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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Julie A. Palm
336-727-1889
jpalm@sleepproducts.org
SENIOR WRITER
Barbara Nelles
336-856-8973
bnelles@sleepproducts.org
CONTRIBUTORS
Mike Christiansen
Joe Dysart
Lin Grensing-Pophal
Phillip M. Perry
Dorothy Whitcomb
ART DIRECTOR
Stephanie Belcher
336-201-7475
stephanie@jimmydog.com
VICE PRESIDENT OF SAlES
Kerri Bellias
336-945-0265
kbellias@sleepproducts.org
AD PRODUCTION &
CIRCUlATION mANAgER
Debbie Robbins
336-342-4217
drobbins@sleepproducts.org
COPY EDITOR
Margaret Talley-Seijn
BedTimes deadlines
Editorial deadlines for the Industry
News and Newsmakers sections
of the June issue of BedTimes are
Monday, May 3.
Volume 138 Number 4
BedTimes (ISSN 0893-5556) is published
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Editor’sNote
Industry eagerly bidding
economic winter goodbye
day or two before ISPA EXPO
A 2010 kicked off, the weather
was awful. As it had been across
the United States for far too many
months, temperatures in Charlotte,
N.C., were well below normal and
it was snowing. Though a wintry
mix had stopped falling by the time
the show floor opened, it remained
blustery and cold outside.
But, as each day of the show
passed, the weather improved. The
clouds cleared, the winds died down
and the temperatures began to rise.
It wasn’t balmy, but by the last day,
it felt great to be outside. Winter
was finally on its way out and you
could feel spring rushing in to take
its place.
The weather pattern we saw in
Charlotte during the first week of
March seems an apt analogy for the
experiences of the mattress industry
the past two years. We’ve been in a
dark, dreary place for too long and
we’re ready to enjoy a little sunshine
and warmth again.
We had indications that the industry
was starting to see improvements
during the winter Las Vegas
Market. Manufacturers and retailers
at the World Market Center in early
February were decidedly upbeat.
But I don’t know that we were
prepared for the refreshingly optimistic
reports and forecasts we
heard during EXPO.
“We’re seeing an uptick. February
wasn’t a bad month at all,” said
Michael Crowell, vice president of
marketing for Spencerville, Ohiobased
Flexible Foam Products Inc.
“Our major customers are telling us
it’s the best they’ve seen since 2008.
We’re encouraged by it.”
Paul Brewer, a marketing representative
for Automated Tag & Label
in Fort Wayne, Ind., said his company’s
business hadn’t dipped significantly
during the recession but
that it was really starting to boom:
“Everyone’s going crazy now—the
last three or four months.”
If traffic and experiences at
EXPO were an indication, the industry
has much to look forward to as
we head into spring and summer.
“EXPO’s been spectacular,”
said Kevin Stein, vice president of
marketing and research and development
for Shelton, Conn.-based
Latex International. “We’re seeing
everything from large to small
customers—in both good quantities
and good quality. People are looking
for new products. I don’t know that
we’ll ever have another 2007, but
we’re on an upswing.”
We heard from suppliers across
categories and mattress manufacturers
of all sizes that business is on the
upswing. We’re hopeful the forecasts
are right. At BedTimes, we’re ready
to slather on the sunscreen and step
out into the sun. BT
Julie A. Palm
BedTimes | April 2010 | 5