.<br />
“The dream stage of sleep, based on its unique neurochemical composition, provides us with<br />
a form of overnight therapy—a soothing balm that removes the sharp edges from the prior day’s<br />
emotional experiences,” says Matthew Walker, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience<br />
at UC Berkeley and senior author of the study.<br />
The researchers say the results offer some of the first insights into the emotional function of REM<br />
sleep, which typically takes up 20% of a healthy person’s sleeping hours. Previous brain studies indicate<br />
that sleep patterns are disrupted in people with mood disorders such as PTSD and depression.<br />
In the study, 35 adults were divided into two groups and shown 150 emotionally charged images<br />
and then shown them again 12 hours later, while an MRI scanner measured their brain activity.<br />
Half of the participants saw the images in the morning and evening, staying awake between the<br />
viewings. The other half watched the images in the evening and the next morning after a full night’s<br />
sleep.<br />
Participants who slept between viewings reported a significant decrease in their emotional<br />
reaction to the images. MRI scans also showed a dramatic reduction in reactivity in the amygdala,<br />
a part of the brain that processes emotions.<br />
In addition, the researchers recorded the electrical brain activity of the participants while they<br />
slept. They found that during REM sleep, certain electrical activity patterns decreased, showing that<br />
reduced levels of stress neurochemicals in the brain soothed emotional reactions to the previous<br />
day’s experiences. The study was published in the Dec. 6 issue of the journal Current Biology.<br />
There is a ‘wrong’ side of the bed<br />
A new study suggests it really is possible to wake up on the wrong side of<br />
the bed. Research conducted by Premier Inn, the largest hotel chain in<br />
the United Kingdom, reveals that people who sleep on the left side of the bed<br />
(if you’re lying on your back looking at the ceiling) are happier than those who<br />
sleep on the right. Further, lefties tend to be more upbeat and more capable of<br />
handling heavy workloads and stressful days.<br />
According to a news release, the study of 3,000 adults found more than 25%<br />
of people who sleep on the left side of the bed have a positive outlook on life<br />
compared with only 18% of those who sleep on the right side. More than half of<br />
the people surveyed said they wouldn’t swap sides with their partners. Threequarters<br />
of respondents said they thought it would be strange to sleep on the<br />
other side of the bed and a quarter said it would affect their mood the next day.<br />
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
ISPA EXPO March 14-17<br />
GSG Booth 2433<br />
Make your beds score on the retail floor with dramatic border styling.<br />
Global Systems Group has developed two of the most efficient ways to achieve this without<br />
investing in the expense and effort of maintaining a vast inventory of extra materials.<br />
Porter International has developed the PRM-1000 border<br />
ribbon machine for roll-to-roll application of decorative<br />
border production.<br />
For larger production, the Gribetz B45 quilter is ideal.<br />
Optional equipment can add these secondary elements<br />
during the quilting/slitting operation.<br />
GSG will demonstrate equipment for conventional border construction<br />
as well as new zipper and decorative border applications.<br />
See all the newest GSG equipment at ISPA EXPO Booth 2433.<br />
800-326-4742 954-846-0300 www.GSGexpo.com www.GSGcompanies.com
Finally there’s some good news about america’s borders.<br />
Good news gives us all a lift. Our border program continues to make leaps and strides.<br />
Now we’ve added the exceptional look and feel once reserved for upholstered furniture and panel systems.<br />
But that’s not all. We accept minimum orders and narrow widths. In custom colors. In cool designs. In a flash.<br />
You can understand why we get a little fired up now and then.<br />
M A T T R E S S S O L U T I O N S<br />
I N N O V A T E<br />
E C O Fa B R I C S , C O T T O N S , P R I N T S , j a C q u a R d S , P O LY E S T E R S , B L E N d S , S T I T C h B O N d S , Wa R P k N I T S , F I L L E R C L O T h S .<br />
Tietex International Ltd., 3010 North Blackstock Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29301, Ph. 864.574.0500, Fax 864.574.9490, www.tietex.com