Beds get - BedTimes

Transcription

Beds get - BedTimes

BedTimes
|
The Business Journal for the Sleep Products Industry October 2011
Beds get
Dressed
Outfitting beds with
high-fashion & high-tech
mattress fabrics
Adjustable bases helping
to move mattresses
Keeping employees safe
from workplace violence
1 Double overlook
single piece border
Automatic operation 2
with or without binding*
(this operation not required
on a standard pillow-top)
5 Attach flanging to
single piece border
and make all ruffled
corners**
Automatic operation 3
Industry Standard
for One-Piece
Borders Since 2004
* Model 1349 Automated Faux Seam Workstation
** Model 1335 Automated Ruffler
4 Automatic operation
Dual Purpose Workstation for Borders
and Pillow-Top Gussets
Model
1961
125 FPM of border serging both sides @ 4 SPI
No mechanical jack shaft drive
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Atlanta Attachment Company
Dual electronic servo drive motors with needle positioning
Material capacity: 0" - 36" according to machine class
Turn off either sewing head for single serging
Needle positioning (no synchronizer required)
Electronic thread break detection
Variable tensioning of border material
Servo drive variable speed puller with long lasting urethane rollers
Stops automatically for material splice
Foot pedal activation for splicing and servicing
Border may be serged without edge trim
• 362 Industrial Park Drive • Lawrenceville, GA 30046
(770) 963-7369 • FAX (770) 963-7641
®
The Sudden Service Company
INTERNATIONAL
SLEEP
PRODUCTS
ASSOCIATION
SUPPLIER
MEMBER
This equipment may be protected by one or more of these patents. Other patents may be pending:
US patents: 4,280,421; 4,432,294; 4,466,367; 4,644,883; 5,134,947; 5,159,889; 5,203,270; 5,522,332; 5,524,563; 5,562,060; 5,634,418; 5,647,293; 5,657,711; 5,743,202; 5,865,135; 5,899,159; 5,915,319; 5,918,560;
5,979,345; 6,035,794; 6,055,921; 6,202,579; 6,279,869; 6,295,481; 6,494,255; 6,802,271; 6,574,815; 6,834,603; 6,968,794; 6,994,043; 7,100,525; 7,100,526; 7,210,181; 7,383,676 ; 7,383,780; 7,412,936; 7,543,364;
7,574,788; 7,647,876; 7,735,439; 7,984,681 Foreign patents: 9-520,472; 0,537,323; 92,905,522.6; 96,936,922.2; 2,076,379; 2,084,055.
Other U.S. and Foreign Patents Pending. Copyright 2011 Atlanta Attachment Co.
11079071411
Faux seams meet all
known flammability
standards without
costly Kevlar thread
• Straight tape lines
• No dog-eared corners
• Sewn automatically off-line
• Cover actually fits your spring unit without
pulling, stretching or special tailoring
Automatic One-Piece Border Workstation
with Faux Tape-Edge Seams
Model
1349
Box-Top, Euro-Top, Cushion-Top, Pillow-Top
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
One-piece border up to 30"
The faux seam gives a self-tape look
Faux seam may be taped or a cord inserted if desired
Flange can be inserted on any seam
No Kevlar thread needed in seams
Seams meet known flammability requirements
No flip is required at tape edge
One person operates up to 4 workstations
Tape edge operator has to tape only one seam
instead of four without flipping mattress
Singer 300UX6 sewing head
Automatic Ruffler with Serial Bus Control System
Model
1335MB
Multi-style One Continuous Piece Borders for Foundations,
Continental, Pillow-top, Euro-Top Mattresses
•
•
•
•
•
•
Automatic workstation produces 30 pre-flanged
mattress borders per hour
Heavy-duty double chainstitch sewing head with
electronic programmable servo motor
Servo-driven ruffler mechanism
Powered border roll unwinder to ensure accurate border sizes
No inner panel needed
Serial Bus Control System equipped with touch screen
for operator input
Sewing Automation
FIND US ON FACEBOOK
1) Download your QR Barcode Software from your App Store
2) Scan the code with your mobile device
3) Stay up to date on our current events and news with Facebook, simply scan the QR Code
or visit www.facebook.com/atlatt and click the like icon at the top of the page
website:
www.atlatt.com
• email:
[email protected]
Atlanta Attachment Co.
The Company that
Sudden Service®
built
Comfortable.
Durable.
Natural.
See why so many leading bedding manufacturers
(and consumers) prefer Preserve®, the first
foam made with renewable resources.
Choosing Preserve® foam delivers an unprecedented level of comfort and consistent support while conserving our increasingly
scarce oil resources. As more consumers continue to demand products made with renewable resources, they’ll be inclined to
buy Preserve for the same reasons.
Made from a natural derivative that’s more sustainable than oil-based foams, Preserve® is one of an entire line of bedding
products manufactured by Hickory Springs under the company’s environmental initiative, EarthCare Inside. For more details,
call (800) 438-5341 ext. 4507 or visit www.preservefoam.com
PO Box 128 • Hickory, NC 28603
(800) 438-5341 Ext. 4507
www.preservefoam.com
www.hickorysprings.com
www.earthcareinside.com
© 2011 Hickory Springs Mfg. Co.
BedTimes
Editor in Chief
Julie A. Palm
571-482-5442
[email protected]
Associate Editor
Barbara Nelles
336-856-8973
[email protected]
Ar t Director
Stephanie Belcher
336-201-7475
[email protected]
Vice President
of Adver tising Sales
Kerri Bellias
336-945-0265
[email protected]
Ad Production &
Circulation Manager
Debbie Robbins
571-482-5443
[email protected]
Copy Editor
Margaret Talley-Seijn
Volume 139, Number 10
BedTimes (ISSN 0893-5556;
Permit 047-620) is published monthly
by the International Sleep Products
Association. Periodicals postage paid
in Alexandria, Va., and additional
entry offices.
Administrative and ISPA offices
501 Wythe St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1917
Phone 703-683-8371
Fax 703-683-4503
Postmaster: Send address changes to
BedTimes
501 Wythe St.,
Alexandria, VA 22314-1917
Contents © 2011 by the
International Sleep Products
Association. Reprint permission
obtainable through BedTimes.
Contributors
|
Mary Best
Mary Best is a freelance
writer whose work has
been featured in a number of trade, health,
regional and in-flight
publications. She has
contributed articles to
Homefurnishings.com, a
consumer home design
website sponsored by the National Home Furnishings Association. Prior to becoming a freelancer, she
served as the magazine and book editor of Our State:
Down Home in North Carolina, launch editor of The
Net: Your Cyberspace Companion and special projects
editor for Furniture Today. She can be reached at
704-964-7105 or [email protected].
| Lin Grensing-Pophal
Lin Grensing-Pophal, who holds the designations
accredited business communicator and senior
professional in human resources, is a business
journalist with 15 years of experience in organizational communication. Her articles appear regularly
in a broad range of trade and professional publications. She specializes in human resources, employee
relations and marketing communications and is the
n
author of Human Resource Essentials and The
Complete Idiot’s Guide to
Strategic Planning. She
wrote about the professional social networking site LinkedIn in
the September issue of
BedTimes. She can be
reached by email at [email protected]
or call 715-723-2395.
| Dorothy Whitcomb
Dorothy Whitcomb is a freelance journalist and editor whose work has appeared in a wide range
of business and general
interest publications.
Her primary focus for
the past 25 years has
been the home furnishings industry. She
writes about businesses,
trends, products and design, specializing in profiles
of companies and industry leaders. She wrote a
profile of Earl Kluft, owner and chief executive officer of luxury bedding maker E.S. Kluft & Co. in the
September issue of BedTimes. She can be reached at
[email protected] or 410-820-0456.
Coming up
Early deadlines
The December issue of BedTimes, which contains the important Supplies Guide, has early
advertising and editorial deadlines.
The deadline for ad insertions is Monday, Oct. 24. Ad materials are due Monday, Oct.
31. For information about placing an ad, contact Kerri Bellias, vice president of sales, at
[email protected] or 336-945-0265. To submit ad materials, contact Debbie
Robbins, ad production and circulation manager, at [email protected] or
571-482-5443.
Editorial deadlines for the News and Newsmakers sections are Monday, Oct. 24. Email
news releases and photos to [email protected]. Questions? Call 571-482-5442.
In December
In addition to the annual Supplies Guide, the December issue of BedTimes will feature a
story on industry survivors, specifically small, independent mattress producers that have
weathered industry consolidations, the ups and downs of the marketplace, recessions—
and are thriving today. What can your company learn from their struggles and successes?
Ahead in 2012
What industry trends and topics will BedTimes delve into in the coming year? Check out our
Editorial Calendar, online now at www.bedtimesmagazine.com under the “Editorial” tab.
The calendar includes planned cover stories, special product features and information
about the magazine’s bonus distribution at markets and shows throughout the year.
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
October 2011 BedTimes
3|
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Inside
■
Departments
9 | Brief Sheet
■ Consumers influenced by online reviews
■ Mattress sales stats mixed
■ TV still captures women’s attention
& more…
15 | Profile
Diamond Mattress A family business that
has its roots in hardship is going strong
under the leadership of the third and fourth
generations.
21 | Product
Adjustable bases Ideal for a wide range of
consumers—from multitaskers to aging baby
boomers—power or motion bases are some
of the fastest moving products on showroom
floors.
34
■
55 | News
Features
■ Culp’s sales rise in first quarter
■ Simmons hits the road again
■ Spring Air revamps marketing efforts
| 34
The well-dressed mattress
& more…
Whether it’s the sleek, unquilted fabrics
enrobing foam beds or the ornate, layered
looks found on innerspring and hybrid
models, there’s plenty in the world of mattress covers to attract the eye of consumers.
| 46
Keeping everyone safe
When people come to work for you, part
of your responsibility is to ensure their
safety, not just from on-the-job accidents
and illness, but from the unthinkable—
workplace violence.
■
■ Hickory Springs continues reorganization
■H
all of Fame inducting Roy Unger
9
72
& more…
67 | ISPA
■ BSC & Sleep Council survey parents
■ Phthalate rules take effect soon
& more…
72 | On Sleep
■ Insomnia costs add up quickly
■ Future of sleep is high-tech
& more…
Plus
07 | Note
68 | Calendar
63 | Newsmakers
70 | Advertisers
71 | Classifieds
5|
PATRON: HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES
Note
‘Not in his goals but in his
transitions man is great.’
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thriving
in times
of transition
L
Julie A. Palm
Editor in chief
ife is, in many ways, nothing but a series of
transitions. As children, we move from grade
to grade in school and then eventually leave
our parental home. As adults, we change jobs,
sometimes entire careers. We might go back to school
to get more training. We earn a promotion; we have a
professional setback.
Even if our own circumstances remain relatively
stable for a time, situations around us change. We
are given a new manager or someone additional to
supervise. Our company changes focus or is acquired
by another.
One measure of success is how we—and the organizations we work for—deal with transitions.
Because, let’s face it, transitions are change. And
change—even change for the better—is a little scary.
More than 30 years ago, William Bridges wrote
his groundbreaking book, Transitions: Making Sense of
Life’s Changes, explaining that “whether it is chosen
or thrust upon you, change brings both opportunities
and turmoil.” It’s what Bridges deems the “Neutral
Zone”—the middle stage of the three-stage transition
process—that can be especially discomfiting. In this
stage, we feel the most uncertainty as we discover
that the habits, skills, talents, relationships and
norms that we relied upon in the past are no longer
useful.
In this issue of BedTimes, we profile an independent mattress maker in California that has survived a
number of transitions since it was purchased by the
Pennington family in 1946.
Jim and Pearl Pennington, who suffered through
the Great Depression and Dust Bowl before finding
success as bedding producers, could not have imagined the company that Diamond Mattress has become 65 years later. They could not have dreamed of
the computerized systems now used by the company
to track production. They could not have envisioned
the technologically advanced foams or fabrics used
in today’s beds—or the website designed to market
them.
Diamond Mattress has experienced transitions—
from the original purchase of the company by the
Penningtons all those decades ago to the turning over
of the reins to their son and then their grandson.
Today, the company is undergoing its next transition as the fourth generation makes its mark on the
company.
We are in the midst of a number of transitions—
good transitions—at BedTimes and our sister publication Sleep Savvy. We’ll have more details about those
in the coming months.
In the meantime, we’ll keep in mind the wise
words of Ralph Waldo Emerson and William Bridges
and look for the opportunities that all transitions
bring. n
7|
Brief Sheet
Online reviews
sway consumers
F
our out of five consumers (80%) have
changed their mind about a purchase based
solely on negative information they read online, according to a new survey. That’s an increase
from 67% just a year ago, according to the 2011
Cone Online Influence Trend Tracker poll from
Cone, a Boston-based public relations and marketing communications firm.
Overall, 89% of consumers say they use online
reviews, blogs, articles and social media as trustworthy sources of information about products and
services. And 87% say that a favorable review has
confirmed their decision to buy a specific product.
“But,” as Cone says, “negative information is gaining traction and is now just
as powerful in tipping the scales against
a recommended purchase.”
“The increasing impact of online
content on buying decisions cannot
be ignored,” said Cone President Bill
Fleishman. “Today’s marketers, no
matter the product or service, must
learn how to sway the conversation by
connecting with those who have significant influence over their peers and will champion the brand message.”
Americans say the most trustworthy online
sources have used the product or service before
(69%) or are considered a credible expert on the
subject (60%).
Cone attributes the increasing reliance on
online product reviews to the growing use of smart
phones, as well as widespread access to the Internet in people’s homes. Careful spending is another
factor. The survey found that 89% of consumers
will look for product reviews for high-cost purchases—up from 72% just a year ago.
The survey was conducted June 27-29 by ORC
International among a representative sample of
1,054 U.S. adults.
U.S. bedding
sales mixed
for July
U
nit sales of beds (mattresses and foundations) fell 4.5% in July
2011 when compared to
the same month in 2010,
according to the Bedding
Barometer, a monthly report of U.S. mattress sales
produced by the International Sleep Products
Association. While unit
sales declined, the value
of mattresses posted solid
gains. The wholesale dollar
value increased 6% over
July 2010 and the average
unit selling price rose 11%.
“W
hatever you may be thinking when you apply for a job today, you can be sure the employer is asking this: Can
this person add value every hour, every day—more than a worker in India, a robot or a computer? Can he or she
help my company adapt by not only doing the job today but also reinventing the job for tomorrow? And can he
or she adapt with all the change, so my company can adapt and export more into the fastest growing global markets? In today’s
hyperconnected world, more and more companies cannot and will not hire people who don’t fulfill those criteria.”
—Thomas Friedman, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist
9|
Brief Sheet
6 ways to kill creativity
C
ompanies often say they
want to foster creativity but many unintentionally
quash the very quality they
seek to encourage, says
Jeremy Dean, a lawyer turned
psychologist who currently
is a researcher at University
College London.
On his PsyBlog at
www.spring.org.uk, Dean
cites work by Teresa Amabile,
the Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration
and director of research at
Harvard Business School in
Boston, who has studied creativity at the organizational
level.
“She found marked differences in how organizations
dealt with creativity,” Dean
writes. “Whether or not they
intended to, some of the
organizations seemed to
know the perfect ways to kill
creativity, while others set up
excellent environments for
their employees.”
Drawing on her work,
Dean explains six ways companies dampen creativity:
1
ive the job to the
G
wrong person Whether
it’s a specific assignment or an entire role,
if it doesn’t fit the time,
talents or interests of the
employee, you won’t get
a creative result.
4
2 L imit freedom Employees need to have goals
set for them, but they
also need flexibility in
how they achieve those
goals. “If you want to kill
creativity, then simply
restrict employees’ freedom in how they reach
their goals,” Dean says.
“Two common methods
are by changing the
goals too frequently or
by implicitly communicating to your staff that
new methods are not
welcome.”
3
ation resources “CreR
ativity requires time and
money,” he says. “To kill
it off, restrict both. You
can do it by setting impossibly short deadlines
or by restricting resources to a minimum.”
5
6
iscourage diversity
D
“Groups in which people
are very similar tend
to get along well. They
don’t disagree, they
don’t cause any trouble
and they are frequently
low in creativity,” he says.
“In contrast, when teams
are made up of people
with different skills, abilities and viewpoints, their
different approaches
tend to combine to produce creative solutions.”
on’t offer encourageD
ment “It’s easier to be
critical than it is to be
constructive,” Dean says.
“If you want to stifle
creativity then meet new
ideas with endless evaluation and criticism.”
on’t provide support
D
A company that doesn’t
share information and
discourages collaboration or one that’s
consumed by infighting,
politicking and gossip
can’t provide the support needed to encourage creativity.
Women still tune into TV
W
omen across the world still look to television as a source of
information about new products, according to a survey from
Nielsen.
Women in 10 of 10 emerging markets and in seven of 11 developed
countries studied by Nielsen placed television above 14 other sources
of information about products. In Germany and Spain, word-ofmouth placed higher than TV. In South Korea, Internet searches
ranked highest and in Sweden, direct mail beat out other options.
Word-of-mouth was listed as either the second or third choice in
nine of 10 emerging markets and in eight of 11 developed markets.
The study by the New York-based information and measurement
company was conducted from February to April using a variety of
survey methods. It questioned 6,500 women in 21 developed and
emerging countries throughout Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Latin America and North America.
|
10
BedTimes October 2011
Brief Sheet
Be careful with images of boomers
■ DILIGENCE
“D
iligence is
the mother of
good fortune.”
—Miguel de Cervantes
“I
ron rusts
from disuse;
stagnant water
loses its purity and in
cold weather becomes
frozen; even so does
inaction sap the vigor of
the mind.”
—Leonardo da Vinci
“T
he reward of
a thing well
done is to
have done it.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
“G
enius is an
infinite
capacity for
taking pains.”
—Jane Ellice Hopkins
“N
o thing great
is created
suddenly, any
more than a bunch of
grapes or a fig. If you
tell me that you desire
a fig, I answer you that
there must be time.
Let it first blossom, then
bear fruit, then ripen.”
—Epictetus
|
12
G
ood news for the
many people in the
bedding industry who
travel to Las Vegas for the
biannual furniture market—the city’s taxis are
rated best in the United
States.
More than 4,800
travelers from 23 countries rated taxis and their
drivers on cleanliness,
value, quality of driving,
knowledge of the area,
friendliness, safety and
availability as part of an
annual survey conducted
by Hotels.com from July
31-Aug. 20.
Las Vegas taxis were
top rated in four of the
seven categories surveyed.
When marketing to that all-important baby boomer
demographic, keep in mind how boomers see themselves. Although many are retiring seniors—the first
boomers, according to the U.S. Census, are now 65—
three-quarters of boomers consider themselves middle age or even “young.”
According to an Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com poll,
the median age that baby boomers cite as “old age” is 70, but onequarter say people
aren’t old until age
80.
There are some
77 million boomers in the United
States. They are
likely to be happy
about the benefits
of aging—more
free time, fewer
family and work responsibilities—and they think they’ll live longer than their parents.
The online poll of 1,416 adults (1,078 boomers) was conducted
June 3-12 by Knowledge Networks of Menlo Park, Calif.
Reliance on cell phones grows
M
ore than four in five Americans (83%) own a cell phone and more than
one-third (35%) own smart phones that they use to surf the Internet
and access other information, according the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.
Important stats for marketers who want to reach smart phone users:
■ 90% of smart phone users text message and take pictures with their
phones
■8
0% of smart phone owners go online
or send photos and videos to others.
“Many activities—such as downloading apps, watching videos, accessing
social networking sites or posting multimedia content online—are almost entirely confined to the smart phone population,” the Pew Research Center says.
Pew surveyed 2,277 U.S. adults April 26May 22 using land lines and cell
phones.
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Announcing TekScan – The first Pressure Monitoring System that uses
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more details.
Profile
Polishing
Diamond
Mattress
Next generations lead efforts
to update technology, add
brands, revamp marketing
D
By Dorothy Whitcomb
espite California’s battered economy
and stiff competition among mattress
producers, Diamond Mattress is going
strong.
The Rancho Dominguez-based company
says it is the largest independent mattress producer in
California, with 100 employees and a 100,000-squarefoot manufacturing facility capable of producing more
than 1,000 pieces a day. Vertically integrated, Diamond
cuts its own foam and manufactures its own wrapped
coil units.
The family-owned business is moving forward by
linking the energy and enthusiasm of a tech-savvy fourth
generation with the conservative business practices,
commitment to quality and customer service, and strong
family values that have sustained it since its founding in
1946.
Top right
Carrying on Diamond
Mattress is led by
President Randy
Pennington, (left) whose
grandparents bought
the company in 1946,
and his children, Shaun
and Breana.
Out of misery
Emerging from the dual hardships of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, the story of Diamond Mattress is
a quintessentially American rags-to-riches tale. In 1929,
Jim and Pearl Pennington were living in Oklahoma with
their infant son, Richard, when Jim’s family mattress
business closed and Pearl’s family farm went under. Without prospects, Jim set out for California to find work. In
1938, he started a sideline, making foundations for local
mattress manufacturers out of his garage. With his day
job and the second line of work providing income, he
sent for his wife and son to join him in California.
With their foundation business sustaining the family
and growing, the Penningtons were able to purchase
mattress producer Diamond Mattress in 1946 and son
Richard joined the business full time in 1954. In the
1970s, Diamond began its transition to the third genera-
tion when Richard’s son, Randy, began working for the
company. Today, Randy serves as Diamond Mattress president and the fourth Pennington generation is involved—
Randy’s son, Shaun, is vice president and his daughter,
Breana, is general manager.
“They bring so much to the company,” Randy Pennington says. “Their energy and enthusiasm just make it
fun to come to work every day.”
Moving forward
The fourth generation is busy making its mark on the
company.
Shortly after joining the company about three years
ago, Breana Pennington introduced an Enterprise
Resource Planning system that has allowed Diamond to
streamline its production process and reduce costs. (ERP
is a software-based business system that uses database
technology to integrate all aspects of a manufacturing
process.)
“We’ve always been efficient, but ERP takes us to a
new level of efficiency,” she says. “It’s so much easier to
15 |
Profile
Above
Full-line manufacturer
Diamond Mattress has a broad
product line that includes
specialty foam, hybrid and
innerspring mattresses, many
with environmentally friendly
components that tell a ‘green’
story.
n
get new product into the system
and follow the manufacturing
flow. We have 400 active SKUs
and can now make any of them
within an hour.”
The system also has improved
information flow to Diamond’s
customers and sales representatives.
“Our customers can now track
their orders through the Internet
in real time and soon will be able
to place orders online,” Breana
says. “The sales reps can also
track orders and, by pulling up
customer information, see what
their accounts have been buying
and what’s moving.”
Shaun Pennington led development of the company’s new website,
www.diamondmattress.com.
Designed to be used by both consumers and retailers, the site is part
of the company’s overall strategy to
enhance its brand and increase its
retailer base.
The site includes a utility that
allows retailers to develop and
update their own page within
the site with profile information,
logos, photos, special promotions and news. Consumers can
order information kits about the
company’s mattresses and receive
samples of components. Consumers also can receive mattress recommendations by taking a survey
and learn more about sleep issues,
mattress life cycles, product care
and other issues.
“Eighty percent of shoppers
go online before buying a mattress,” Shaun says. “That’s why
we invested heavily in building
confidence in the Diamond brand
while effectively driving those
shoppers to our retailers.”
Breana and Shaun’s innovations have the full support of their
father.
“Their knowledge of comput-
BRIEFLY
Company
Diamond Mattress
Specialty Vertically integrated mattress and sleep accessories producer
Headquarters Rancho Dominguez, Calif.
FacilitiesA single 100,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that can produce 1,000
pieces a day
RootsAfter making foundations for other mattress manufacturers for several years,
Jim and Pearl Pennington bought Diamond Mattress in 1946.
|
Ownership
Privately held, family-run
Learn more
www.diamondmattress.com
16
ers has taken our systems to a
whole new level and really helped
us to grow,” Randy says.
He continues: “It’s important
to try new things and to be innovative and progressive. Sometimes
you make mistakes and that’s OK
as long as you learn from them.
That’s how I learned from my
dad.”
The extended family
At Diamond, close relationships
extend beyond the bonds of biology.
“We try to treat our employees
like family,” Randy says. “We’re
together eight to 10 hours daily,
which is more time than many
employees spend at home. They
know that if there is an issue, my
door is always open.”
Shaun adds: “There is no rigid
hierarchical structure here. Employees get time off if they need it
for their families and the rest of us
pick up the slack. We know each
other well. It’s typical for someone
to be here 10 to 15 years. Our office manager has been here for 45
years and we have one employee
who started working here with my
great-grandmother.”
The Penningtons bring the
same flexible, caring approach to
their relationships with customers. They call it “the Diamond
Difference”—summed up as quality products and service offered
within a culture of integrity and
family values.
“We try to make a difference
for and partner with our retailers
and suppliers. It’s about relationships,” Randy says. “When we
say we’ll do something, we’ll do
everything in our power to do it.
They can trust us.”
From foundations to toppers
Diamond’s diverse product line
allows it to meet a wide variety of
retailer and consumer needs.
The company introduced two
major new bedding brands in
January while showing at the Las
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Profile
Vegas Market for the first time.
The Cool Touch memory foam
and Ethos latex collections both
feature Diamond’s Direct Contact
design, which eliminates quilting
in the top layers to put sleepers
closer to the performance materials in the bed.
“The revolutionary performance of this design will impact
all of our products in the future,”
Shaun says.
The new collections also further Diamond’s commitment to
environmental responsibility. Cool
Touch products feature CertiPURUS-certified polyurethane foams
with plant-based content and
Okeo-Tex-certified fabrics. In
addition to those components, the
Ethos line also includes fabrics
that meet the Global Organic
Textile Standard and wool that
conforms to the Oregon Tilth
Certified Organic standard.
|
18
Cool Touch beds have suggested retail prices between $799
and $1,899 for queen sets. Ethos
beds range from $999 to $2,999.
Diamond offers a number of
specialty, hybrid and innerspring
beds, including the all-foam DM
Kids collection, under its Diamond Mattress brand. Bed sets in
the company’s best-selling Generations collection, which features
pocketed coils and high-density
visco-elastic foam, range in price
from $599 to $899 in queen.
Diamond has been a Lady
Americana licensee since the
brand was launched in 1982. Richard Pennington helped fund the
brand and Diamond is a founding
partner in the licensing group.
Diamond also produces a full
range of sleep accessories—from
adjustable bases to mattress toppers, pillows and the Safety Shield
mattress protector.
“Although we’ve always had adjustable bases, we started offering
other accessories two years ago.
They are definitely growing as a
percentage of sales, especially the
Safety Shield, which is our bestselling accessory,” Breana says.
Although Diamond Mattress
produces some contract bedding,
the company distributes most of
its products through furniture and
bedding specialty stores.
Projects to grow on
The company is clearly in a
growth mode and its new marketing initiatives—including the
website and the company’s debut
at the Las Vegas Market—are part
of that effort.
“We’ve revamped our look
and developed a more cohesive
marketing package,” Breana says.
“We’re sending out press releases
and starting to focus on the ben-
efits of our products, as well as
their features.”
Diamond also is considering expanding production. The
company has brought workers in
on Saturdays to produce pocketed
coils and is evaluating the need for
a second shift.
“Adding another factory will
happen down the road,” Randy
says. “We’re in discussions all over
the country and are keeping our
eyes open for opportunities.”
But don’t expect the Penningtons to act impulsively. An
aversion to long-term debt and
a commitment to keeping costs
down have been passed down
through the generations.
“This is a good time to buy, but
a harder time to hold onto what
you buy,” Randy says. “We have a
proven strategy. The way we run
our business works.” ■
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Product
DREAM MACHINES
Adjustable bases charting big
sales gains for bedding industry / By Mary Best
Top
The 400 Series With
aesthetics in mind,
Ergomotion’s 400
Series is designed to
hide the adjustable
feature so it resembles
a modern bed. Sleek
and lightweight, it can
be placed inside any
bed frame of a similar
size and has removable stainless legs. A
massage option has
three levels of intensity
and a timer. Head and
foot sections adjust
up to 60 degrees
and a zero-gravity
position is said to
increase circulation
and relieves pressure
on your shoulders and
lower back. The 400
Series, one of Santa
Barbara, Calif.-based
Ergomotion’s seven
lines, retails for about
$1,499 in queen size.
The mattress is sold
separately.
T
he adjustable bed category is gaining momentum as manufacturers continue to provide
consumers new ways to get a good night’s
sleep—and stay awake—in their beds.
The category’s increasing popularity—and sales
potential—were evident at the summer Las Vegas Market
where mattress manufacturers such as Trinity, N.C.-based
Sealy set all but one of its redesigned Stearns & Foster
models on adjustable bases and Kingsdown, with headquarters in Mebane, N.C., showed all of its new Blu-Tek
specialty foam beds on adjustables. Other companies,
such as Anatomic Global in Corona, Calif., rolled out
entirely new adjustable programs.
Such merchandising drove home the point to dealers
that showcasing mattresses on feature-laden adjustable
bases is an ideal way to enhance consumers’ lifestyles—
and increase retail tickets.
Brisk sales get brisker
Tempur-Pedic was one of the first major mattress brands
to encourage consumers to pair its foam mattresses with
its Ergo adjustable bases and recently has been promoting adjustables heavily with a multimedia advertising
campaign.
The efforts have paid off. According to Mike Mason,
director of brand development for the Lexington, Ky.based company, the attachment rate for the Tempur-Pedic
Ergo base was 19.4% in 2010 but had jumped to 28.6% by
the middle of this year. Some dealers report selling 40%
of their Tempur-Pedic mattresses with an adjustable base,
Mason says.
Overall, Jimmy Grimes, senior group vice president of
sales for power foundations at Leggett & Platt in Carthage,
Mo., estimates that the adjustable foundation category
has grown about 10% in the past five years but “in the
past year or two,” he says, “it has been closer to 25%.”
Kelley Clenet, president of adjustable base supplier Ergomotion in Santa Barbara, Calif., agrees that
growth in the category has been steady for the past five
years, “but the most compounded growth has been in
the past 18 months.”
Niles Cornelius, general manager of Hickory at Home,
Hickory Springs Mfg. Co.’s direct-to-retail division in
Hickory, N.C., has seen solid growth in the category
industrywide and says Hickory at Home’s adjustables
business specifically has grown between 25% and 50%
during the past few years.
“We are on target to have 50% growth this year,”
Cornelius says. “I think it will be more next year.”
These sales figures illustrate the shifting—and
growing—position of the product category within the
larger mattress industry.
“In the past couple of years, electric adjustable beds
have gone from being a niche product to a product that
is becoming mainstream among retailers and consumers,” says David Jaffe, president of Mantua Mfg. Co. in
Walnut Hills, Ohio.
What’s driving growth?
Adjustables began as medical products and the contract
market remains enormous. When the category moved
into the consumer realm, many models retained their
hospital-like feel. Today’s adjustables continue to be marketed as being able to alleviate medical conditions—from
acid reflux to back problems—making them attractive to
demographics like aging but active baby boomers.
But many adjustable bed makers have rebranded their
products, replacing the stern medical detailing with more
aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly details that appeal to
consumers’ needs and sense of style. Motors are quieter;
remotes wireless. High-end mattress fabrics coordinate
with consumers’ bedroom decor and massage features
ease muscles sore from a gym workout.
“The purpose of this product is to create a bedroom
space that is a lifestyle and luxury choice. It may not be
for any medical-based need but simply a decision based
on comfort and functionality,” says Darren Nelson, sales
and marketing director of Jin Ju Furniture, a manufacturer of adjustables with a facility near Shenzhen, China.
21
|
Product
fueled further growth. Direct marketing, the Internet
and lower manufacturing costs have made adjustables
more widely available and affordable.
“As products continue to gain in popularity, the
cost of making them tends to go down,” Jaffe says. “As
prices trend downward over time, electric adjustable
beds become more attainable to more consumers.”
Top
Prodigy This bed by Leggett &
Platt brings together a comfortable sleep system and
advanced technology, the
Carthage, Mo.-based company says. It has an application
that enables you to elevate
your sleeping partner’s head
7 degrees to help stop him or
her from snoring. A sleep timer
allows you to sit up in bed and
automatically be returned to a
sleeping position after you’ve
fallen asleep. A foot massage doubles as an alarm that
wakes you up with light massage. iPhone and iPod Touch
users can download an application to operate the bed and
other electronics in the room. It
has a suggested retail price of
$1,800 in queen size. The mattress is sold separately.
n
MORE SUPPLIERS
To find a producer of adjustable bed bases or adjustable base mechanisms,
check the BedTimes Supplies
Guide online at
www.bedtimes
suppliesguide.com or in the
December print edition of
the magazine.
|
22
Young professionals in their 20s and 30s, who
have discretionary income and a penchant for all
things techie, also have stimulated the market. With
an appetite for an adjustable bed’s amenities—everything from those wireless remote controls to sound
stations to iPhone and iPad docking stations—“they’re
using beds as workstations for their computers,” Ted
Singer, a director of sales for L&P, told The New York
Times last year.
“Interest is driven by the fact that we all spend
more time in bed now—that we use laptop computers, watch TV and some people still even read books,”
Clenet says. “The mattress industry has now made
this connection and has decided to incorporate ‘the
lifestyle foundation’ into their newest programs.”
And if the price points are an indication, consumers are willing to pay for the luxury of the increased
comfort and ability to multitask that adjustables offer.
Not including the mattress, adjustable bases typically
carry suggested retail price points between $499 and
$1,999 in queen size. The most elaborate beds, usually sold with the mattress and in king size, can top
out at $30,000.
Other factors have fueled the category’s growth,
as well. Suppliers of adjustables that BedTimes spoke
with pointed to the growing popularity among
consumers of certain adjustable-friendly mattress
constructions, although today, mattresses of virtually
any construction can be designed to work with an
adjustable foundation.
“The rise in memory foam, pocketed coil and latex
mattresses has made electric adjustable beds more
relevant to a greater number of consumers,” Jaffe says.
Many adjustable suppliers point specifically to
foam bed maker Tempur-Pedic and its widespread TV
and print campaigns and direct marketing efforts as
sparking considerable interest in the category.
Price and shifting distribution channels have
Challenges remain
But even with recent growth in the category, challenges
exist for the companies that produce adjustable bases
and the mattress makers and retailers that sell them.
Chief among them: The need to re-educate those
consumers who still perceive adjustables as products
for an older, often infirm, demographic.
It’s been a tall order convincing the public that
while adjustable beds can help alleviate certain health
problems, they “are a lifestyle product that helps consumers enhance the time they spend in bed,” Jaffe says.
That re-education extends to retailers, too. Several
adjustable producers told BedTimes that dispelling
dealers’ reservations about the category’s profitability
and appeal has been taxing.
Phil Sherman, managing member of Customatic
Adjustable Bedz in Phoenix, says that, for many years,
the adjustables market was fairly stagnant, with little
innovation.
“With this mind-set instilled in many buyers, it
has been challenging to demonstrate the enormous
potential the category could produce,” Sherman says.
“Today, buyers are seeing the marketing and sales
potential the category offers. We are taking this to the
next level.”
Avi Barssessat, president and chief executive
officer of Hollandia International, a mattress and
adjustable base producer in Sderot, Israel, puts it a
bit more colorfully: “I visit with retailers and travel to
their stores and I am sorry to tell you that 99% don’t
want to add any changes to the product line. What I
am trying to say to every retailer is this is the future.
Start to sell today the product of tomorrow.”
Clenet offers this approach: “Once we have the
mattress industry convinced that the flat foundation
is the strange beast on the floor, our job is done. We
will overcome this by producing better programs
and continuing to tell the message that this lifestyle
product is a great up-sell and takes no more real estate
on the retail floor.”
Another concern, some adjustable producers say,
is the threat of commoditization of the category.
“Imports have driven the price down real hard,”
says Aaron Goldsmith, president of Transfer Master,
a maker of adjustables based in Postville, Iowa. “To
some degree, the Asian market has contributed to the
idea that an adjustable bed might just be a commodity
item, an alternative to box springs. That’s done a diswww.bedtimesmagazine.com
Product
service to the segment because it
takes away identity and features.”
“For domestic companies,
the biggest challenge is imports,”
agrees Ben Groce, controller of
Flex-A-Bed, with headquarters
in LaFayette, Ga.“But we are
starting to see people slowly
come back for domestic products
because they’re looking for the
quality.”
Others, like Jin Ju’s Nelson, see
benefits of producing adjustables
overseas. His company operates its
own factory in China, allowing it
to control quality. It manufactures
product to be sold to wholesalers
or distributors.
When possible, Cornelius creates a blended strategy. He sources
some American-made adjustables
and some from China, noting that
some customers want to know
a base was manufactured in the
United States, while others are
strictly price-driven.
From here
What’s ahead for adjustables?
“The next 10 years ought to
become the prime time for adjustables,” Groce says.
Customatic Adjustable Bedz’s
Sherman agrees: “The sales potential and growth of the industry
is still in its infancy,” he says,
comparing adjustables’ growth
curve to that of memory and latex
foam beds.
“Twenty years ago, you didn’t
know what a memory foam bed
was and today it’s a dominating
force in the mattress business,”
he says.
Jaffe hopes to see another
5% adjustable attachment rate
to mattresses in 2012 and a 50%
attachment rate in the next five
years. Grimes forecasts adjustable
base growth will average 25% or
more annually over the next few
years, with power foundations—
L&P’s preferred term for the
category—possibly accounting for
7% or more of the overall foundation market.
Baby boomers, one of the
largest demographics, are
expected to be the category’s
main driver in coming years
as they search for health and
wellness products and have the
discretionary income to spend.
“It may (help) overcome
some of the gloomier prospects
of what’s going on with Wall
Street and the government’s fiscal policy,” Goldsmith says.
Perhaps the most critical
and fundamental factor in the
category’s growth in the next
few years will be advances in the
technology and design of adjustable bases, several suppliers told
BedTimes. As the foundations
gain acceptance, producers will
continue to seek out more sophisticated features to offer.
Cornelius predicts the
adjustable base could become a
platform for companies to “do
things they’ve always wanted
to do.”
“The base becomes a platform
for what you do in the future,” he
says. n
On the following pages, BedTimes presents a photo album of
some of the specific design trends
and technological innovations
from companies in the adjustable
base category.
The base that moves
the industry.
www.ergomotion.us
|
24
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Product
Top right
Privia Customatic Adjustable Bedz hopes to attract a wider
consumer demographic for its adjustable
beds—and it plans to do it with the Privia.
The bed’s contemporary, modular base design is
targeted toward consumers in their 20s and 30s,
says the Phoenix-based company. The Privia includes
adjustable head and foot sections with a wireless hand
remote. A lumbar feature enables you to adjust the
firmness in the lower back region and an LED
nightlight helps you safely navigate a
darkened bedroom. The Privia retails
for $1,499 to $1,599 in queen size,
mattress not included.
Top left
Rize Introduced at the summer Las
Vegas Market, Mantua Mfg. Co.’s
Rize line of adjustable beds includes
three models: the Classic, Relaxer and
Contemporary. A “lounger” feature, available
on the Relaxer and Contemporary versions, lowers
the bed’s leg section to create a natural sitting position
and relieves stress on the lower back. In addition to its own styling
and tailoring, each model has a wired or wireless hand remote,
a wall glide design that allows you to reach the nightstand and a
gravity-release safety feature, according to the company, headquartered in Walnut Hills, Ohio. Not including the mattress, they
have suggested retail prices in queen size of $499 for the Classic,
$1,299 for the Relaxer and $1,499 for the Contemporary.
Bottom right
Premier Hand-crafted and fully customizable, Flex-A-Bed’s
Premier is built with quiet Linak motors that include an optional
dual-timed massage. Resting on a foam foundation with an
Advantech base, the mattress is treated with Bioguard to prevent
bacterial growth, mold and mildew. Its innerspring construc-
|
26
tion is available in three levels of firmness. Mattresses also come
in a low-profile version, memory foam, latex or a combination of
innerspring and memory foam. The bed stands 23 inches tall and
can be lowered to 21 inches by removing the casters. It also can
be raised in 1-inch increments, from 2 to 7 inches, using optional
leg extensions. Flex-A-Bed, based in LaFayette, Ga., touts the fact
that the bed is made in the United States. It has a suggested retail
price of $2,965 in queen, with mattress included.
Product
Left
Original Hi-Low & Oasis Though adjustables with furniture styling
and consumer-friendly high-tech features are dominating retail
showrooms, the category has its roots in the medical market—hospitals and home care still represent significant sales. While homecare beds are typically designed with the needs of home health care
nurses in mind, the Original Hi-Low from Transfer Master is intended
to accommodate the needs of the user and his family, as well. Standard features include head, foot and “Hi-Low” adjustable controls.
The minimum height from the top of the hospital bed mattress to the
floor is 18 inches and the Hi-Low mechanism enables the bed to be
raised 12 inches. Complementing the Original is the Oasis, which is
identical to the Original but without the Hi-Low function, according
to the company, which is based in Postville, Iowa. A queen Original
Hi-Low retails for $7,399, with mattress.
Right
Marstrand Elegant Marstrand, a recent unveiling from Carpe Diem
Beds, with headquarters in Lysekil, Sweden, is equipped with an
electronic lumbar adjustment mechanism, which grants additional
support when you elevate to an adjustable sitting position. The lumbar support and bed are operated by wireless remote control and
most of the adjustability system is built into the main mattress. The
top mattress has a cotton-filled side for summer sleeping and New
Zealand wool-filled side for winter. It retails for $30,000 in a split king,
with the mattress included.
Adjustable Bedding
Solutions
Your partner in the sleep industry.
www.19East.us
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Product
Top
Flexion 6 This month at the High Point Market,
Hickory Springs Mfg. Co., based in Hickory, N.C.,
is presenting a new adjustable line called the
Flexion Series, marketed under the iCare brand.
The Flexion 6, one of the line’s four models, is
made of an adjustable motion power base, a
modern modular cushion/comfort deck support frame and six sections. Features include an
accessory utility pocket, adjustable headboard
brackets and a therapeutic dual body massage.
Flexion 6 also has three pre-set memory positions. Retail prices, including mattress, for queen
sizes range from $799 to $1,999.
Middle
Platinum Luxe iCon This is the world’s first bed
designed to work with Apple’s iPad, says Hollandia International, a Sderot, Israel-based
mattress manufacturer who markets the bed in
collaboration with Princeton, N.J.-based Therapedic International. The sleep system-turnedentertainment center boasts an upholstered
headboard with a quartet of 250-watt fully
enclosed speakers and two built-in iPad and
iPhone docking stations. The mattress is made
of naturally ventilated Talalay latex and the Trio
foundation is powered by three German-made
motors. It’s available in hundreds of fabric and
color combinations. It has a suggested retail
price of $25,000 for a queen size, with mattress
included.
Bottom
Hi-Lo The Hi-Lo adjustable bed by Jin Ju
Furniture is designed to look like a standard mattress ensemble but offers hospital-bed amenities,
such as head, foot and vertical lifts, according
to the company, which has production facilities
in Shenzhen, China. The frame design features
a low-voltage, DC lift system and steel support.
The Hi-Lo also includes complete bed height
adjustment and an 8-inch latex mattress. It
retails for $3,899 and $4,144 and is available in
“long single” and “king single.”
|
30
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|
34
T
here are two very different style trends being displayed on today’s welldressed bed—the sleek, smooth look of all-foam specialty sleep and the
ornate multihued couture outfitting innerspring and hybrid mattresses.
Clean, unquilted wraparound styling driven by the growing popularity of all-foam
mattresses already has swept Europe and is increasingly seen in North and South
America, ticking suppliers say.
Meanwhile, mattress manufacturers designing innerspring and hybrid bed sets are
mixing and matching, cutting and sewing as many as six fabric components—the panel,
mattress border, foundation border,
tape, gusset and handle. Many beds
now sport contrasting textiles on the
mattress and foundation borders.
Handles are an important design feature; mattress tapes are thicker and
more colorful.
“Merchandising has become very
important to our customers,” says
Elena Arnold, director of knit designing for Culp Inc. in High Point, N.C.
“Mattress manufacturers are playing close attention to how everything coordinates to
create a more deliberate, more custom look—much like the upholstery industry has
done for years.”
“I think things are going to get a lot more fun,” says Jeff Miller, vice president of
business development for BRK in Pico Rivera, Calif. “There is a need for something to
entice consumers to purchase this product—fashion can inject some urgency.”
Or, as Jerry Pratt, puts it: “It’s the ticking that gives beds sex appeal. It’s the billboard
that delivers the message.” Pratt is president of Creative Ticking, a division of Beverly
Knits, which has headquarters in Gastonia, N.C.
It’s not just bold design directions that are making
news in mattress fabrics. New technologies—
from super-stretch knits to
temperature-regulating fibers
to spacer fabrics—are
solving problems
of both mattress
makers
and consumers.
‘Designs are getting
more contemporary,
geometric and
color-blocked.’
35 |
Left
Sofa looks Culp Inc. in
High Point, N.C.,
recently began offering
90-inch upholstery
fabrics expressly for
mattress
manufacturing.
Right
Flowing fabrics Lava
USA in Waterloo, S.C.,
creates contemporary
knit designs that stretch
across the bed’s top
panel.
|
36
C
olor report
“Things have changed quite a bit in
mattress fabrics in the past two years,”
says Lynn Pappas, product portfolio
manager at Bekaert USA, which has
headquarters in Winston-Salem, N.C., and world
headquarters in Waregem, Belgium. “We have the new
Rayoz collection, the first four-color knit product on
the market. It’s a double-knit ‘color rainbow vehicle’
that allows saturated color to pop through and shine.”
Rare just a few years ago, browns, grays, blues and
greens are now commonplace on the borders of midpriced beds, mattress fabric suppliers say. In panel accents, you’ll see everything from silver and burnished
metals to cool hues like pale blue, lavender, aqua and
sea foam.
When dressing a new mattress collection, manufacturers typically choose a common border fabric and
then related patterns for each mattress panel. A new
trend is to add a range of secondary accent colors in
the tape-edge or top panel design motif to differentiate
beds in a single group.
“For one price point, you may have taupe or silvery
gray accents; for another, aqua; and for a third, peach
accents,” says Laura Allred, design director of CT Nassau, which has headquarters in Alamance, N.C.
“While the retail floor remains mostly white, some
accent color trends we see this year are browns into
burnt oranges,” says Eric Delaby, vice president of sales
and marketing for Deslee Textiles USA, which is based
in Inman, S.C., with world headquarters in Zonnebeke, Belgium. “We’re also incorporating some color
with ‘heathered’ yarns—these are different colored
yarns twisted together to create more of a denim-type
effect. You can blend a toned-down navy or maroon.
It’s not new in textiles, but it is a new look in mattress
fabrics.”
Among her company’s customers, brown continues
to be popular but “people are also looking for cleaner
colors,” says Ann Weaver, vice president of marketing
for Waterloo, S.C.-based Lava USA, part of Lava Textiles, which has headquarters in Wielsbeke, Belgium.
“We introduced a true, medium blue with some
sheen at Interzum Cologne,” she says. “There is also
an almost iridescent color we call pearl that can have
a pink to a blue hue. We’re getting a lot of requests for
blues and silvers.”
Culp’s Arnold says the role of color is changing.
“It’s shifting from small accents to solids, closely
following home fashion trends,” she says. “Neutrals are
more saturated. Steel is warming up to mink; gold is
deeper, richer. And small or large accents of fashion
colors such as turquoise, deep orchid and cobalt are on
the brink (of more widespread acceptance).”
When it comes to mattress fabrics, color trends vary
depending on the region of the world.
Favored colors in Europe continue to be “lights
and whites,” says Job Dröge, president of Tilburg,
Netherlands-based Innofa. “In the U.S., for accents
and borders, there is greater interest in browns, black,
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Left
For better breathability
Innofa, headquartered
in Tilburg, the
Netherlands, created
award-winning
Airvent with air grids
for better ventilation.
Right
Spacer deluxe
Springs Creative in Rock
Hill, S.C., offers spacer
fabrics in rich colors
and upholstery-inspired
textures.
n Find Suppliers
To find suppliers of
mattress fabrics,
check the BedTimes
Supplies Guide, either
online at
www.bedtimes
suppliesguide.com
or in the December
issue of the
magazine.
|
38
blues and even pistachio. In Mexico, vibrant colors like
red, yellow, purple and salmon are becoming popular.”
Lorne Romoff, vice president of Maxime Knitting
in Montreal, says that mattress fabric colors popular
in Canada tend to be a bit more fashion-forward than
those in the United States. Today, cool whites and
silvers are selling in Canada, while whites, taupes and
golden beiges are strong in the United States.
Önder Honï, vice general manager of Boyteks
in Kayseri, Turkey, agrees with Innofa’s Dröge that
whites continue to be popular in Europe. Gold and
beige predominate in the Persian Gulf region, he
says. Grays and pinks are fashion-forward in Turkey,
while black, burgundy and dark blue continue to be
strong in North Africa.
T
exture, pattern & stretch
Today, knit panels predominate in mattress construction and the newest knits
are sculptural, dimensional stretch fabrics, often with simplified, large-scale (or
“jumbo”) designs.
“In the U.S., classic design motifs are still big but
we are finding that people are open to new influences,”
Dröge says. “They are using less florals and scrollwork.”
“Designs are getting more contemporary, geometric
and color-blocked,” Pappas says.
Large medallions that run the length of the mattress
or are centered on the mattress are increasingly popular, Romoff says.
“We are really experimenting with pattern scale and
how they can work together in unexpected applica-
tions,” Arnold says. “Texture is becoming very important as knit panel designs are much more dimensional.”
Greensboro, N.C.-based Bodet & Horst USA, part
of Bodet & Horst in Elterlein, Germany, sells cutand-sewn zippered and “bucket” mattress, topper and
pillow covers in the United States.
“We are seeing more interest in plusher, thicker fabrics that have a quilted look, but aren’t,” says Karsten
Siewert, vice president of sales and marketing.
“In the past 14 to 16 months, manufacturers are relying on quilting less and less and are using the fabric
to emulate quilting,” Pappas explains. “We’re creating
knits that are multidimensional design surfaces. You
may have large, billowy texture. ‘Multilevel geography’
is very much a part of the look.”
“Certainly on top panels, we’re seeing a lot more interest in dimension and definition—knit patterns with
more ‘puff’ and multiple colors,” Miller says.
Knit suppliers offer super-stretch—also called
“four-way” stretch—fabrics with elasticized yarns to
cover both foam and hybrid mattress cores. Bodet &
Horst’s Bielastic Comfort Streeetch was one of the
first and won an Interzum award for “intelligent
material and design” at the trade show in Cologne,
Germany, in May.
“Blister-pattern, super-stretch knits have really
taken off,” Romoff says. “These fabrics can be knitted with or without Lycra yarns and they hug the bed
much like leggings hug your body.”
“You have to be able to help the customer choose
fabrics that will marry well with the core and perform
Left
In the zone Bodet &
Horst USA, based in
Greensboro, N.C., offers
finished covers to the
American market. This
one has a zoned,
super-stretch, drop-top
panel and inset
upholstery borders.
Right
4x more colorful Rayoz
from Bekaert USA in
Winston-Salem, N.C.,
uses four yarn colors
to create
contemporary designs.
|
40
no matter what its application, whether gel, foam
or springs,” Weaver explains. “For instance, heavier,
four-way stretch fabrics with elastic yarns work best
with the new gels. They won’t wrinkle and have good
recovery.”
Super-stretch zoned knits pair well with the zoned
innersprings and foams found in many high-end mattresses. Changes in the knit’s design can illustrate to
consumers—as well as retail sales associates—the zoning in the components underneath.
At Interzum Cologne, Bodet & Horst went a step
further, showcasing a prototype pressure-mapped knit
ticking with extra stretch at pressure points for stomach, back and side sleepers.
“The whole industry is moving toward fabrics that
won’t ‘deaden’ or negate the feeling of the foams or gel
beneath,” says Scott Frisch, president of the Specialty
Products Group of Springs Creative in Rock Hill, S.C.
In January, Springs Creative introduced SleepSkin,
which is designed to mirror the movement of foams
and gels in mattresses. The patent-pending knit mattress fabric is inspired by active wear clothing and is
composed of polyester and Spandex yarns. It’s available
in solid colors, as well as custom digital print designs.
As for woven panels, they haven’t completely
disappeared from mattresses. Many premium and
ultra-premium bedding collections now wear woven
top panels—or in some cases, never abandoned them.
These are fabrics with a satin hand and high-end silk,
cashmere, cotton or linen yarns. Popular design motifs
include large medallions with regal flourishes.
“In the upper end, with wovens you can have far
more intricate designs and ‘dressmaker’ details,” Allred
says. “We’re getting more interest in wovens because
knits have so permeated the marketplace and manufacturers are looking for something different.”
H
igh-tech tickings
From the yarn to the construction to
the fabric finish, ticking suppliers are
offering manufacturers a host of built-in
performance features designed to do everything from improving a sleeper’s health to keeping
mattresses clean and sanitary.
A number of fabric finishes and yarns incorporate
anti-bacterial silver, including Deslee’s Argentum,
which also won a material and design award at Interzum Cologne earlier this year. Other fabrics, such as
the Outlast ticking Bekaert introduced in 2009, are
made with phase change materials that provide temperature regulation.
“We have many beautiful fabrics,” Boyteks’ Honï
says, “but our main purpose is to improve sleep quality.
We see a tremendous demand for fabrics with performance features—fabrics that help mattress manufacturers tell a story.”
Some of Boyteks’ newest fabrics have anti-bacterial
and deodorizing properties. Others are even marketed
as being “moisturizing” or “energizing.”
Spacer fabrics are not new—they’ve been available
for about 10 years—but their popularity and visual appeal are growing as fabric suppliers help manufacturers create more breathable visco-elastic, latex and
continued on page 42
It’s all about the border
“T
he ‘bling’ is in the border,” says Jorge Sifuentes,
sales manager at Enriquez Materials & Quilting
Inc., a fabric, quilt and components supplier in
Commerce, Calif. “In the last year or two, people are trying
to inject a little more color, especially into the border materials with the fabrics and tapes. They may use a thicker ‘bar’
tape—some are very brightly colored. It’s no longer just
about matching the panel fabric. We are seeing borders
that pop and that have more contrast and visual effect.”
When it comes to border design, the key trend right now
derives from upholstery. Mattress makers are abandoning
quilting on borders and dressing the sides of beds in upholstery fabrics borrowed from furniture collections.
“Things we’ve been talking about for a while are finally
coming true. We are seeing more upholstery-style fabrics
with luster and good tactile sensation. More and more, we
are seeing mattresses with the look of a contemporary sofa.
It’s a clean, padded look—not bisected by lines, quilting
and stitching,” says Laura Allred, design director of CT Nassau, which has headquarters in Alamance, N.C.
“The upholstered look of microsuede borders continues
to be popular and won’t be leaving anytime soon,” says
Adam Lava, sales manager for A. Lava & Son Co. in Chicago. “It’s a good look at a decent price.”
Tietex International Ltd., based in Spartanburg, S.C., offers a wide range of upholstery fabrics for borders.
“There are bold patterns and a range of textures—from
nubby, chunky and fuzzy fabrics to very low texture,” says
Wade Wallace, Tietex vice president.
The foundation border is often given a true upholstery
fabric border, while the mattress border may have a contrasting mattress fabric border.
More European-style upholstered foundations, mattress
borders and matching headboards are moving into the U.S.
market, says Eric Delaby, vice president of sales and marketing for Greensboro, N.C.-based Deslee Textiles USA, part
of DesleeClama in Zonnebeke, Belgium. “We launched a
colorful collection of woven, upholstery fabrics for bed borders and headboards at Interzum Cologne.” The Cocoon
‘We are seeing mattresses with
the look of a contemporary sofa.’
collection is targeted to mid- to high-end bed sets.
“With the addition of upholstery fabrics on mattress and
box-spring borders, we’re seeing more decorative borders
with more texture and larger-scale patterns,” says Elena
Arnold, director of knit designing for Culp Inc. in High Point,
N.C.
Spacer fabrics—three-dimensional materials made up
of two fabrics joined by vertical monofilament—that improve the breathability of foam mattresses also are changing the look of borders. (See main story starting on Page
34.)
And Ann Weaver, vice president of marketing for Waterloo, S.C.-based Lava USA, part of Lava Textiles in Wielsbeke, Beligum, points to another change in border design:
“There is a definite trend to bringing that top panel down to
the border. We are seeing ‘self-borders’—and even some
two-sided mattresses again.”
On the border Deslee Textiles
USA in Greensboro, N.C., has
launched the
Cocoon collection of woven
upholstery fabrics for
wrapping foundation
borders and
matching headboards.
41 |
Left
Very coordinated CT
Nassau in Alamance,
N.C., lends upholstery
styling to mattresses
with graphic ticking
and tapes.
Right
Matched set BRK in Pico
Rivera, Calif., dresses
the complete
package—mattresses
and top-of-bed
accessories—with
fabrics and tapes.
|
42
from page 40
gel beds. Spacer fabrics are three-dimensional—two
fabrics joined by vertical monofilament fibers. They
can be used as borders and in border insets and sometimes appear in panels.
“There are spacer fabrics now with patterns and
textures. They used to be very plain,” says Adam Lava,
sales manager for A. Lava & Son Co. in Chicago.
“Fabric suppliers are trying to cross that line between
beauty and performance—that’s the future.”
Innofa’s Airvent, also a 2011 Interzum award winner, takes the concept behind spacer fabrics to the next
level. The knit technology incorporates “air grids” into
the knit pattern, helping the mattress core breathe.
“Unlike utilitarian-looking spacer fabrics, Airvent
has functionality while being aesthetically pleasing,” Dröge says. “It brings enhanced breathability to
stretch knits.”
Springs Creative relaunched—and renamed—its
AirSkin collection of spacer fabrics in 2010. The open
line includes one construction in five colors, but there
are an additional 50-plus custom fabric constructions and
designs available with highly textural upholstery looks.
Clings, from Tietex International Ltd. with
headquarters in Spartanburg, S.C., solves another
problem: The filler cloth has a nonskid coating that
prevents sheets and bed skirts from slipping. Introduced in 2011, it’s used on the underside of onesided mattresses and the top of the foundation. The
coating can appear in grid or dot patterns or in a
custom design that spells out the mattress manufac-
turer’s name—a reminder to consumers about the
origin of their bed when they rotate the mattress.
“The product is gaining a global audience,” says
Wade Wallace, Tietex vice president. “In Asia and
Africa, we’re seeing more and more production of
one-sided beds. Clings is used on mid- to high-end
beds and is also strong in the hospitality industry,
which does not use fitted sheets.”
Deslee’s Quick Fit, a presewn mattress cover
with borders and panels—and yet another Interzum award winner—does away with the need for a
cut-and-sew operation in a mattress factory, yet is
far more interesting than a typical zipper or bucket
cover that wraps around a foam core, Delaby says.
“It’s possible for Quick Fit to include a quilted
top, microsuede border and an FR barrier,” he says.
“We perfected Quick Fit for smaller European beds
and have now adapted it to the U.S. market.”
As is probably clear by now, at this year’s Interzum
Cologne, fabric innovations were standouts—and big
winners. The “Best of the Best” award in textiles went
to Bekaert’s Smart Wrap, which incorporates fiber
optic technology capable of monitoring a sleeper’s
breathing patterns. (See BedTimes’ in-depth Interzum
coverage in its July 2011 issue, available in our archives
at www.bedtimesmagazine.com.)
“This is stage one for a larger series of experiments,” Pappas says. “Where can it best be applied?
Nursing homes? Hospitals? To prevent Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome? We’ve got some dreamers
in our crowd. We’ll see what the future brings.” n
Left
Bold Jumbo design
motifs from Montrealbased Maxime Knitting
put a new twist on the
traditional and make
panels pop.
Right
Seeing spots Clings
from Tietex International
Ltd. in Spartanburg,
S.C., has raised dots,
grids and custom
designs that keep
mattresses from slipping
and sliding.
FR fabrics catching on
M
attress fabrics with inherent flame retardancy are
now widely available to mattress makers. In the
United States, FR-inherent ticking is designed to
help mattress manufacturers comply with the federal openflame mattress standard, 16 CFR Part 1633.
Adam Lava, sales director of Chicago-based A. Lava &
Son Co., a leading producer of zippered covers, says that use
of FR-inherent fabrics on foam beds is definitely a growing
trend.
“We work with them every day. As specialty mattresses take
more slots on retail floors, expect fabric suppliers to improve
the quality of these FR-inherent knits and use of them to increase,” he says. “Their role as part of a bed’s total FR solution
is certain to expand, especially for the bed’s top panel.”
Most often, FR-inherent ticking replaces the FR sock that
slips over a foam core to create an FR barrier between the
cover and the core on an unquilted, smooth-top mattress,
ticking suppliers say. A tape-edge can be added using FR
thread, but for quilted looks, an FR quilt fiber is both more cost
effective and is needed to meet FR standards.
Creative Ticking’s patented Caress Barrier Solutions TioTec
has FR yarns knitted into the fabric. The patented technology uses Firegard FR yarn manufactured by Springs Creative,
based in Rock Hill, S.C.
TioTec is covered by a series of U.S. patents received in
2009 by Ron Sytz, Creative Ticking chief executive officer, and
Harrison Murphy and Mike Slavik, two executives with mattress
and furniture industry fire-barrier supplier Ventex Inc. in Great
Falls, Va.
The technology has been licensed to other major ticking
suppliers, including Bekaert, Culp and Deslee.
“TioTec is our No. 1 growth area,” says Jerry Pratt, president
of Creative Ticking in Gastonia, N.C. “This is an innovative
solution that reduces labor during mattress production. It has
‘four-way’ stretch and a soft hand.”
Deslee Textile USA’s version of FR-inherent fabric made with
Firegard yarn is called Ecosafe NxG (for “next generation”).
Its first generation FR fabric, Ecosafe, introduced in 2005,
is still widely used in zippered covers, says Eric Delaby, vice
president of sales and marketing for the Inman, S.C.-based
company, which has world headquarters in Zonnebeke, Belgium. The finished fabric, which is a cotton and rayon knit, is
coated with “polymerized naturally occurring salts” applied to
the knit’s surface.
“The two solution choices satisfy a range of customers
looking for an all-in-one FR solution for visco-elastic beds,”
Delaby says. “Expect the third-generation fabrics to have even
better, softer and more refined feels and to be effective with
all different fuel loads.”
“’Bodet & Horst FR Solution fabrics are sold in Europe for
hospitality mattresses,” says Karsten Siewert, vice president
of sales and marketing for Greensboro, N.C.-based Bodet &
Horst USA, part of Bodet & Horst in Elterlein, Germany. In the
United States, the company offers cut-and-sewn covers made
from knits woven with FR-inherent yarns.
“FR-inherent knit fabrics have come a long way, are much
plusher and are used on foam and hybrid beds,” says Mike
Cottonaro, senior vice president of sales and marketing at
Culp Inc. in High Point, N.C. “But even when using FR-compliant fabrics, it is incumbent on the mattress manufacturer to
gain further FR confirmation through independent lab testing.”
45 |
|
46
Workplace
violence
Minimizing the risks to your employees
R
By Lin Grensing-Pophal
egular reports of fights and
shooting incidents in the
workplace drive home the
point that violence can occur anywhere, anytime. They
can—and even have—occurred in U.S. mattress manufacturing plants.
Still, it’s not uncommon for employers
and employees to believe “it couldn’t happen here,” say experts on workplace violence. It’s simply not something that most
managers and workers want to think about.
In 2010, 808 people died as the result
of “assaults and acts of violence” in the
workplace, according to the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. That number includes not
only “violence by persons” but also “selfinflicted injury” and “attacks by animals.”
Of this number, 506 were defined as
workplace homicides, making it the third
leading cause of fatal workplace injuries,
following highway accidents and falls.
Workplace homicides reached a peak in
1994, when 1,080 people were killed at
work, according to the BLS. Workplace
homicides have fallen 53% since then, but
after several years of declines, workplace
homicides spiked again in 2007 when 628
people were killed.
Those statistics don’t tell the whole
story, says Timothy Dimoff, president and
founder of SACS Consulting & Investigative Services Inc. in Akron, Ohio. Homicide—and even the BLS’s “assaults and
violent acts”—are at the extreme end of
the workplace violence spectrum, which
includes a wide range of behaviors and
actions, the vast majority of which don’t
result in death.
What exactly do we mean by “workplace
violence”? Is it limited to physical harm
and injury? Does it include bullying? Harassment? Verbal aggression? Opinions
vary and, in determining how to deal with
these issues at your company, one of the
things you’ll need to do is to define unacceptable behavior in your workplace. The
experts BedTimes spoke with for this story
provide general guidance. For specific
information as it relates to your company,
consult legal counsel.
47 |
Though workplace homicides may be on the
decline, Dimoff says that, based on his experience as a
consultant, “We definitely believe that aggressive action—verbal and physical—is on the upswing.”
He points to the lagging economy, stress, long hours
and increasing workloads as contributing factors.
“We’ve created a pressure-cooker atmosphere in
the workplace,” he says.
What steps can companies take to protect themselves, their employees and their customers from acts
of violence?
Prevention and mitigation need to start early—during the hiring process. Every employer needs to develop clear policies and procedures and then educate and
train managers and workers on their implementation.
Above all, employers need to be alert to warning signs
and deal with potentially violent situations immediately and appropriately.
New employees
To begin with, employers need to take more time to
screen employees during the hiring process, says Beth
Schroeder, a partner who leads the employment law
division at Silver & Freedman in Los Angeles.
“I think people tend to just go out there and hire
‘warm bodies’ and they don’t take time to trust their
gut instincts,” Schroeder says. Drug testing and background checks can be an important part of the hiring
process, helping to weed out candidates with a history
of substance abuse or violence.
During both the hiring and orientation processes,
new employees should be sent strong, unambiguous
messages about your company’s stance on appropriate
behavior in the workplace and employee safety.
A corporate culture that promotes respect for all
employees—from the executive suite on down to the
factory floor—is important, says Mike Jackson, president and principal consultant at Security Research
Group in Morena Valley, Calif. It should be clear to
employees what will and won’t be tolerated at your
headquarters and manufacturing facilities. Managers
play a critical role in setting expectations and modeling appropriate behaviors through their own actions.
A ‘no-tolerance’ policy
You should have formal, written policies that document behavioral expectations. Unfortunately, many
companies don’t have policies in place; others have
ineffective policies that are poorly communicated.
Carol Fredrickson, a workplace violence expert
with Violence Free in Phoenix, spent 15 years in law
enforcement, specializing in emergency services and
disaster preparedness.
She says small and medium-size companies are the
least likely to have formal behavioral policies. At best,
they may have a few lines that address workplace violence embedded in their harassment or ethics policies.
Other companies have policies, but they are overly
complicated and, consequently, not likely to be widely
read or understood by employees.
|
48
2010 506
2009
542
2008
526
2007
628
2006
540
2005
567
2004 559
Still others have understandable policies but don’t
include a clear process for reporting potential threats
and problems, Fredrickson says.
Effective policies establish the expectations a
company has for interactions between employees at all
levels, as well as between employees, customers and
vendors.
Policies should provide examples of the types of
behaviors that will not be tolerated, explain the actions
that will be taken if such behaviors occur and outline
all processes that will be followed, including what employees should do to report threats and concerns.
“I think it’s appropriate to have zero tolerance for physical violence and most companies do,” Schroeder says.
But even defining violence can be challenging.
“There are so many different examples of what
workplace violence can be,” Fredrickson says. “It
could be kidnapping, suicide, sexual assault, domestic
violence, property damage, even rumors. We’ve had
disgruntled employees who have gone back and started
the business on fire or have started setting small fires.”
When crafting a policy you also need to consider
other kinds of behavior. For instance, what would
you do if one employee sent a threatening email to
another? What if an employee claimed to be the victim
of bullying?
Once established, employers must be willing to
stand behind their policy, regardless of who might
engage in one of the unacceptable behaviors. In other
words, the policy must be applied to all employees,
regardless of title or position. For instance, you may
have manager whose strong management style could
be interpreted as crossing a line into bullying.
“I’m a big believer, even in terms of management
styles, in not allowing intimidation,” Schroeder says.
Establishing expectations and creating policies are
important steps, but to ensure that these policies are
fully understood, companies must engage in ongoing
education and training.
“The weakest link is the untrained or unaware employee,” Fredrickson says. Companies may be reluctant
to invest time and money in training workers regarding workplace violence, in part because of the belief
that “it couldn’t happen here.”
Don’t make that mistake.
2003
632
Warning signs
2002
609
2001 643
Workplace
homicides
reached a
peak in 1994,
when 1,080
people were
killed at work.
Workplace
homicides
Source: U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics
While you might think of a seemingly random shooting
spree when you hear the phrase “workplace violence,” in
reality, “most of what we see in workplace violence is more
of a slow-burning daily occurrence,” Fredrickson says.
“Violence as a general rule is an end-stage of a
series of neglected indicators,” says Edwin Foulke, a
partner in the Atlanta and Washington, D.C., offices
of Fisher & Phillips LLP and a former head of the U.S.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration under
the George W. Bush administration.
Employers should be aware of and alert to the warning signs that may indicate an impending incident,
Foulke says.
Some signs are blatant—direct or indirect verbal
threats, screaming and yelling, physical aggression. More
often, though, the signs are subtle—a deterioration in job
performance, irritability, becoming highly critical of others, depression. If these less obvious indicators are noted
and addressed early, more serious outbursts of aggression
or violence may be minimized.
You should
have
formal,
written
policies that
document
behavioral
expectations.
|
50
Certain situations may spark violence, Foulke says,
and employers should be alert to potential triggers. An office romance may go bad. An employee may be criticized
for poor performance.
“For some people, all they have is their job,” Foulke
says. “Then, when they start feeling threatened because
they’re getting constructive criticism about their job performance, they’re unable to accept that criticism.”
Jackson agrees and urges employers to pay particular
attention to employees who may have recently had a
negative experience, whether inside or outside of the
workplace. They may have been subject to some form
of disciplinary action or passed over for a promotion at
work. They may be experiencing difficulty at home—a
troubled marriage, an ill family member, problems with
children, financial difficulties.
Depression can be a significant trigger for violent episodes that occur as part of a suicide attempt, Schroeder
says, pointing to suicidal individuals who will harm others
before killing themselves.
“You want to train people to watch for the signs of
people who are dropping to depths in their lives that are
causing them to become desperate,” she says.
Because there are many warning signs that should
be considered in combination—not just as isolated
incidents, Jackson recommends that companies establish threat assessment teams made up of management
representatives to consider and review potential risks on
an ongoing basis. The team would then determine how
serious a threat is and what action to take.
“Some cases would involve immediate action—calling
the police, for example,” Jackson says. “Others may only
lead to referrals for counseling.”
Your company’s possible responses to warning signs
should be outlined in your workplace violence and
behavior policy and might include disciplinary action (up
to and including termination) or, as Jackson suggests, a
referral for counseling or contact with outside authorities.
Encouraging action
Not surprisingly, employees may be hesitant to bring up
concerns about co-workers’ behavior. Many simply don’t
want to get involved. This can include management staff,
Foulke says. They may be worried about hurting someone’s career or getting someone fired.
They may think, “They didn’t really mean it” after
hearing a comment about intended violence and dismiss
it as someone just “blowing off steam.” They may be afraid
of the individual whose behavior is a concern. Or they
may not think anything will be done about it.
In almost all serious cases of workplace violence, coworkers had knowledge that could have raised red flags
if they’d shared it, Fredrickson says. When asked why
they didn’t report their concerns, Fredrickson says three
responses are typical:
n I didn’t know who I was supposed to report it to
n I didn’t know how I was supposed to report it (phone
call? email? in person?)
n I wasn’t sure that the situation would be considered
workplace violence.
Fredrickson tells of a situation in which a female
employee found six different violent drawings on her desk
depicting her in scenes ranging from being beheaded to
being doused with gasoline and set on fire. She never
reported the incidents.
Several months later, the male employee who had
given her the drawings was terminated for an unrelated
incident. The woman was concerned that he might get
angry and come back to the workplace, so she finally took
the pictures to her supervisor and Fredrickson was called
in as a consultant.
This example illustrates the hesitancy to report in the
extreme, but emphasizes the challenge that employers
face in getting employees to come forward if they have
suspicions or concerns that co-workers may be exhibiting
violent tendencies.
Anonymous hot lines can be a good way to prompt
employees to open up without fear of retribution.
Regardless of the process you use for having employees reports concerns, when they do so, you should
respond promptly and appropriately.
“You need to make sure that concerns are not just being heard and then dropped,” Jackson says.
Policies, education and ongoing communication
are foundational elements in creating a safe workplace
environment. But it’s not so much what a company says
about its commitment to a safe workplace as what it does
when concerns or problems arise that contribute to a safe
environment.
Sometimes it takes a tragic incident to remind employers that “it can happen here.” But by taking steps in
your workplace, you may be able to minimize the chances
that it will.
n
RESOURCES
n U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration website
includes OSHA standards related to workplace violence, as
well as various reports on preventing and dealing with workplace violence.
www.osha.gov/sltc/workplaceviolence
n “2011 Workplace Violence Fact Sheet” and subscription to
the bimonthly “Workplace Violence Prevention eReport” from
the National Institute of Workplace Violence Inc., a workplace
violence consultancy and research firm
www.workplaceviolence911.com/node/975
n The U.S. Office of Personnel Management website includes
a compilation of government agencies and nongovernment
organizations that offer resources, statistics and information
on workplace violence.
www.opm.gov/employment_and_benefits/worklife/official
documents/handbooksguides/WorkplaceViolence/p4.asp
n “Combating Workplace Violence” booklet from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, available as a PDF
download
www.theiacp.org/pubinfo/pubs/pslc/svindex.htm
|
52
n Webinar titled “Thirteen Strategies to Improve Workplace
Safety, Reduce OSHA Exposure and Improve Profitability,”
available on demand and at no charge from the law firm
Fisher & Phillips LLP
www.laborlawyers.com/shownews.aspx?ThirteenStrategies-To-Improve-Workplace-Safety-Reduce-OSHAExposure-and-Improve-Profitability-Free-Webinar-June23&Ref=list&Type=11348&Show=12901
n “Workplace Violence Prevention” brochure from the Security
Research Group, available online at www.securityresearchgroup.com or via email request to mjackson@security
researchgroup.com
n “Workplace Violence: Issues in Response” report from the
FBI, available as a PDF download
www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/workplaceviolence
n Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises,
Violated Expectations and Bad Behavior book by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillian and Al Switzler, McGrawHill, 2005
c o o r d i n a t i n g m a t t r e s s t a p e, t i c k i n g & b o r d e r s
in one convenient place
Our mattress fabrics, borders, and tapes match like they’re made for one another –
because they are! We have already color coordinated our fabrics and tapes for you.
Contact us at 1.800.397.0090 or www.ctnassau.com
to find out how we can make your mattresses look their best.
6557 Flotilla St, Commerce CA 90040
616 S. 55th Ave. Ste 103, Phoenix, AZ 85043
www.enriquezquilting.com Ph. 888.464.4275
Distributor for Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California.
4101 S. NC 62 PO Box 39 Alamance, NC 27201
www.ctnassau.com 1-800-397-0090
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News
Culp’s first-quarter sales up, net income down
F
abric supplier Culp Inc., with
headquarters in High Point, N.C.,
reports that net sales for the first
quarter of its fiscal year 2012 were
$60.3 million, a 7.8% increase compared with the first quarter of fiscal
2011. Culp’s first quarter of fiscal year
2012 ended July 31.
Sales in Culp’s mattress fabrics segment were $32.2 million, up 4% over the
prior-year period. Upholstery sales were
$28.1 million, an increase of 12.4% over
the same period a year ago.
“We are especially pleased with the
increased sales to many key customers
who are leaders in the bedding industry,”
said Iv Culp, president of Culp’s Mattress
Fabrics division. “We continue to benefit
from our recent investments to expand
and modernize the internal production
capacity of both our knitted and damask woven product lines.”
Culp reported pretax income of $3
million, or 4.9% of sales, in the first quarter, compared with $4.3 million, or 7.7%
of sales in the prior-year period.
Net income was $1.8 million, or $0.14
per diluted share, compared with net
income of $3.7 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, for the first quarter of fiscal
2011. Net income for first-quarter 2012
reflects a significantly higher tax rate,
primarily due to noncash U.S.-related
tax expense, according to the company.
“We are pleased with our year-overyear sales improvement for the first
quarter, especially in the face of an
uncertain economy,” said Frank Saxon,
Culp president and chief executive officer. “As a result of our sales and marketing initiatives, we expect this sales
momentum to continue into the second
quarter and full year. Both of our businesses continued to deliver solid results,
even though profitability is down somewhat from the same quarter of last year,
n
BRIEFLY
First-quarter stats
Net sales $60.3 million, up 7.8%
Mattress
fabric sales
$32.2 million, up 4%
Upholstery
sales
$28.1 million, up 12.4%
primarily due to higher raw materials
costs in mattress fabrics and lower than
expected results in our U.S. upholstery
fabrics operation. Our financial position
remains strong and supports our ability
to invest in growing our businesses in
fiscal 2012.”
The company added $2 million to the
$5 million share repurchase program
announced in June. Culp has repurchased 364,000 shares, or 2.7% of the
shares outstanding at the beginning of
the program, for approximately $3.2
million.
Simmons road trip takes showroom to retailers’ doors
A
tlanta-based mattress major Simmons is promoting
the launch of ComforPedic Loft
with the new AirCool Sleep
System using a “showroom on
wheels” that is traveling across
the United States.
“We wanted to fundamentally change the way we do
business with retailers in the
face of these difficult economic
times,” said Scott Smalling,
president of Simmons Specialty
Sleep. “By bringing our product
to retailers that didn’t attend
the Las Vegas Market (where
the new line debuted), we’re
able to maintain those relationships and save our dealers
valuable dollars.”
The mobile showroom is
hitting the road for the second
time since 2009, when Simmons did a road trip to promote the launch of the original
ComforPedic Loft line.
The current tour began in
Indianapolis in late August and
is covering more than 10,000
miles in 20 weeks, visiting
retailers in 35 cities.
On location, Smalling and
Butch Webster, vice president
of Simmons Specialty Sleep,
will help train dealers and sales
associates on the best ways to
showcase the new line. The
tour also will stop at Simmons
factories across the United
States to train team members
on the specialty sleep collection. Wrapped with brand images, the big rig also serves as a
traveling advertisement.
On the road again Simmons’
‘showroom on wheels’ will travel
to 35 cities, showing both
retailers and employees at its
own factories how best to
promote the ComforPedic Loft
line.
55 |
News
Hickory Springs opening new R&D center
C
omponents supplier Hickory Springs Mfg. Co. will
consolidate all of its research and development efforts
at a new Corporate Innovation and Testing Center scheduled to open in December at its headquarters complex in
Hickory, N.C.
The majority of the center’s 30,000 square feet will be
devoted to lab space for controlled testing of products
in all business sectors that Hickory Springs serves—from
automotive to home furnishings. About 10,000 square feet
will be used for showroom space and conference rooms,
allowing customers and
vendors to work together
on new products, programs
and services.
Brad McNeely, a longtime Hickory Springs executive, recently was pro-
moted to the newly created post of vice president of new
product development and will oversee operations at the
center.
He will work alongside Mike Simmons, who has been
named vice president of new market development. Simmons is tasked with increasing customer interaction and
integration with new product and business development.
“Because today’s market and customer demands change
rapidly, we have a constant need to leverage our expertise
and respond quickly,” McNeely said. “Bringing our R&D groups
together under one roof
enables us to step up our
responsiveness and gives us
a team that is dedicated fulltime to developing new and
improved products for existing and future markets.”
‘Bringing our R&D groups together
under one roof enables us to step up
our responsiveness.’
A. Lava & Son Co.
Introduces Our New Kit Line
Centrix
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&
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|
56
A. Lava & Son Co.
Sewing Threads and Bedding Textiles
www.alavason.com
[email protected]
Ph: (800) 777-5282
Fax: (773) 254-0800
News
Eclipse of China focuses on premium bedding
E
clipse of China emphasized
“Taking Eclipse to Higher
Levels” during a training and
corporate development event in
Guangdong, China, in late July.
More than 150 retail sales associates, managers and other corporate representatives participated in
the five-day program.
Eclipse of China is a licensee of
North Brunswick, N.J.-based mattress brand Eclipse International
and is led by President David
Chen.
This year’s event centered
on Teana, the company’s new
premium Eclipse mattress line.
Participants learned about the
new lineup, as well as the latest
techniques for selling a premium-
quality mattress. The Teana line
has been introduced in eight
markets—Beijing, Guangzhou,
Hangzhou, Qingdao, Shanghai,
Shenyang, Shenzhen and Tianjin.
Several activities focused on
developing new ways of gaining
market share in China’s competitive premium bedding segment.
Chen expects 25% growth in sales
in the coming year.
Several awards were handed
out during the meeting, including
the Best in Sales award, which
went to Xie Weiming; the Best
Image award, given to Pang Yaofei;
and the Best Energy awards, given
to Wang Haoyong and He Qiusheng. In addition, Liu Bing, manager of Eclipse in the Shenyang
Eclipse rising David Chen, president of Eclipse International’s
China licensee, spoke to more than 150 retail sales associates,
managers and others during the company’s annual training event
in July. The meeting included an awards ceremony.
region, and Tang Jie, manager of
Eclipse in the Shanghai region,
were recognized for their contributions and performance.
57 |
News
L&P website gets new look
ndustry supplier Leggett & Platt has redesigned its website, www.leggett.com,
giving it an updated look and revamping
content for each of the company’s divisions.
“We are very pleased with the transformation of Leggett.com. To raise the
bar high during development, our team
benchmarked several of the top 20 com-
panies. We are extremely excited by the
results,” said Tom Hawkins, web development director for the Carthage, Mo.-based
company.
The improved site has a cleaner interface, easier navigation and better organized content. The design team sought to
give L&P a human face by personalizing
the site with photos and videos of L&P
Starsprings Design Centre™
When seeing is believing and feeling
is the truth it is most important to
know what you are buying.
Therefore we have created
a test facility within the
walls of our headquarters
in Herrljunga Sweden. In a
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have a full range of our products to decide what fits
your next generation of beds.
Start here!
w w w. s t a r s p r i n g s m l s . c o m
The journey starts at our online
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get your own user account.
w w w. s t a r s p r i n g s m l s . c o m
SWEDEN
|
58
BRAZIL
POLAND
employees. Another goal was to showcase company history and emphasize the
quality and design of company products.
“One of the very obvious ways that
we honor the history of the company is
by our name,” said David Haffner, L&P
president and chief executive officer.
“Leggett & Platt is a very simple name—
the direct result of two brothers-in-law
with a really good idea—mixed in with
honesty, integrity, commitment to the
customer and a plan to provide a really
good place to work. And that business
plan is alive and well today nearly 130
years later.”
Kingsdown shutters plant
SHORT
I
Bedding producer Kingsdown
is closing a plant in Knoxville,
Tenn., saying that regional production has been assumed by
larger, more efficient facilities in
Florida, Oklahoma and Virginia.
“We had assumed responsibility for this small plant many
years ago as part of a larger
acquisition, but since that time
we have opened other facilities
where production shifted and
from where we can much more
efficiently service our customers,” said Joe Schmoeller, senior
vice president of operations for
the Mebane, N.C.-based company. “While we recognize and
cannot minimize the financial
loss to the small number of employees at the plant, it no longer made economic sense for
us to operate the facility.” The
Knoxville plant had employed
about 20 people.
News
Spring Air unveils broad marketing initiative
B
oston-based mattress
licensing group Spring Air
International has introduced
a comprehensive, multimedia
marketing program for retailers
designed to promote brand values, key product benefits and
proprietary innovations.
“This is the most complete
and integrated marketing
launch we’ve ever undertaken,”
said Spring Air President Rick
Robinson. “It encompasses virtually every touch point we can
establish with our retail customers and with consumers.”
The new program harnesses the power of emotion
evoked through a wide range
of lifestyle scenes that speak to
women, men, families, young
adults and seniors—consumers
in virtually every stage of life
and activity.
“We believe it’s extremely
important for consumers to understand who Spring Air is and
what we stand for,” Robinson
said. “But we also know that to
successfully communicate that,
consumers first have to identify
with and relate emotionally to
what they’re seeing, reading or
hearing about us.”
The multimedia program
includes three 60-second, instore videos and television ads,
as well as print materials and
direct mail.
Spring Air also is offering retailers new backlit wall
photography, video or iPad
Reworked website As part of its
new branding and marketing
efforts, Spring Air International
redesigned its Web presence to
include new lifestyle imagery
and videos.
demonstration stations, ceiling
signage, product brochures,
pocket cards, top-of-bed components and more.
The Spring Air website was
redesigned to showcase the
new imagery and videos.
The marketing program
encompasses every Spring Air
brand—Back Supporter, Perfect Balance, Sleep Sense and
the recently launched Sleep
Sense BioMax.
Robinson said he expects
the campaign to gain significant traction during the fourth
quarter.
“This is yet another major
step forward for our company and brand,” he says.
“Our objective is to continue
enhancing the value of what
Spring Air represents today in
the minds of both retailers and
consumers.”
59 |
News
SHORTS
Bedding companies make Inc. list
Two bedding manufacturers appear on the
2011 Inc. 500/5000 list
of the fastest growing companies. Savvy Rest, a producer of natural and organic mattresses headquartered
in Charlottesville, Va., is No. 1,246 on the list and Comfortaire, a maker of airbeds based in Greenville, S.C., is
No. 2,448. The list is compiled annually by Inc. magazine.
Companies are ranked according to percentage revenue
growth from 2007 through 2010. To qualify for the list,
companies must be privately held, for-profit, independent
organizations based in the United States.
Wright speeds delivery of embroidered products
Marketing services supplier Wright of Thomasville has
created Wright Express Showroom Solutions, a series of
embroidered promotional products that can be delivered
to customers with a five-day turnaround. Designed for
customers who need small lots of simple embroidered
pillows, shams and foot protectors, the program offers
three pricing and design levels and as many as five color
choices. “We love working on large, innovative projects,”
said Greg Wright, chief executive officer of the Thomas-
ville, N.C.-based company. “However, we want to make
sure we are continuously improving our product offering to
our customers who are looking for speed-to-market and
a value proposition, as well.”
Big pillow news from PT Dunlopillo Indonesia
The Museum Rekor Dunia Indonesia, also known as MURI,
has again named latex
bedding producer PT Dunlopillo Indonesia, based
in Bekasi, Indonesia, the
world-record holder for the
world’s largest latex pillow.
The pillow was 4 meters by
6 meters (approximately
13 feet by 19 feet) and
weighed more than a metric ton (over 2,240 pounds). The
pillow took about 148 hours to construct.
MEGA Group adds bedding to e-commerce platform
MEGA Group USA, a retail buying group based in Germantown, Tenn., has expanded its WebFronts Premium
Plus Program to include mattresses and bedding. WebFronts Basic launched in 2007; WebFronts Premium Plus
Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation
1. Publication Title: BedTimes
2. Publication No. 0893-5556
3. Filing Date: Sept. 15, 2011
4. Issue Frequency: Monthly
5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 12
6. Annual Subscription Price: $50 U.S.; $65 outside U.S.
7. Address of Known Office of Publication: 501 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA 22314
8. Address of Publisher Headquarters: 501 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA 22314
9. Names and Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher, International Sleep Products Association, 501 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA 22314;
Editor, Julie Palm, 118 Park Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27127; Managing Editor, N/A
10. Owner: International Sleep Products Association, 501 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA 22314
11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders: None N/A
12. N/A
13. Publication Title: BedTimes
14. Issue Date for Circulation: September 2011
15. Extent and Nature of Circulation
Avg. No. Copies Actual No. Copies
Each Issue During of Single Issue Published
Preceding 12 Months
Nearest to Filing Data
A. Total No. Copies (Net Press Run)
3,841
3,640
B. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution
1. Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541
2,090
2,059
2. In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541
0
0
3. Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, 1,349
1,331
and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS
4. Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Outside the USPS
0
0
C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation
3,439
3,390
D. Nonrequested Distribution
1. Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541.
0
0
2. In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541.
0
0
3. Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail
87
81
4. Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail
166
0
E. Total Nonrequested Distribution
253
81
F Total Distribution
3,692
3,471
G. Copies Not Distributed
149
169
H. Total
3,841
3,640
I. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation
93%
98%
I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanction (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).
(Signed) Julie A. Palm, editor in chief
|
60
News
launched earlier this year. The premium program provides
members with a Web presence that allows for unlimited
product catalogs, advanced merchandising and pricing
tools, an unlimited dual shopping cart and quote request
system, advanced search engine optimization techniques,
automated rebate centers and product comparison capabilities for appliances, furniture, electronics, lawn and
garden, and now mattresses and bedding.
ments are a refreshed storefront; millwork displays to highlight linens and accessories; an expanded front desk near
the entrance for improved client education, comfort and
service; and well-appointed vignettes for mattress display.
“We spend one-third of our lifetime in bed,” said Mary Pat
Wallace, owner of Chicago Luxury Beds. “Investing in your
kitchen may increase the value of your home but investing
in your bed adds value to your life.”
Chicago Luxury Beds renovates showroom
Fabrictech partners with NSF
Chicago Luxury Beds, a specialty retailer of high-end bedding, has redesigned its 3,000-square-foot location in Chicago and outfitted
the space with new
product from mattress makers Hästens
and Vi-Spring and
linen supplier Sferra.
The renovated showroom features a more
intimate, customercentered layout to
better present products and allow for enhanced interactions with consumers and designers. Among the improve-
Mattress protection supplier Fabrictech International,
which has headquarters in Cedar Grove, N.J., has partnered with the National Sleep Foundation to help educate
the public about sleep
health. Packaging for
Fabrictech’s PureCare
brand, which provides protection against allergens, moisture, dust mites and bedbugs, now carries the NSF logo and
includes an NSF educational brochure. “We’re proud to be
working with the National Sleep Foundation,” said Jeff Bergman, Fabrictech president and chief operating officer. “The
NSF brand represents quality sleep and our core focus is to
protect the well-being of the sleeper by creating a healthier
sleep environment.”
61 |
QUALITY BEDFRAME LUMBER MANUFACTURER
CERTIFIED WOOD
SLEEP BETTER WITH
PEACE OF MIND
Bois Le Roux is now FSC® certified, as part of our effort to remain a leader in business
development and contribute to the sustainable management of the environment.
Our FSC certified wood is another added value to our bedframe lumber and our company.
• Rigid, lightweight, resistant products providing better support that extends
mattress life.
• Deal closely with the mill.
• Our production is 100% bedframe lumber.
• Two separate production lines for more versatility and greater productivity.
• Fast delivery, thanks to our warehouses in the US and a loyal carrier working
with us for over 10 years.
Bois Le Roux Inc.
www.blrlumber.com
Phone: 819-877-2092
Toll Free from USA: 888-877-2098
Email: [email protected]
Newsmakers
Hickory Springs promotes foam executives
A
s part of a companywide realignment, mattress
industry components
supplier Hickory Springs
Mfg. Co. has promoted
four executives in its
foam division—Todd
Councilman, David Dun- Todd Councilman
David Duncan
can, Mike Holliday and
cilman has worked for Hickory
Scott Williamson.
All four report to Buster Mann, Springs for five years, serving most
recently as commercial director
senior vice president of foam
for Olympic products.
operations for the Hickory, N.C.David Duncan was named
based company.
vice
president of the Western
Todd Councilman was named
foam division. He assumes
general manager of the Southeast
overall sales and operational
region. He has sales and operaresponsibility for the division’s
tional responsibility for the foam
facilities in Arlington, Texas;
division’s Olympic products facilities in Americus, Ga.; Greensboro, Commerce, Calif.; Fort Smith,
N.C.; High Point, N.C.; Ocala,
Ark.; Owensboro, Ky.; Platteville,
Wis.; and Portland, Ore. Duncan
Fla.; and Pinetops, N.C. Coun-
Spring Air’s LeDoux gets new title
B
oston-based mattress licensing group
Spring Air International has promoted
J.P. LeDoux from vice president of sales
to senior vice president of sales. LeDoux
joined the company in 2009 and reports
to Spring Air President Rick Robinson.
“Over the past two years, J.P. has made
significant contributions to our account
base, which has been invaluable to our
J.P. LeDoux
growth and success,” Robinson said. “He’s
also forged a strong line of communications between Spring
Air and its licensees and has served as an excellent resource
for sales and training information to the field. His youth and
energy have helped drive our business and establish a level of
momentum that will serve the company extremely well in the
years ahead.”
LeDoux’s responsibilities include overseeing the corporate
sales team, recruiting national accounts, assisting licensees in
development of regional accounts and supervising customer
service functions and teams. He also is chairman of Spring Air’s
Merchandising Committee.
Before joining Spring Air, LeDoux was an account manager
for Tempur-Pedic and a sales trainer and account manager for
Nature’s Rest, the privately held specialty sleep producer that
was once part of Spring Air.
He will continue to have
sales and operational
responsibility for the
Hickory operations and
is now also responsible
for three Tennesseebased foam operations—
Cleveland, Morristown
Scott
Williamson
and Volunteer.
Mike Holliday
Scott Williamson has
been promoted to general managjoined Hickory Springs in 1993
and has held positions includer of the Mid-South region. He has
ing sales manager and operasales and operations responsibility
tions manager for several foam
for the foam division’s Mississippi
efforts. Previously, Williamson was
manufacturing facilities. Most
recently, he was national product area sales manager. He began his
career at the company 18 years ago.
manager for bedding foam.
Mike Holliday, a 12-year
“These promotions are part of
an aggressive campaign to make
veteran of the company, has been
sure Hickory Springs and its
promoted to vice president for the
foam division are in a position to
Mid-Eastern division. He previously was general manager of foam pursue new growth and diversification,” Mann said.
and fiber operations in Hickory.
Hickory Springs names
new product managers
I
previous posts include
ndustry supplier
operations manager
Hickory Springs
and sales engineer.
Mfg. Co. has appointed several employees
Keener joined the
to national product
company as assismanagement posts as
tant manager of the
part of a companywide
Hickory Springs metal
restructuring.
plant in 1993.
All report to
Brent Limer was
Chad Keener
promoted to the newly
Dwayne Welch, execucreated position of
tive vice president and
national product
chief sales and marmanager of bedding.
keting officer for the
He is responsible for
Hickory, N.C.-based
working with Hickory
company.
Springs’ entire bedChad Keener
ding group to provide
was named national
national account covtransportation proderage, as well as new
ucts manager. He is
Brent
Limer
product
development
responsible for overand
brand
manageseeing nonautomotive transportation markets for
ment. Limer joined Hickory
continued on page 64
commercial transportation. His
63 |
Newsmakers
from page 63
Springs in 2006 and previously
was a regional sales manager.
Jason Porter assumed the role
of national product manager of
metals,
with an
emphasis
on motion
and sofa
sleeper
products.
Porter
joined
Jason Porter
Hickory
Springs in 2006 as an assistant
product manager.
Mark Snyder was named
national product manager of
automotive. Snyder has served as
business
development
manager
for automotive since
joining the
company in
2007. Prior
Mark Snyder
to that, he
was with Johnson Controls.
In addition, Barry Simmons continues in his role as national product
manager of
furniture
seating, a
position he
has held
since 1997.
He joined
Hickory
Springs in
Barry Simmons
1981.
“The realignment of these
product manager positions is
another important step in positioning Hickory Springs for a new
era of growth and diversification
for the future,” Welch said. “We
have great confidence in each of
our product managers and look
forward to seeing how their individual talents and experience will
help increase the accountability,
responsiveness and productivity of
the product lines they oversee.”
|
64
Furniture Hall of Fame to honor Unger
T
he American Furniture Hall of Fame will induct six furniture and bedding industry leaders, including the late Roy Unger, during a banquet
Oct. 23 in High Point, N.C. The annual event is held in conjunction
with the fall High Point Market.
Unger’s career spanned more than 50 years and included major
contributions to the rise of bedding manufacturers Sealy and Serta. After
his retirement, he served as a consultant to Simmons and continued to
advocate for the mattress industry until his death in 2004 at age 83.
Unger got his start as a sales manager at Sealy’s Ohio licensee in 1948
Roy Unger
and rose through the ranks to become senior vice president of sales and
marketing. While at Sealy, he played an important role in the development of the Posturepedic
brand, as well as growth of the company’s international business.
In 1981, Unger joined Serta as president and chief executive officer. He is credited with
building Serta’s Perfect Sleeper brand, reworking the company’s product line, consolidating
licensee plants, doubling manufacturing efficiencies and increasing profitability.
He retired in 1989 and then served for five years as a consultant to Simmons, where he
played a key role in the development of its BackCare brand.
Unger served as chairman of the International Sleep Products Association and was honored with its Robert MacMorran Memorial Award in 1986 and Award for Exceptional Service in
1990. He was a founder of ISPA’s Better Sleep Council and served as its chairman emeritus for
14 years.
Other inductees are:
■ Don Belgrad Except for a two-year stint at Honeywell, Belgrade spent his entire career at
Schnadig International Corp., joining the company founded by his father-in-law Lawrence
K. Schnadig as private brands liaison to Sears. He eventually rose to chairman and is now
chairman emeritus. During his tenure, he built Schnadig into the largest family-owned
producer of upholstery in the United States. In January 2009, he orchestrated the sale of
Schnadig to Markor International Furniture.
■ George Alexander Bernhardt During the past 46 years, Bernhardt has worked in virtually
every position at Bernhardt Furniture Co., including 30 years as chief executive officer. He is
crediting with quadrupling the size of the business founded by his grandfather in 1889, making Bernhardt the largest high-end furniture company in the United States. The company
also is known as an award-winning design leader in both residential and contract furnishings.
■ Donald H. Flanders During the past 60 years, Flanders has built two successful careers in
the furniture industry. In 1954, he and his wife, Phala, founded Flanders Mfg. Co. When he
sold the company in 1969 to become part of Riverside Furniture Corp., it had more than 350
employees and was one of the largest case goods companies in the Southwest. In 1982,
Flanders bought the assets of the Lloyd division of Heywood Wakefield Co. and founded
Lloyd/Flanders, a producer of casual furniture. He serves as Lloyd/Flanders chairman.
■ John C. Portman Jr. Portman is founder and chairman of AMC Inc. and AmericasMart Atlanta.
The more than 7 million-square-foot AmericasMart complex houses one of the world’s largest
collections of home furnishings, area rug, gift and apparel showrooms, hosting 19 wholesale
markets annually. Portman also leads John Portman & Associates, the architectural firm he
founded in 1954, and Portman Holdings, a global design and development entity.
■ Gordon Segal With his wife, Carole, Segal built Crate and Barrel into an internationally
renowned home furnishings business. From one store in Chicago to more than 100 stores in
three countries, Crate and Barrel today employs more than 7,000 associates and supports
a vendor network of more than 1,100 companies. For decades, it has been ranked as one of
the top 20 furniture stores in the United States.
For more information about the inductees or to register for the dinner, check
www.furniturehalloffame.com.
“BedTimes is and always
has been great! It is where
I get my news!”
“It’s a quick reference
to find suppliers.”
“Readable. Concise. Timely.”
“BedTimes is my link
to the industry.”
Contact Kerri Bellias, 336-945-0265 or [email protected]
to the
Mattress industry!
Networking
Education
innovation
saVe The
DaTe!
March 14-17, 2012
IndIana ConventIon Center
Indianapolis, Indiana, USa
www.ispaexpo.coM
The only trade show in the world devoted
exclusively to the mattress industry.
ISPA
BSC, Sleep Council partner on child sleep survey
T
SHORTS
he U.S.’s Better
Sleep Council
teamed up with the
U.K.’s Sleep Council to
survey parents’ attitudes
about the importance of
sleep in their children’s
lives and report that the
results were alarming.
Specifically, the two
organizations surveyed
parents in the United
States and the United
Kingdom to discover perceptions about children’s
classroom performance
and mood based on sleep.
Only 45% of U.S.
parents and an even
more paltry 22% of U.K.
parents said they believe
their children earn better
grades when they get
more sleep. This reveals
that only a portion of
parents in both countries
correlate sleep habits
to school performance,
according to the BSC and
Sleep Council.
Specifically, 44%
percent of U.K. parents
and 85% of U.S. parents
said their children seem
crabbier when getting
less sleep during the
school year. The BSC and
Sleep Council want to
emphasize quality sleep
as an important facet of
classroom success.
Survey results were
released in late summer
to coincide with the start
of the school year. In announcing the results, the
BSC and Sleep Council
offered tips for parents
to ensure children get a
quality night’s sleep. They
included:
■ Remove electronics
from the bedroom or
establish an electronics
curfew an hour before
bedtime
■ Make sure the bedroom is cool and quiet
■Try to get the child into
a routine
■ Encourage 30 minutes
of exercise daily
■ Talk with your child
about the day, ask
about fears and concerns and offer reassurance
■ Check the quality of
your child’s mattress.
If it is 7 years old or
older, replacing it may
be vital to improving
the sleep environment.
The e-survey included
more than 1,000 parents
from the United States
and United Kingdom who
had one or more children
age 7-18 living at home.
The BSC is the consumer education arm of
the International Sleep
Products Association. To
learn more, visit
www.bettersleep.org.
The Sleep Council is
funded by the National
Bed Federation, a trade
association for British
bed manufacturers.
To learn more, visit
www.sleepcouncil.org.uk.
Phthalates testing rules take effect Jan. 1
Future ISPA EXPOs set
Beginning Jan. 1, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
will require manufacturers to use labs accredited by the agency
to test child care articles (products meant to be used by children
age 3 and younger) for six types of banned phthalates. Although
the CPSC has yet to accredit labs to test for phthalates, it has
published a test method that labs must follow. The CPSC has not
yet officially clarified whether a crib mattress is subject to the
phthalate rules, but has informally indicated on its website that it
is, according to the International Sleep Products Association. For
more information, check www.cpsc.gov.
For those of you who like to plan far ahead, the International
Sleep Products Association has set dates and locations for
future ISPA EXPOs. The next ISPA EXPO will
be March 14-17, 2012, in Indianapolis.
Registration for the show opens this month.
Members can save on FedEx shipping
Members of the International Sleep Products Association
can save as much as 26% on select FedEx shipping services
and as much as 70% on FedEx Freight and FedEx National
LTLSM services. There are no fees and no minimum shipping
requirements to take advantage of this member benefit. For
more information or to enroll in the program, call
800-MEMBERS (800-636-2377) or visit https://advantagemember.visionary.com/4965 and enter passcode DNWYKF.
Future shows:
■March 26-29, 2014, in New Orleans
■March 16-19, 2016, in Orlando, Fla.
For more information, check www.ispaexpo.com.
Refer a new member and receive $100
Why refer a new member? More members of the
International Sleep Products Association means:
■ More effective advocacy efforts
■ Better networking opportunities
■ Easier industry communication
■ A stronger and more cohesive industry
You can earn a $100 gift card by referring a new member. To
learn more, email [email protected].
67 |
Calendar
|
2012
|
JANUARY
Jan. 22-25
Interiors Birmingham
National Exhibition Centre
Birmingham, England
Phone 44-121-780-4141
[email protected]
www.interiorsbirmingham.com
|
OCTOBER
Oct. 22-27
High Point Market
International Home Furnishings
Center & other locations
High Point, N.C., U.S.
Phone 336-869-1000
[email protected]
www.highpointmarket.org
|
68
| DECEMBER
Dec. 2-4
Seena Magowitz
Celebrity Golf Classic
Arizona Biltmore
Phoenix, U.S.
Phone 602-524-7636
roger@seenamagowitz
foundation.org
www.seenamagowitz
foundation.org
Jan. 30-Feb. 3
Las Vegas Market
World Market Center
Las Vegas, U.S.
Phone 888-416-8600
[email protected]
www.lasvegasmarket.com
Jan. 31-Feb. 4
Istanbul Furniture Fair
Istanbul Expo Center
Istanbul, Turkey
Phone 90-212-291-83-10
www.itf-imob.com
Top left Interiors Birmingham
Jan. 22-25 in
Birmingham, England
Bottom left Istanbul Furniture
Fair Jan. 31-Feb. 4 in
Istanbul, Turkey
YOUR GATEWAY to the Mattress Industry!
Exhibiting companies as of September 1st, 2011
March 14-17, 2012
INDIANA CONVENTION CENTER
Indianapolis, IN USA
Show floor
over 85% sold!
Reserve your booth today!
For information about
exhibiting, contact:
Kerri Bellias,
Vice President, Sales
336-945-0265
[email protected]
WWW.ISPAEXPO.COM
A. Lava & Son Co.
Advance Fiber Technologies Corp/AFT
American & Efird, Inc.
American Nonwovens
Apropa USA
Arch Chemicals
Ateja Tritunggal
Atlanta Attachment Company
Avery Dennison
Balcan Plastics-First Film Extruding
Baumer of America
Bechik Products, Inc.
Bekaert Textiles
BLR Lumber Inc.
Bo-Buck Mills, Inc.
BoMei Tex Ltd.
BRK Group, LLC
Bruin Plastics Company Inc.
C.J. Hodder Lumber Company
Carpenter Company
ChemTick Coated Fabrics, Inc.
Coats North America
Costa International
Creative Ticking
CT Nassau Tape - Ticking
Culp Home Fashions
CUSBOR
Deslee Textiles USA
Diamond Needle Corp.
Dunlap Sunbrand dba Jumpsource
Eclipse Sleep Products-Eastman House Sleep Products
Edgewater Machine Co. Inc.
Enkev
Enriquez Materials & Quilting, Inc.
Ergomotion, Inc.
Farnsworth Logistics, Inc.
Fecken-Kirfel America
Flex-A-Bed
Flexible Foam
FXI
Global Systems Group
Hangzhou Chenyu Textile Company, LTD.
Hangzhou Landscape Import Export Co. Ltd.
Hangzhou Xiaoran Import and Export Co. Ltd
Hangzhou Xiaoshan Meixin Decorative Fabric Plant
Harvard Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
Healthcare Company Ltd.
Henkel Corporation
Herculite Products, Inc.
Hickory Springs Mfg.
Hot Melt Technologies, Inc.
Ideal Fastener Corporation
Industrias Marves
Innofa
Integrity Software Solutions
Interwoven Group
James Cash Machine Co.
Jiangsu Dreamerry Mattress Manufacturing LTD
Jomel Industries, Inc.
Jones Fiber Products, Inc.
Knickerbocker Bed Company
Komar Alliance LLC
Lampe USA Inc.
Latex International
Latexco LLC
Lava
Leggett & Platt Bedding Components Group
Leigh Fibers Inc.
Lenzing
Liberty Threads, N.A., Inc.
Macau Com. & Ind. Spring Mattress Manufacturer
Markwell Florida
Masias Maquinaria, S.L.
Matsushita Industrial Company, Ltd.
Maxime Knitting Mills Inc.
Middleburg Yarn Inc.
Monks International NV
OHM Systems
ORSA Foam S.p.A.
Plastic Monofil Company
Pratrivero Group
Precision Blades Inc.
Precision Fabrics Group
Precision Textiles
QAI Laboratories
Response Computer Group, Inc.
Rock Island Industries
Ruixin Non-Woven Co., Ltd.
SABA
Shaoxing Huajian Mattress Machinery Ltd.
Simalfa
Simmons Engineering Corporation
Springs Creative Products Group
Spuhl AG
Stork Twin City Testing
Sunkist Chemical Machinery LTD
Tekscan, Inc.
The Govmark Testing Services, Inc.
Therapedic International
Tietex
Uni Source Textile
Upaco Adhesives
Vintex Inc.
Wm. T. Burnett & Co.
Wright of Thomasville
Xidengbao Mattress Machinery (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd.
Xsensor Technology Corp.
Z Wood Products Company Inc.
a d v e r t i s e r s
A. Lava & Son Co.
Steve Appelbaum
800-777-5282
(800-777-LAVA)
www.alavason.com
56
AFT Corp.
Rick Brumfield
800-631-1930
13
Creative Ticking
43
Jerry Pratt
704-861-1536
www.creativeticking.com
CT Nassau Taber Wood
800-397-0090
www.ctnassau.com
Hickory Springs Mfg. Co. 2
Rick Anthony
828-328-2201
www.hickorysprings.com
71
Diamond Needle Corp.
Abe Silberstein
800-221-5818
www.diamondneedle.com
Atlanta C2-1 & 25
Attachment Co. Inc.
Hank Little
770-963-7369
www.atlatt.com
Duroflex International
George Mathew
415-990-4343
www.latexglobal.com
71
BLR
Martin Leroux
819-877-2092
www.blrlumber.com
62
Boyçelik
Erol Boydak
90-532-274-3193
www.boycelik.com
27
Boyteks Tekstil AS
Deniz Boydak
90-352-322-0588
www.boyteks.com
49
BRK Group
Jeff Miller
562-949-4394
www.brk-group.com
39
Buhler Quality Yarns Corp.31
Victor Almeida
706-367-9834
www.buhleryarns.com
|
70
57 New England Needles Inc. 29
Thomas Lees
800-243-3158
www.newengland
needles.com
53
Alessandra Yarns
37
Jorman Fields
336-668-7060
www.alessandrayarns.com
Bloomingburg Spring & Wire Form
Vickie Schwarm
740-437-7614
www.bloomingburg
spring.com
Hengchang Machinery Factory
Ren Ying
86-769-83307931
www.hcjixie.com
Innofa USA
Todd Hilliard
336-687-1006
www.innofa.com
44
68
John Marshall & Co. Ltd.
Peter Crone
64-3-341-2004
www.joma.co.nz
6
Pacific Spring Inc.
Victor Nguyen
626-272-8882
18
Quilting Inc.
Dave Pritchett
614-873-6667
www.quiltinginc.com
59
P.T. RubberFoam
61
Indonesia
Andreas Janssen
62-21-53662190
www.rubberfoam.co.id
51
Enriquez Materials & Quilting Inc.
Silvia Enriquez
323-725-4955
www.enriquezquilting.com
Kenn Spinrad Inc.
Randy Weinstock
800-373-0944
www.spinrad.net
24 & 28
Ergomotion
Kelly Clenet
805-688-3151
www.ergomotion.us
Latex Systems 8
Kitti Charoenpornpanichkul
66-2-326-0886, Ext. 204
www.latexsystems.com
Simalfa
Darren Gilmore
973-423-9266
www.simalfa.com
Foshan Ruixin Nonwoven 52
Co. Ltd. (Rayson Global)
Himy Lee
86-757-85806388
www.raysonchina.com
Lava Textiles
Ann Weaver
864-998-4892
www.lavatextiles.com
54
Springs Creative Products 14
Group
George Booth
803-324-6505
www.springscreative.com
Leggett & Platt
Mark Quinn
417-358-8131
www.leggett.com
20
23
Flexible Foam Products Inc.
Michael Crowell
419-647-4191
www.flexiblefoam.com
Global Systems Group
C3
Russ Bowman
954-846-0300
www.gsgcompanies.com
68
SABA North America LLC 4
Jim Turner
810-824-4964
www.saba-adhesives.com
11
Starsprings International 58
Kai Christensen
46-513-17800
www.starsprings.com
Maxime Knitting
19
Lorne Romoff
514-336-0445, Ext. 127
514-265-8782
www.maximeknitting.com
Therapedic International 17
Gerry Borreggine
800-314-4433
www.therapedic.com
MPT Group Ltd.
32-33
Andrew Trickett
44-1706-878558
www.mptgroup.com
Tietex International Ltd.
Wade Wallace
800-843-8390
www.tietex.com
C4
C l a s s i f i e d s
For Sale
n TAPE-EDGE MACHINES, MULTINEEDLE AND SINGLE-
NEEDLE QUILTERS, long-arm label machines, sergers, etc.
Contact Victor LeBron, American Plant and Equipment.
Phone 864-574-0404; Fax 864-576-7204;
Cell 864-590-1700; Email [email protected];
Web www.americanplantandequipment.com.
n REBUILT AND RECONDITIONED MULTINEEDLE QUILTING
MACHINES. Specializing in PATHE precision parts and service. Technical consultants. SEDCO. Phone 201-567-7141;
Fax 201-567-5515.
n TAPE-EDGE MACHINES, QUILTERS AND MISCELLANEOUS
SEWING MACHINES. Contact Frank Carlino, U.S. Mattress
Machinery. Phone 815-795-6942; Fax 815-795-2178;
Email [email protected].
Place your classified ad today!
Reach mattress industry professionals around the world
with your advertising message through the BedTimes
Classifieds. Rates: $3 per word for the first 100 words
and $2.50 thereafter; minimum charge of $75. “Blind”
box number: $50 per insertion. Ad copy and payment
must be received by the first of the month preceding
publication. Send ads and payment to
BedTimes Classifieds
501 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1917.
Contact Debbie Robbins, advertising production
manager, for additional information.
Phone 571-482-5443; Fax 703-683-4503
Email [email protected].
71
On Sleep
Sleep valued less than money
P
eople would choose a job with a higher salary
over one that would allow them extra sleep, according to research from Cornell University in
Ithaca, N.Y.
Cornell economists asked 2,500 people whether they
would prefer a job with “reasonable” hours that would
allow them to sleep 7½ hours a night and that would
pay $79,000 or a job that had “unusual” hours and allowed just six hours of sleep but would pay $143,000.
The majority picked the better paying job—perhaps
more a statement about the current economy than
people’s desire to be well-rested.
Study: Insomnia costs workers $63.2 billion
I
nsomnia costs the average U.S. worker 11.3 days, or $2,280, in lost productivity every year, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue
of the journal Sleep. As a nation, the total cost
is 252.7 days and $63.2 billion annually.
“We were shocked by the enormous
impact insomnia has on the average person’s
life,” says lead author Ronald C. Kessler, a psychiatric epidemiologist with the Department
of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical
School in Boston. “It’s an underappreciated
problem. Americans are not missing
work because of insomnia. They are
still going to their jobs but accomplishing less because they’re tired. In an
information-based economy, it’s difficult to
find a condition that has a greater effect on
productivity.”
The results were computed from a national
sampling of 7,428 employees, part of the
larger American Insomnia Study, which was
led by Kessler and funded by pharmaceutical
major Sanofi-Aventis Groupe in 2008 and 2009. The most recent analysis
of workers and insomnia was funded by pharmaceutical giant Merck &
Co.
More than 23% of the overall group was estimated to suffer from
insomnia. The costs of insomnia in the workplace might justify the
implementation of screening and treatment programs for employees, Kessler says. Because insomnia typically is not considered an
illness of the type that results in lost days at work, employers tend
to ignore its consequences, he says.
The future of sleep: Intelligent PJs & interactive dreams
T
wo decades from now, we’ll still need eight hours of sleep a night, but our sleep environments
will be decidedly high-tech, according to British futurologist Ian Pearson, who spent six
months thinking about the impact of technology on sleep and how it might reshape bedrooms
and hotel rooms of the future for U.K. hotel chain Travelodge.
“On average, we spend a third of our lives asleep and this will still be the case in 2030,”
Pearson says. “Technology will not change our basic need to slumber but it will certainly
enhance the experience, enabling sleep to have much greater value than merely rest and
recuperation.”
Among Pearson’s predictions from the Travelodge Future of Sleep study:
■ Dream management systems will allow sleepers to replay favorite dreams, just like
choosing a movie. We’ll also be able to link to dreams of our friends and family to enjoy a
shared experience.
■ Intelligent sleepwear and bed linens will be able to produce smells or gently massage sleepers, playing a role in making dreams seem real. By 2030, sleepwear also will
feature electro-responsive fabrics to measure stress and relaxation rates, pulse rate,
blood pressure and heart signals.
■ Active contact lenses will allow sleepers to watch TV or movies or check emails as
they fall asleep. The lenses will deliver high-quality 3D images directly to the retina.
■ Sleep-cycle alarms will monitor the electrical activity in the brain and identify the
best time for a sleeper to wake up, ensuring her sleep cycle is complete. Read more about
the study at www.travelodge.co.uk.
|
72
How can 19 inches of thread help you
increase your production by 40%?
Gribetz has reduced the quilter thread path by over 500% to
just 19 inches (48cm). This shortened thread path has two
big benefits for you:
• A simplified thread path system can reduce your
set-up and maintenance time.
• Better thread control enables the V16 to sew
at 1600 RPM.
Depending on your existing production conditions, this could
amount to a 40% increase* in daily panel production!
Scan this QR code or visit
www.GSGcompanies.com/V16
to see the “V!”
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954-846-0300
www.GSGcompanies.com
*Stated production yields based on typical industry standards. Actual results may vary.
Some Serious Grip
No, it’s not your latest performance tire. Far from it. It happens to be Clings,™ a proprietary fabric
that in recent laboratory testing demonstrated 3X the non-skid properties of any Spunbond
fabric. This performance means one thing. Applied to any foundation*, your mattresses stay
put and bed linens and dust ruffles stay tucked — like never before.
Get a grip. Get Clings.
THE GENTLE HOLD
*Clings also applies to the bottom of non-flip mattresses.
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MATTRESS SOLUTIONS

Beds get - BedTimes

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