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ISPAEXPO2010
EXPO trends: Innovations that add allure
Exhibitors focus on ‘wow’ products that distinguish beds
By Barbara Nelles
Despite some snow and sleet in
Charlotte, N.C., a February resurgence
in mattress sales put spring
in the step of buyers and exhibitors at
ISPA EXPO 2010. Moods were upbeat
as attendees took in a show floor filled
with innovative supplies and components,
all ready for the next generation
of mattresses.
Whether it was springs, foams, fabrics,
tapes, nonwovens, labels or other
items, mattress makers were treated to
a variety options for spicing up beds.
FR suppliers, who have been a major
focus of recent EXPOs, ceded a bit of
the spotlight to a broad range of fabric,
tape, quilt and kit vendors who offered
up vibrant color, texture and design.
“People are looking for something
new and different on the retail floor to
create some new excitement,” said Ann
Weaver, vice president of marketing at
Lava USA in Waterloo, S.C. “With the
economy the way it’s been, there was a
fear about making changes, but they’re
not so hesitant anymore.”
According to fabric and tape supplier
CT Nassau, with headquarters in Alamance,
N.C., one of the least expensive
ways to dress up a bed is to change out
the tape and embellish the border.
“In the past nine months, manufacturers
were using up old inventory and
couldn’t afford many model changes,
but I think we’ll be seeing more consistent
changes now. Many are refreshing a
portion of their lines,” said Taber Wood,
CT Nassau vice president of sales. “And
the tape is helping bring color in there.
It’s like when you change your necktie—no
one notices you’re wearing the
same suit.”
Visitors to the BRK booth found eyecatching
tapes in extra-wide widths.
“Tapes are where it’s at. We’re showing
handles and tapes in darker, more
vibrant colors and we help manufacturers
coordinate the entire look of the
54 | BedTimes | April 2010
Spring story Leggett & Platt added
Verticoil Edge to its line of
innersprings.
mattress,” said Jeff Miller, vice president
of business development for the Pico
Rivera, Calif.-based company
Ticking supplier Culp Inc., based
in High Point, N.C., put a spotlight
on strong border colors and sparkling
“holographic” yarns.
Beds are getting back their “sense of
adventure with flashes of color,” said
Jimmy Fleming, product and account
manager at fabric supplier Tietex, which
is based in Spartanburg, S.C. “Our
natural cotton prints with vegetable
and mineral dyes allow you to create
some vibrant panels and borders. We’re
focused on doing small, custom color
runs for the customers.”
Knit supplier Innofa, which has
headquarters in Tilburg, Holland, increased
its domestic U.S. knitting capacity
by 50% this year with the purchase
of knitting machines from the defunct
Blumenthal Printworks.
“The demand for knits is growing
and growing, especially in dimensional,
nonquilted ticks with high stretch,” said
Job Dröge, president.
Machinery makers backed up
components suppliers’ efforts to dress
up beds.
At Global Systems Group, a division
of Carthage, Mo.-based Leggett & Platt,
the focus was on 10 machines specifical-
ly related to border manufacturing and
enhancement, said Russ Bowman, GSG
president. Manufacturers are spicing up
borders with automatic label tacking,
Editor’s note BedTimes’ goal is to
illustrate broad trends seen during
ISPA EXPO 2010. It’s our regret
that we cannot report on every exhibitor
at the show, but it remains
our mission to report as much
industry news as we can. To that
end, we encouraged companies to
send us product information and
other news to be included in the
January and February pre-show issues
and in the March show issue.
(Past issues can be seen at
www.sleepproducts.org/bedtimes.)
Other exhibitor news from EXPO
appears in the Industry News section
of this issue. (See Page 63.)
And in May, the BedTimes cover
story will focus on innovations in
mattress machinery, many pieces
seen at EXPO. If you are an exhibitor
with new products or news
that BedTimes hasn’t yet reported,
send us an email
(jpalm@sleepproducts.org) so that
we may include it in an upcoming
issue.
www.sleepproducts.org/bedtimes