Create a positive workplace

Transcription

BedTimes
FEBRUARY 2011
THE BUSINESS JOURNAL FOR THE SLEEP PRODUCTS INDUSTRY
Get happy
Create a
positive
workplace
Product Watch:
Mattress kits
& quilts
Sales tactics
to beat the
competition
Sewing Automation
Atlanta Attachm
Atlanta Attachment Company
Copyright 2011 Atlanta Attachment Co.
• 362 Industrial Park Drive • Lawrenceville, GA 30046 • (770) 963-7369 • FAX (770) 963-7641
11001010311
ment Company
The Company that
“Sudden Service”
built
website:
www.atlatt.com
email:
[email protected]
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• Provides comfort and conﬁdence, reassuring consumers about the foam in your sofa.
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©2009 Hickory Springs Mfg. Co.
FEBRUARY 2011
InSide
Feature
18 The power of positivity
The wretched economy has put an extra strain on workers—48% of Brits are
unhappy at work and 84% of Americans say they will seek a new job this year.
How can you help improve morale at your company?
Departments
7 Front Matter
When grading corporate America’s
recent performance—on everything
from producing quality goods to
repaying federal bailout money—
respondents in a recent survey gave
businesses a middling C. They expect
companies to do better this year.
9 Product Watch
Consolidation, the recession and the
federal open-flame mattress standard
all have changed how mattress kit and
quilt suppliers do business. BedTimes
looks at current trends in the segment.
27 Sales Talk
To keep ahead of your competition,
you need a three-pronged strategy to
hold onto your best customers, says
sales guru Kelley Robertson. Also: Six
fundamental habits you can’t afford
to neglect.
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
5 Editor’s Note
31 Industry News
45 Newsmakers
46 ISPA News
48 ISPA Advocacy
50 Up Close
52 Calendar
53 Classifieds
54 Advertisers Index
56 Last Word
BedTimes | February 2011 |
3
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For sales inquiries,
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Est. 1933: 78 years of strong bonds
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Julie A. Palm
571-482-5442
[email protected]
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Barbara Nelles
336-856-8973
[email protected]
CONTRIBUTORS
Phillip M. Perry
Kelley Robertson
Jack Singer
Dorothy Whitcomb
ART DIRECTOR
Stephanie Belcher
336-201-7475
[email protected]
Vice President
of ADVERTISING Sales
Kerri Bellias
571-482-5444
[email protected]
Ad Production &
CIRCULATION manager
Debbie Robbins
571-482-5443
[email protected]
COPY EDITOR
Margaret Talley-Seijn
BedTimes deadlines
Editorial deadlines for the Industry
News and Newsmakers sections
of the April issue of BedTimes are
Tuesday, March 1.
Volume 139 Number 2
BedTimes (ISSN 0893-5556; Permit 047-620)
is published monthly by the International Sleep
Products Association. Periodicals postage paid
in Philadelphia, PA.
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.
Editor’sNote
BedTimes website
gets a new look
T
he BedTimes website has a new
design and an easier-to-remember
address. We think the site is easier
to read and search. Most importantly,
it gives us more flexibility in providing
you with more of the latest news about
the mattress industry.
Among the features you’ll find:
➤ The latest industry news
➤ New product trends and showcases
➤ Improved article search function
➤ Complete digital editions of each
issue of BedTimes
➤ Editorial calendar and deadlines
➤ Media kit (ad rates, mechanical
requirements, ad deadlines)
➤ Subscription information.
You can now find us directly at
www.bedtimesmagazine.com. If you
bookmark our site, make sure to use this
new address and visit often. If you’ve
linked to BedTimes from any of your
websites—we encourage you to do so—
please update the link to our new URL.
The new site also offers more opportunities for advertisers to spread their
messages to BedTimes’ readers online. If
you’re interest in advertising on the site,
contact Kerri Bellias, vice president of
sales, at [email protected] or
571-482-5444.
We will continue to make improvements, including adding more content
and up-to-the-minute news, such as
video reports from furniture markets and
industry events. And we’d like your input
about other features you’d like to see on
the site. If you have suggestions, contact
me at [email protected] or
571-482-5442.
New phone numbers
The International Sleep Products
Association has installed an improved
phone system, giving several members of the BedTimes staff new direct
telephone numbers. Check the box to
the left for your editorial and advertising contacts.
Special Interzum Cologne issues
Interzum Cologne is just a few months
away. The world’s largest trade show
of home furnishings components and
equipment will be May 25-28 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany. BedTimes
plans three special issues—a preview in
April, a show issue in May that will have
bonus distribution on the show floor
and a wrap-up in July.
If you are a supplier showing new
products, send us the information by
Tuesday, March 1 for inclusion in the
April issue or Friday, April 1 to be part
of the May issue. BT
Julie A. Palm
5
PATRON: HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES
FrontMatter
Public gives corporate America C grade
Consumers say they expect more from businesses this year
A
mericans were disappointed
by how the nation’s businesses conducted themselves
last year, with 61% saying corporate
America failed to live up to their
expectations, according to a new
survey.
When asked to grade how well
corporate America performed in
2010, 82% of respondents gave businesses a grade of C or lower, with
40% assigning them a D or F. Just
17% gave corporate America an A or
B. (Some percentage totals don’t add
up to 100% because of rounding.)
The survey of 1,081 Americans was
conducted by StrategyOne, a Daniel
J. Edelman research firm with offices
around the world.
Americans expect the country’s
businesses to do better this year.
According to the survey, nearly
seven in 10 report having higher
expectations for corporate America
in 2011 than they did in 2010 and
an optimistic six in 10 believe those
expectations will be met.
What do Americans want businesses to focus on? Improving the
economy and reducing unemployment, promoting ethical corporate behavior, paying back any federal bailout
money, making high-quality products
and services that require fewer recalls
and, overall, making fewer mistakes.
Other survey highlights:
➤ Some 88% of consumers say it is
“extremely” or “very important” that
companies help get the economy back
on track in 2011. Only 17% of respondents gave companies an A or B for
their efforts in this area in 2010; 84%
gave companies a C or below.
➤ Similarly, 88% say it is “extremely” or
“very important” to conduct business in
an ethical manner in 2011 and 87% say
it should be a top priority to do business
in an honest and moral way. But just
17% of Americans awarded companies
an A or B for honest and moral conduct
in 2010 and only 18% gave them an A
or B for ethics.
➤ Roughly 85% of consumers think
it’s “extremely” or “very important”
for companies to deliver high-quality
products and services in 2011; only
31% gave companies an A or B for
doing so last year.
➤ Some 84% of Americans think
companies need to demonstrate good
governance in 2011, but only 16%
felt corporations earned an A or B for
their efforts last year.
➤ Roughly 83% of respondents say
it’s vital for corporations to pay back
any federal bailout money loaned to
them as quickly as possible in 2011.
Some 78% of consumers gave companies a C or below on this issue in 2010.
➤ About 82% say it should be a
top priority for companies to make
fewer mistakes and errors in 2011.
Just 19% gave companies an A or B
for this last year.
“With consumers highly dissatisfied with U.S. businesses, the
2011 strategy for corporate America
needs to be ‘back to basics’,” says
Bradley Honan, StrategyOne senior
vice president. “Explaining not only
what they do for the country, but
‘Corporate America should—and
indeed must—engage in important
issues of the day where
they can make a demonstrably
positive difference.’
how and why they do itu needs to
be the game plan for how to rebuild
corporate reputation.”
Honan continues: “Let’s be
clear. Americans are not dreaming
up some far-out vision of utopia.
Instead, they are being realistic that
corporate America should—and indeed must—engage in important issues of the day where they can make
a demonstrably positive difference.
That means the economy and jobs
for starters, but also ensuring their
products are safe and not harmful
to use and that they simply conduct
their day-to-day business activities
in an honest, ethical and transparent
manner.” BT
7
ProductWatch
Kit & quilt suppliers adapt to changing times
Specialty sleep,
FR standard shape
product offerings
By Barbara Nelles
A
t one time, mattress kit and
quilt suppliers offered bedding producers a rather basic
product mix—mattress kits containing
quilted panels, a quilted border and a
foundation cover; quilt rolls; and other
presewn mattress components. Their
business was largely regional, supplying smaller mattress makers who didn’t
have the means to invest in quilting
equipment and labor.
The ongoing decline in mom-andpop manufacturers, the implementation
of a federal open-flame mattress standard in 2007 and the recent recession all
have taken a bite out of the kit, quilt and
contract sewing business, suppliers told
BedTimes.
But these suppliers are finding new
niches. In addition to still offering a
catalog of standard kits, suppliers are
acting as design experts, providers of
ever-more complex custom sewing
operations, sources for zippered covers
and resources for FR guidance (see story
on Page 14).
Today’s typical mattress kit requires
minimal assembly, even as bed designs
have become more ornate. It might
include a bottom panel sewn to a
tack-and-jump border with decorative
ribbon applications and a top panel
with an inner deck to hold micro-coils,
specialty foams or even heating and
cooling elements.
The popularity of the zippered cover
has been a boon to many suppliers,
since mattress manufacturers—regardless of size—are not generally equipped
to fabricate them on-site. Mattress
manufacturers’ interest in offering sleep
accessories such as pillows and toppers for retail display and consumer
Labor-intensive More ornate mattress covers
can take up to an hour to construct, part of
the reason mattress makers turn to kit and
quilt suppliers, according to VyMaC Corp.
Meeting design demands Ideal Quilting Ltd.
offers Kultur software, which allows
customers to create up to 14,000 different
looks by changing various design elements.
Multiservice providers Mattress kit and quilt suppliers like Quilting Inc. say mattress
manufacturers of all sizes find benefits to using their services and products.
purchase has opened another area of
growth for kit and quilt suppliers.
Who turns to outsourced sewing?
Who buys mattress kits, covers and
sewn components? Everyone from small
Internet-based specialty sleep retailers
to the family-owned independents to
the national mattress brands, suppliers
say. Kit and quilt companies handle a
producer’s overflow sewing operations,
preventing them from having to add a
second or third shift or they may supply all the covers for a bedding major’s
entire high-end line.
“For the majors, we can work with
economy and speed and sew it faster
than they would,” says Adam Lava, sales
manager of A. Lava & Son Co. in Chicago, which offers a full range of kits,
quilts, zippered covers and custom sewing services. “We’re a one-stop shop from
concept to commercialization. Small
players can produce looks similar to the
national brands by outsourcing to us.”
“Smaller mattress manufacturers can
offer a higher end product than they
have the capability to produce and they
don’t have to hold large inventories of
components or finished goods. Plus,
they get to utilize the buying power of
a large operation,” says Dave Pritchett,
operations manager at Quilting Inc. in
Plain City, Ohio. The company specializes in custom quilted components and
mattress kits.
“Today, most mattress manufacturers are assemblers of beds—not cutand-sew operations,” Lava says. “Maybe
they were back when the industry was
less automated and there was more
measuring and cutting, but not anymore. And manufacturers aren’t buying
a ton of covers from overseas because
9
ProductWatch
New opportunities Zipper kits enable startup
mattress companies, says PPI’s Todd Schmidt:
‘You can create your own foam build-up, buy
the covers and you’re in business.’
Zippy sales Sunds Velour A/S says about half
of its current production is zippered covers,
which the company offers for mattresses and
accessories.
Pretty as a picture Supreme Quilting says it
tries to ‘stay ahead of the curve design-wise’
with European styling and ‘picture frame’
panels.
they need quick turnaround. ‘Just-intime’ is an industry mantra. I get orders
on Monday and ship on Friday.”
to zipper kits to individual components
and sleep accessories covers.
“It’s important for us to stay ahead
of the curve design-wise. We’ve moved
toward more European styling such as
the ‘picture frame’ top panel and we
need to be able to offer design advice
to customers. They depend on us to be
able to change on the go, because they
can’t,” says Steven Finkelstein, president
of Supreme Quilting in Etobicoke, Ontario, a supplier of kits, quilts, zippered
covers and custom sewing.
Ideal Quilting Ltd. has added 15
new designs to its catalog and recently
launched its Kultur design software,
which allows customers to create as
many as 14,000 different looks by
changing borders, quilts, colors, handles
and other mattress accents.
“We see ourselves as more than a
supplier—as a design assistant, R&D
resource and development partner to
manufacturers,” says Paul Sharon, vice
president of sales and product development at the North York, Ontario-based
company. Ideal Quilting specializes in
zipper kits and custom work.
Demand for high-design
Suppliers in the segment say their
growing design capabilities also benefit
mattress manufacturers.
“Some covers can take over an hour
apiece to construct,” says Dave Young,
chief executive officer of mattress sewing contractor VyMaC Corp. in Fort
Atkinson, Wis. “We’re doing some really
fascinating stuff with thick, deluxe
panels and intricate tack-and-jump
borders with accessory add-ons. We’re
asked to insert encased coils or specialty
foams and gels and sew them into the
cover. Instead of running the same fluffy
rectangles through your plant year after
year, we offer an opportunity to bring in
high design.”
VyMaC produces a full range of
sewn components, from traditional kits
10 | BedTimes | February 2011
Rise of the zippered cover
Zippered covers in stretchy double-knit
for use on specialty foam beds are one
of the biggest areas of growth in the kit
and quilt business. And suppliers expect
the zippered cover business to continue
growing as interest in specialty sleep
expands.
“Obviously there has been a major focus on reducing costs during the last few
years,” says Steffen Rømer, vice president
of sales at knit ticking and zipper cover
supplier Sunds Velour A/S in Sunds,
Denmark. “In some cases, this has resulted in the outsourcing of zipper cover
production. Half our production ships
out in the form of zipper covers today.”
Tempur-Pedic launched the simple,
iconic style with its original wrapped,
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ProductWatch
Specialty sleep ‘People don’t want their
expensive specialty sleep mattress to look like
an innerspring bed,’ says Adam Lava, whose
company, A. Lava & Son Co., designed this
cover for Sealy’s Embody line.
zippered cover, but the look has evolved
over time into something much more
decorative. Now there are waterfall edges, picture frame panels, cording, suede
borders, highly textural super-stretch
tickings with ornate stitch patterns,
contrasting yarn colors and more.
“Sewing zippered covers is something many in the mattress manufacturing industry are not prepared to tool up
for,” Sharon says. “But we are. And now
we’re adding specialty cuttings, angled
corners and bands and grips with different colored threads and top stitching.”
“Specialty sleep is more fashion and
color conscious,” Young says. “We’re
doing different looks and bringing in
upholstery ticks and jumbo patterns
with 24-inch repeats.”
“The important thing to remember
is that people don’t want their expensive
specialty sleep mattress to look like an
innerspring bed,” Lava says. “They’re
using nontraditional fabrics, upholstery
fabrics—not just damasks or double
knits. With our specialized sewing
equipment, we can get as creative
as we want. Just like with any
other piece of furniture, you can
sew in piping, cording, ribbon.
You can really dress up the bed.
It’s the reason people like us have
found a niche with zipper covers.”
Other recent zipper trends include
the use of multiple fabrics in a single
cover, as well as increased production
of pillow and topper covers because
many mattress manufacturers have
added those items to their product lines,
Rømer says.
“Some of our ‘zipper’ covers don’t actually have zippers because manufacturers don’t want the beds to be opened up,”
explains Todd Schmidt, president of PPI,
a cover supplier based in Riverside, Calif.
“These types of kits will usually be taped
on the bottom with a tape edge. The
availability of zipper kits is also enabling
a lot of startup mattress companies. You
can create your own foam build-up, buy
the covers and you’re in business.”
“All you need is a foam core and a
table,” adds Finkelstein.
Trending now
Expect to start seeing zipper covers on
innerspring mattresses, too. In addition
to adding visual appeal and trendy styling, zipper covers can simplify mattress
production and reduce labor costs,
suppliers say.
“Encased coil units are an untapped
market for zipper covers,” Lava says.
“And some mattress manufacturers
are looking at putting them on foamencased traditional innerspring beds. It’s
something to look at.”
“My belief is you’ll be seeing more
and more knock-down mattress formats
where the kits are very elaborate and exotically sewn and the customer just adds
the core innerspring,” Young says.
“The biggest trend in kits and covers
is people are getting away from quilting
by having lots of stretch and recovery
in the fabric,” Schmidt says. “We’re the
quiet rebels—I hate quilting. It hides
the feel of the bed and it costs you more
money to manufacture. You can get the
quilted look without the quilting from
some of the good textile companies.”
Other trends in mattress kits and covers include the use of natural fabrics and
fills—mainly cotton and wool. Quilting
Inc. offers zippered covers in natural
cotton with a wool quilt. The covers typically are used on all-latex beds.
Most kit and quilt suppliers also are
offering matching pillow covers and
sometimes topper covers for use in
retail displays or for sale directly to the
consumer.
“We’re seeing more interest in topper
and pillow covers, Lava says. “People are
taking visco-elastic, sizing it down to a
2- to 3-inch height for a foam topper
and adding styling to it with zippers,
trim cording, piping and different fabrics. It’s an after-market product mostly,
but a growing segment.” BT
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ProductWatch
Suppliers become partners in FR compliance
Since the implementation of the federal open-flame standard for
mattresses in July 2007, mattress kit and quilt suppliers have found themselves taking on a new role—as a
partner in helping mattress manufacturers comply with
the requirements of 16 CFR Part 1633.
Suppliers are designing mattress kits and components
that contribute to FR compliance, conducting prototype
burns, developing FR supplier networks and more.
“We’ve done hundreds and hundreds of burns with
our customers and have developed certain products
that help our customers be compliant,” says Adam Lava,
sales manager of mattress kit, quilt and sewing contractor A. Lava & Son Co. in Chicago.
“Our company actually pays for FR testing. We have
an arrangement with a testing facility,” says Dave Pritchett, operations manager at Quilting Inc. in Plain City,
Ohio. “We will provide a workbook with forms that tell
customers how to follow the guidelines and what you
need to do in your facility to pass (an open-flame burn
test). The customer only has to build a product and do a
confirmation burn.”
“We tell manufacturers what they can and can’t do
with our kits and how our qualified prototype worked.
We can suggest FR vendors to our customers and there
are also some inherent tickings we work with that are
doing a good job with FR,” says Dave Young, chief
executive officer of mattress sewing contractor VyMaC
in Fort Atkinson, Wis.
Steven Finkelstein, president of kit, quilt and sewing
supplier Supreme Quilting in Etobicoke, Ontario, says
that with new FR regulations, much of his company’s
U.S. business “has evolved more to a finished product.”
“And we handle it all, so that all a customer has to
do is know what the build of the mattress is and we will
give them a prototype. By law, all they need to do is
one confirmation burn,” he says.
A. Lava & Son Co.
Introduces Our New Kit Line
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FR compliance is not static. Each significant innovation and change in mattress design can necessitate
changes in how FR compliance is achieved. For instance, with the increasingly popular zippered covers,
the zipper area requires special design considerations to
pass an open-flame burn test.
“With FR-inherent tickings, zipper placement can
get complicated,” says Todd Schmidt, president of PPI,
a cover supplier based in Riverside, Calif. “We’ll sew
the zipper underneath the mattress where the filler cloth
and border join and there will be a 4-inch FR flap sewn
behind the zipper. The least expensive method for building FR compliant beds is for manufacturers to use flat FR
materials, something that goes on the core like a shower
cap or fitted sheet. The zippered cover can be slipped
over that.”
Ideal Quilting Ltd. has a different method.
“We put a flap behind the zipper to act as a fire
blockade and now we’ve reset the zipper 2 inches from
the border in a ‘picture frame’ top panel,” explains Paul
Sharon, vice president of sales and product develop-
ment at the kit and quilt supplier, which has
headquarters in North York, Ontario.
Supreme Quilting recently introduced
a line of natural wool and cotton zippered
and nonzippered mattress covers that
mattress makers have used to pass
FR tests without additional FR barriers, Finkelstein says.
As much of a resource of FR
information and help as mattress
kit and quilt suppliers can be,
Young reminds the industry that,
in the end, responsibility for 1633
compliance rests with the mattress
manufacturer. The manufacturer must
be able to build the bed correctly each time, document
its work and be responsible if its product fails the FR tests.
“There is no such thing as a 1633-compliant kit—
only a 1633-compliant mattress,” Young says. “Our
customers must do a confirmation burn with their
finished product.”
15
Get happy
5
ways to
change the
corporate mood
Engaged employees are
more productive, committed
Recent surveys have found that
nearly half (48%) of Brits are unhappy
at work and a whopping 84% of
Americans say they plan to look for
another job in 2011.
2 | BedTimes
18
| BedTimes| February
| February2011
2011
By Jack Singer
W
e live in stressful professional times, filled with
uncertainty in the job
market and the economy.
A large percentage of employees
admit to being psychologically disengaged from their jobs. Recent
surveys have found that nearly half
(48%) of Brits are unhappy at work
and a whopping 84% of Americans
say they plan to look for another job
in 2011.
Recent research also shows that
among the least happy and least
engaged employees, the annual perperson cost of lost productivity due
to sick days is more than $28,000—
versus only $840 among the happiest and most engaged workers. Job
stress alone is estimated to cost U.S.
industry at least $300 billion a year
in absenteeism, diminished productivity, employee turnover and direct
medical, legal and insurance fees.
BedTimes
BedTimes
| February
| February
2011
2011
| 19
|3
3
Provide growth and development programs Most
employees appreciate the opportunity to gain new skills
and knowledge so they don’t feel stagnant in their jobs.
Providing seminars and workshops on a variety of general topics (stress or anger management, wellness, communication, financial management), as well as cross training
workers on other job skills enhances organizational effectiveness and improves work quality.
Financial support for outside training or college course
work is a wonderful benefit to offer employees.
4
What can you do to enhance employee morale and job
performance while minimizing job stress? Here are five suggestions:
1
Encourage goal-setting People are 11 times more likely
to reach a goal when they write it down, as opposed to
simply thinking about it.
Have regular meetings with your team. Encourage them
to discuss areas of discontent, then join with them in writing down short- and long-term goals that are specific and
action-oriented.
For example: “This month, we will have four meetings
where we will design and implement our new plan for developing a psychologically healthy workplace. Your goal is to
bring an idea with you to each meeting.”
Next, ask your team members to visualize themselves
feeling great after they’ve accomplished their goals.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, have them write
down ways in which they might sabotage themselves so that
they don’t accomplish their goals. Encourage them to be
honest with themselves about the kinds of thoughts or selfdefeating behaviors they have engaged in before.
2
Give employees a sense of control Research has
shown how important it is to give employees a genuine
say in how they do their work. Not only does the perception that management truly cares about their feelings have a
powerful impact on their morale, but giving workers some
control over their schedule and approach to work tasks dramatically reduces job burnout, absenteeism and turnover.
Have frequent meetings with your employees to genuinely listen to their issues and allow them to suggest resolutions. Finally, encourage workers to determine their own
strengths and how best to put them to use on their jobs.
When this is done, employees are six times as likely to be
engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to
report excellent quality of life at their workplace.
Other ways to foster employee involvement:
➤ Self-managed work teams
➤ Employee committees or task forces
➤ Continuous improvement teams
➤ A team-centered hiring process
➤ Participative decision-making.
Find ways to recognize your employees It’s not uncommon for companies to provide world-class service
to their customers, but they often forget that their most
important asset—their employees—need the same. Why
not make your employees feel as valued as your customers?
By acknowledging their efforts, you can increase employee
satisfaction, morale and self-esteem.
Some ideas for recognizing workers:
➤ Give unexpected rewards, such as small gift cards, for a
job well done
➤ Create a committee from across different departments to
plan special events to show appreciation to employees
➤ Provide a free, healthy lunch for employees once a week,
once a month or once a quarter (this also helps build
relationships and fosters teamwork)
➤ Send notes to workers when they have significant personal events, such as a birth or marriage, or to recognize
especially good work
➤ Encourage friendly competition off the job, such as
bowling leagues.
5
Create a warm and enjoyable atmosphere If you
want your employees to look forward to Monday
mornings, provide an atmosphere that includes levity and
camaraderie. Allowing talent and creativity to flourish will
keep employees motivated and happy.
Ways to add a little fun to the workplace:
➤ Inject funny quotes and cartoons into company memos
➤ Have monthly theme contests where goofy prizes are
awarded
➤ Hold a Treat Day once a month—have a manager serve
employees popcorn, ice cream bars, etc.
If you start using these five strategies in your workplace
today, you’ll see amazing results. BT
Jack Singer is a licensed industrial/organizational and clinical/
sports psychologist, professional speaker, management coach
and trainer. He is a frequent guest on television news and
radio talk shows across the United States and Canada. Singer
uses sports psychology techniques to teach executives, sales professionals and business leaders how to maintain their competitive edge. For more information about Singer’s speaking and
consulting services, check www.funspeaker.com,
www.develop-the-mindset-of-a-champion.com,
www.drjacksinger.com or www.askdrjack.com. Email him
at [email protected] or call 800- 497-9880.
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Negative behavior can even drive away customers.
“Customers who do not want to deal with negative
people go someplace else,” she says.
Accentuate
the positive
Turning a negative worker
into a peak performer
By Phillip M. Perry
S
am makes snide remarks about customers. Ahmet
misses deadlines. Silvia frowns behind the boss’ back.
And Roberto laughs at his co-workers’ ideas.
Do those people sound familiar? Workers with negative
attitudes can stall progress at any company. And today the
problem seems especially acute as employees come under
increasing pressure in their private and professional lives.
High unemployment is a chief factor.
“Our economy is creating a lot of stress among workers,”
says Bonnie Mattick, president of Unforgettable Outcomes,
a Phoenix-based consulting firm. “Very
often people will bring problems from
home into the workplace. If a spouse has
been laid off, for example, the remaining
wage earner will feel a lot of pressure.”
If your own company is one of the
many that have reduced their work
forces, your remaining employees likely
have taken on additional responsibilities
and are working longer hours. Even if
you’ve managed to weather the economic storm, your workers still may have
lingering fears about losing their jobs.
It’s tempting to ignore negativity and
hope things turn around. But letting bad
behaviors slide can be costly.
“Negativity, like enthusiasm, is
contagious,” says Lenora Billings-Harris,
president of Excel Development System,
a workplace consulting firm in Greensboro, N.C. “It spreads quickly through
any organization. And that affects the
bottom line since employees can’t be
creative and productive when they are
negative.”
Go positive
How do rid your workplace of a sour atmosphere? Take
that fellow Sam from our introductory paragraph. Suppose
he made a snide remark about a customer who just left the
building and another customer overheard what he said.
What do you do?
Here’s some help from Dana Barz, president of Danamics, a Portland-based human resources training firm. Try
her “Four A’s” technique on Sam—or any other problem
employee:
A
ssess the situation
Before you say anything to Sam, define the problem in your
own mind. What specifically is upsetting you?
“Remember that assessing another person’s negativity is
really a judgment call,” Barz says. “So identify the specific
behaviors that are causing problems.”
In this case, write down exactly what Sam said about the
customer and how others reacted to the statement.
Then consider what factors, such as other workers, may
be contributing to the problem.
“Ask if you, as a manager, have contributed to the negativity,” Barz says. “Have you perhaps made your own negative comments about customers, which have been overheard
by your employees?”
Examine the emotions you are feeling, as well. Have you
allowed your own frustrations to affect how you have interacted with Sam in recent weeks?
Review what you’ve written to see if you have covered all
of the factors surrounding the incident.
A
ddress the problem
With facts in hand, it’s time to approach Sam. Before starting a conversation, though, assess Sam’s current state of
mind. If he’s stressed right now because he just had a bad
experience with a customer, he won’t be in the best frame of
mind for a discussion.
“You might tell Sam, ‘I need to talk with you about something. Is this a good time?’ Then either move to an office for
the conversation or decide on a mutually convenient time,”
Barz says.
“Start the conversation on a positive note,” Barz suggests.
left the store was a “pain in the neck.” Another customer
standing nearby overheard you. His eyebrows raised and he
shook his head at what he heard you say.’ ”
Then state how this might affect the business: “I felt very
frustrated because we may have lost a good customer and
that means we may not meet our monthly sales goal.”
A
lways listen to the other side
Time for some feedback.
“Give Sam a chance to tell his story,” Barz says. Encourage him to open up by asking him a question such as, “What
do you think about that?”
Use good listening skills. Don’t interrupt Sam while
he’s speaking. Indicate that you are listening by nodding. At
appropriate times, paraphrase what you have heard to make
sure you understand.
A
gree on a course of action
Finally, encourage Sam to become invested in a solution.
Ask “How will we move forward?” or “How can I help you
avoid doing that again?”
Conclude your meeting on a positive note. Say something such as, “Thank you for listening and for helping me
to make this work.”
In the days and weeks after the meeting, take steps to
help Sam eliminate negativity. Use positive reinforcement
when you see Sam communicate positive feelings about
customers.
‘Negativity leads to low
morale, which leads to
decreased productivity and
performance. So it’s important
to address the problem before
it gets out of hand.’
You might use phrasing such as “I really like working with
you and you are enthusiastic about customer service. Here is
a problem I am currently facing.” Don’t use the word “but”
in that sentence, Barz cautions. It seems to negate the positive things you’ve just said.
Then explain what happened, Barz says. “Don’t just say,
‘You were rude with a customer.’ Instead, state specifics such
as, ‘Yesterday I heard you say that a customer who had just
Motivate workers
As Sam’s story suggests, successful counseling invests the
employee in a solution.
“When you say you can turn around an employee,
it implies you can change that person—and you really
can’t,” says Jack Altschuler, president of Fully Alive Leadership in Northbrook, Ill. “Threats and sticks can create
compliance, but will also be dispiriting. You are guaranteeing you will not get a person’s best efforts using those
tools.”
Whatever you do, don’t wait too long to counsel your
employee, Altschuler says.
“Hold a meeting before emotions get
the better of you,” he says. “Avoid falling
into a situation in which you and the
employee get more and more angry and
then, instead of conversation, there is
an explosion.”
Confronting negative employees can
be a daunting challenge. But creating
a group of motivated workers protects
your bottom line.
“Negativity leads to low morale, which
leads to decreased productivity and
performance,” Mattick says. “So it’s important to address the problem before
it gets out of hand.” BT
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SalesTalk
Keep competitors away from your customers
3 steps can make
you invaluable
By Kelley Robertson
E
very company feels the pressure
of competition. At this very moment, a competitor is likely beating a path to one of your customer’s
doors in an effort to get the business.
Some of your competitors will be
more aggressive than you are and will
succeed in getting your customer’s attention. If that happens, there’s a good
chance you’ll lose.
If you’re proactive in differentiating yourself and your company from
your competition, you may be able
to prevent them from uprooting you.
Your goal is to develop a strategic
partnership with your customers
instead of the typical vendor/supplier
relationship.
Here are three strategies you can
use to block your competition and
maintain your foothold:
1
Increase the value you bring
to your customers Every
time you meet with, talk to or
otherwise connect with a customer,
add value to the interaction. Share
industry insights to help them achieve
their goals. Keep them abreast of
trends in the marketplace. Provide
them with articles, white papers or
other information you come across
that may be of value.
Of course, the only way to do this
effectively is to learn more about your
customers’ specific needs and interests. What’s important to them and
their business? What challenges are
they experiencing? What goals and
objectives do they want to achieve?
Spend time learning these details
and you can quickly determine what
information will be of most benefit to
each customer.
2
Increase “face” time You
don’t necessarily need to make
more individual sales calls.
Instead, think about industry events,
conferences and trade shows that
your customers attend and make
arrangements to be there, too. I once
attended an industry conference
with many key decision-makers I
wanted to meet. I made a good contact with one person and that connection generated a profitable sale.
(Chances are some of your customers will be at the ISPA Industry Conference and Exhibition March 16-18 in St.
Petersburg, Fla. For more information,
check www.sleepproducts.org/
industryconference.)
The great thing about conferences
and other events is that your customers
may have more time to talk, be more
relaxed and face fewer interruptions.
But don’t attend these events with the
intent of selling. Rather, follow my first
suggestion and think about what you
can do to add value to interactions with
your customers.
3
Increase “touch points” Many
of your customers will welcome more contact from you,
so increase the number of times you
connect via email, phone, face-to-face
meetings, direct mail, text messages,
etc. Again, the key is to provide real
value through each contact.
A few suggestions: Send a handwritten postcard with an interesting business proposal, leave a brief voice mail
with a clever idea to improve business
or send an email with 10 productivity
tips.
Although these ideas sound simple,
the execution requires planning. You
need to carve out time in your schedule
and target your campaign to each customer. The investment will pay off when
your competitors reach your key contact
and hear, “We love our vendor and have
no desire to consider a change.”
You also can use these ideas to edge
out a competitor from a company you’d
like to add to your roster. Then that
competitor may end up hearing, “We’ve
decided to try someone else.” Sweet
words. BT
© MMX Kelley Robertson. All rights
reserved.
Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets
of Power Selling, has been helping sales
professionals master sales conversations
and seal more deals since 1995. Robertson
conducts sales training workshops and
speaks regularly at meetings and conferences. Contact him at 905-633-7750 or
[email protected]. Get a free copy
of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by
subscribing to Robertson’s free newsletter,
59 Seconds to Sales Success, at
www.fearless-selling.ca.
27
SalesTalk
Stay on track with 6 must-do sales tasks
By Kelley Robertson
M
y wife and I moved to a
new subdivision last year
and shortly thereafter, the
sod installers arrived to cover the
dull brown dirt with bright green
grass. The builder told us to water
our new lawn for approximately two
hours every day for the first couple
of weeks to ensure that the sod
would take hold and thrive.
Apparently, several neighboring
homeowners disregarded the instructions: Their grass turned brown and
died.
Unfortunately, the same type of
neglect happens in sales. Salespeople
forget or ignore concepts fundamental to their success and then
watch their sales fall off.
Here are six things you should
never neglect:
Personal development Too
many people stop learning and
fail to integrate new strategies
and ideas into their work habits. What
worked before may not be relevant today. Just because you attended a training program a few years ago doesn’t
mean your skills are current.
Make time to read the latest business books, participate in an online
training program or attend an industry conference. (The ISPA Industry
Conference and Exhibition March
16-18 in St. Petersburg, Fla., is a great
place to learn and pick up new ideas.
For more information and to register,
check www.sleepproducts.org/
industryconference.)
1
hello
feel natural
2
Recharging Taking time to rest
is essential if you want a longterm career in sales. Let’s face
it: Selling is challenging and requires
a tremendous amount of effort and
energy, especially in today’s difficult
business environment.
Recharging your batteries can give
you renewed energy and inspiration,
not to mention new ideas. Take your
allotted vacation. Time away allows
you to return refreshed. Even a few
days away can make a difference.
3
Networking When starting a career in sales or a new
job, many people aggressively
network. But, as time passes and their
sales grow, their efforts at networking
fall away. They get caught up in the
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day-to-day busyness of their job and
stop making time to connect with others. You should never stop networking.
4
The pipeline Some people
experience major fluctuations
in their sales. This is usually a
result of not keeping their pipeline
full of new prospects. A general rule
of thumb is to ensure that you have
300% of your sales quota in your
pipeline at any given time.
5
Cold calls There’s a reason that
the vast majority of salespeople
rely on this age-old strategy. It
works—and neglecting it can seriously affect your results. You may not
enjoy calling strangers (I don’t know
many people who do) but it reliably
generates business.
6
Follow-up Although I’ve saved
it for last, follow-up is one of
the most important concepts for
sales success. Many of my prospects
and customers have said, “Thanks
for following up” when I finally
connected with them after making
multiple attempts. Decision-makers
are extremely busy and neglecting to
follow up after an initial meeting can
cost you the sale.
You won’t see the results of neglect
overnight, but if you let things go long
enough, you’ll feel the devastating effects. What are you neglecting? What
are you going to do about it? BT
© MMX Kelley Robertson. All rights
reserved.
Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets
of Power Selling, has been helping sales
professionals master sales conversations
and seal more deals since 1995. Robertson
conducts sales training workshops and
speaks regularly at meetings and conferences. Contact him at 905-633-7750 or
[email protected]. Get a free copy
of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by
subscribing to Robertson’s free newsletter,
59 Seconds to Sales Success, at
www.fearless-selling.ca.
Taking time to rest
is essential if you
want a long-term
career in sales.
29
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IndustryNews
Sealy opens first factory in China
M
attress major Sealy has opened
its first production facility in
China, a 100,000-square-foot factory
outside Shanghai. A joint venture,
Sealy China is owned and operated
by Sealy Inc. and a licensee, Sealy
Australia. Sealy says the plant underscores
its long-term commitment to the
Chinese market and further reinforces
its strategy to expand in high-growth
international markets. Sealy China
has been operating retail outlets and
distributing imported Sealy products
since early 2009.
“We are very pleased to open this
new production facility and believe we
are well positioned to grow the Sealy
brand in this dynamic market,” said
Larry Rogers, president and chief executive officer of the company, which
has headquarters in Trinity,
N.C. “Sealy now has a
robust and growing
distribution network
of 20 retail stores in
16 major Chinese
cities and our longterm objective is to
build Sealy into the
No. 1 bedding brand in
China.”
In addition to producing beds
for the retail sector, the new plant will
manufacture mattresses and foundations for Sealy China’s contract hospitality business in the country.
“Our next step is to open a
research and development center in
Shanghai in early 2011, which would
be Sealy’s first research facility in
Asia,” said Simon Dyer, CEO of
Natura World goes national
at Bloomingdale’s with latex
M
attress and sleep accessories producer Natura World is
launching a new latex mattress collection at Bloomingdale’s stores and on Bloomingdales.com, expanding its relationship with the retailer to a national level. Natura World began
supplying Bloomingdale’s East Coast stores in 2010.
“Natura has been successfully producing natural and
organic bedding for over 15 years and now we enter a new era
with three exclusively designed, elegant offerings debuting at
Bloomingdale’s,” said Ralph Rossdeutscher, president of Natura
World, which has headquarters in Cambridge, Ontario. “Each
sleep set has been expertly crafted by Natura artisans for the
discerning Bloomingdale’s shopper searching for high-quality,
healthy sleep products made sustainably and with respect for
the environment.”
The Natura Latex Collection for Bloomingdale’s features the
Retreat, Renew and Escape models, each with three comfort
levels: firm, luxury and dual. The mattresses feature a variety
of constructions and components, including organic wool and
cotton and natural Talalay latex.
The Bloomingdale’s collection is being manufactured
in Natura’s Cambridge facility, but production soon will be
moved to the company’s new facility in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Sealy Australia and general manager
of Sealy China. “It will enable Sealy
China to develop new products
specifically for Chinese consumers and better serve our dealers and
consumers in the region.”
Canada OKs tougher
product safety law
The Canadian Parliament has passed the Canada Consumer
Product Safety Act to give the country’s product safety
regulators broader authority to enforce safety rules
and recall consumer products.
Specifically, the new law:
➤ prohibits the manufacture, importation, advertisement or sale of any consumer products that pose
an unreasonable danger to human health or safety
➤ requires industry to report to regulators serious
incidents or deaths related to their products and to
provide timely information about important product safety issues
➤ requires manufacturers and importers to provide
test or study results for products when asked
➤ authorizes Health Canada to recall dangerous consumer products
➤ raises fines and penalties for noncompliance.
For more information, check the Health Canada
website, www.hc-sc.gc.ca. On the site, you also can
sign up for email updates about the new law.
31
IndustryNews
Eclipse awarded patent
for Zoned Quilt Technology
Eclipse International, a mattress manufacturer and licensing
group with headquarters in North Brunswick, N.J., has
been issued a patent for its Zoned Quilt Technology.
The technology uses a “densified” quilt pattern with an
added layer of memory foam to provide better lumbar
support and reduce body impressions. The invention reduces mattress manufacturing costs,
improves mattress durability and provides additional
comfort, the company states in its patent.
In addition, Zoned Quilt Technology differentiates
Eclipse mattresses from other beds on the retail floor by
creating a visual explanation of the improved support
the mattress provides, said Eclipse President Matthew
Connolly.
“Mattress manufacturers are finding it can help to
increase sales,” Connolly says. “So far, we have been
experiencing a lot of success with this new patented
technology.”
Short
U.S. mattress sales up 8.5% in November
After a slump in
October, unit sales
(mattresses and foundations) rose 8.5% in
November 2010 when
compared to the same
month a year earlier,
according to the latest
Bedding Barometer, a
monthly sales activity report from the
International Sleep
Products Association.
The wholesale dollar
value of those sales
also rose—up 6% in November 2010 over November
2009. In contrast, the average unit selling price fell
2.3% in November.
Eastman House opens Beijing showroom
B
edding Solutions Holdings/Eastman House of
China has opened a second Eastman House
showroom, this one in the B&Q store in Beijing.
Led by Peter Yau, Bedding Solutions is positioning its showrooms and products to cater to
the premium segment of the bedding market in
China. Yau called consumer response to the opening of the new showroom “very encouraging.”
The first Eastman House showroom in China
opened in October 2009 at the Hoba Furniture
Mall in Shenzhen. The company plans to open two
more showrooms in high-end furniture malls in
Beijing by the end of the year.
Eastman House, a mattress producer and licensing group, is owned by Mattress Development
Co., the parent of licensing group Eclipse InternaExpanding presence The second Eastman House showroom in China is in the B&Q store
tional, and is based in North Brunswick, N.J.
in Beijing. Two more Beijing locations are planned by the end of the year.
B&Q is the No. 1 home improvement and
garden center retailer in Europe and the third largest in the
and more than 60 locations in other countries. Its Beijing
world, with more than 320 stores in the United Kingdom
store is the largest B&Q unit in the world.
33
IndustryNews
S&F makes major donation to Salvation Army
S
tearns & Foster, the high-end brand
and business unit of mattress
producer Sealy, has given new mattress
sets with a retail value of $1 million to
Salvation Army residential shelters.
Stearns & Foster teamed up with its
retailers and based the donation on the
number of mattresses sold at retail from
Nov. 22 through Jan. 3. Participating
retailers also supported their local Salvation Army shelters by taking part in a
matching gift program.
“We were so pleased with the success of our first Gift of Sleep event for
Stearns & Foster, having reached our
maximum level of donation of $1 mil-
lion,” said Louis Bachicha, executive
vice president of sales for Sealy, which
has headquarters in Trinity, N.C. “We
cannot thank our retail partners enough
for their tremendous support of the
program to help such a great cause.”
Nationwide, Salvation Army shelters
operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,
providing services—including food,
counseling and financial assistance—
to men, women and children.
“The donation fulfills a very
basic need for the 30 million
Americans who rely on assistance
from the Salvation Army,” said
Maj. George Hood, Salvation Army
national community relations
secretary. “We look forward to
distributing this generous gift to
our communities and seeing the
impact a good night’s sleep is sure
to have.”
Correction
A listing in “Product Watch”
in the November 2010 issue
of BedTimes was incorrect. It
should have read: Innofa, a
mattress fabric producer with
world headquarters in Tilburg,
Netherlands, is showcasing
its patented AirVent, a fabric
with an air grid that naturally
improves mattress ventilation. “As we toss and turn
during our sleep, the mattress
is ‘automatically’ aired,” the
company says. Depending on
mattress construction, AirVent can provide up to 100%
improved ventilation over
double-knit covers of similar
weight, according to Innofa.
The fabrics have breathable
air grids whose placement
varies from design to design.
The grids can be customized
to align with existing air channels in a mattress core.
Sleep to Live hosts summit, rolls out bedMATCH
T
he Sleep to Live Institute, a sleep
research center in Joplin, Mo., that
is funded by mattress producer Kingsdown, hosted Sleep Summit 2011 on
Jan. 5 in New York. At the event, the
Sleep to Live Institute presented new
research findings and rolled out a
new sleep diagnostic system based on
those findings.
Among the summit presenters
and panelists were veteran medical journalists Dr. Bob Arnot and
Dr. Nancy Snyderman, as well as
sleep researchers Robert Oexman,
director of the Sleep to Live Institute; Thomas Roth of Henry Ford
Hospital; and Sonia Ancoli-Israel of
the University of California at San
Diego School of Medicine.
Andrew Krystal, director of the
Insomnia and Sleep Research Program at Duke University School of
Medicine, presented findings from
the “Mattress Matters” study on
which Kingsdown’s new
bedMATCH system is based. The
study was sponsored by the Sleep to
Live Institute in collaboration with
research firm RTI International. Key
findings include the fact that the
mattress can have specific impacts
on sleep quality and common health
complaints, especially daytime aches
and grogginess.
“The findings from the ‘Mattress Matters’ study are remarkable,” Krystal said. “After analyzing
128 healthy, pain-free adults, we
discovered that there is a statistically
significant correlation between how
mattress support affects sleep quality, pain and daytime function.”
Another key finding of the study
is that participants generally did not
do a good job of choosing the best
mattress for their own sleep needs.
That is where the bedMATCH
system comes in, the Mebane,
N.C.-based bedding producer said.
BedMATCH uses statistical measurements and calculations to help
consumers pick the right mattress.
“The bedMATCH system is the
culmination of clinical research and
collected sleep profiles from millions
of consumers,” Oexman said. “For
the first time, we’re able to show the
scientific link between mattress choice
and a person’s health and well-being.
Buying a mattress is a major purchase and bedMATCH simplifies the
process.”
The system can be used to fit participants for the correct sleep surface
across bedding brands. It is expected
to be available at select retailers early
this year.
35
IndustryNews
Relax...
Carpenter pillow video
named to Time’s Top 10
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Except as otherwise noted, all marks used are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Henkel and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and elsewhere. ® = registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. © Henkel Corporation, 2010. All rights reserved. 6991 (12/10)
Henkel Has You Covered.
T
ime magazine has named the music video “2 Guys
600 Pillows,” commissioned by bedding industry
supplier Carpenter Co., one of the Top 10 Talented
Web Videos of 2010. The video was created by Rhett
& Link, self-proclaimed “Internetainers,” who perform their song “My Favorite Pillow” in reverse.
“The video would be fabulous enough forwards—
who doesn’t love pillows?—but run it backwards and
it’s even better,” Time said. “Suddenly, floating pillows
perform on command, miraculously shaping themselves into forts, giant toilets and the perfect trampoline companions. But perhaps the most impressive
feat of the video is how Rhett & Link mouthed the
words to their song in reverse.”
“We’re honored that Time named the video to
its Top 10 list,” said Dan Schecter, vice president of
consumer products for Carpenter, which has headquarters in Richmond, Va. “As part of our ongoing
efforts to educate America on the benefits of better
sleep, we jumped into online videos and social media
marketing last year. It has been a great success both in
sheer numbers, but more importantly in the level of
engagement we are seeing on Sleepbetter.org and on
our Facebook page.” Rhett & Link’s video is part of Carpenter’s online
video and social media campaign aimed at drawing
viewers into a conversation about better sleep. A second video, “Paranormal Pillow,” launched in October
in support of a bedroom makeover Facebook contest. www.bedtimesmagazine.com
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IndustryNews
Kluft to receive City of Hope award
T
he City of Hope cancer research
and treatment center in Los
Angeles will honor Earl Kluft, chief
executive officer of luxury mattress
producer E.S. Kluft & Co., with its
Lifetime Achievement Award for his
philanthropic contributions and business accomplishments.
Kluft is set to receive the award
June 6 at the 20th annual West Coast
Golf and Tennis Tournament at Coto
de Caza Golf and Racquet Club in
Orange County, Calif. The event is
hosted by City of Hope’s National
Home Furnishings Industry chapter.
Kluft grew up in the mattress
business, working at the company
founded by his grandfather, and his
efforts have long been associated with
hand-tailored, ultra-premium mat-
FR Materials (Fire Retardant)
Barrier / Filler Cloth / Thread
Quilt Backing
Filler Cloth
Flange
Mattress Bags
Staples & HogRings
Insulator Pads
Threads
Adhesives
Ticking
Staple & HogRing Guns
Springs
Warehouse / Showroom
Miami, FL 33166
[email protected]
tress production. Kluft was the creator
of the luxury Chattam & Wells brand,
which was acquired by Spring Air. He
went on to purchase the Aireloom
mattress brand. E.S. Kluft & Co. is
based in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
City of Hope has been designated a
Comprehensive Cancer Center by the
National Cancer Institute. For more
information about the center, visit its
website, www.coh.org. To register for
the tournament or purchase dinner
tickets, email Shannon Sullivan, City
of Hope director of development, at
[email protected].
Lifetime of achievement Earl Kluft, shown
here at the E.S. Kluft & Co., showroom at the
World Market Center in Las Vegas, is being
recognized for his philanthropic efforts and
professional accomplishments.
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Shorts
Ideal Quilting adds design tool, blog
Mattress kit and zippered cover supplier Ideal Quilting Ltd., with
headquarters in North York, Ontario, has launched Kultur design
software at its website, www.idealquilting.com. The application, in
combination with Ideal’s advanced sewing equipment, allows customers to create and view
custom mattress designs
by choosing panel and
border patterns, colored
threads, coordinating
handles, accent buttons,
custom trims and more.
The company is blogging
about its software and
mattress design in general
at its new blog, http://mattressdesign.blogspot.com. Paul Sharon,
vice president of sales and product development, has been leading
the company’s design initiatives.
Bodet & Horst USA relocates
Fabric supplier Bodet & Horst USA has moved its offices, showroom
and warehouse from Mount Airy, N.C., to Greensboro, N.C. As part
of the relocation, the company has consolidated all knitting, finishing and cut-and-sew operations for the Americas in El Salvador. The
new office address is 4225 Tudor Lane, Suite 101, Greensboro, NC
27410. The office phone is 336-786-4811. Karsten Siewert, Bodet &
Horst USA vice president of sales and marketing, can be contacted
directly via his cell phone at 336-710-0194. WorldBed provides 20,000 emergency beds
To date, the humanitarian aid organization WorldBed has delivered more than 20,000 emergency field beds to disaster zones in
Haiti, Chile and Pakistan. “Reaching this first major milestone for
WorldBed could not have been
fathomable without the contributions of individuals and dozens of
organizations from both within
and beyond the home furnishings industry,” said Laura Castro,
executive director of the Corona,
Calif.-based organization. The
emergency field beds are easy
for users to roll up and carry with
them and have a waterproof,
medical-grade mattress cover. They
ship in pallets of 50. Donations to
WorldBed may be made online at
www.worldbed.org.
39
IndustryNews
Report: Manufacturing declined in 2010
I
ndustrial employment in the United States fell 3.3% and the number
of U.S. manufacturers dropped 4.1%
in 2010, according to Manufacturers’ News Inc., a publisher of industrial directories in all 50 states that
is based in Evanston, Ill.
According to the publisher’s most
recent editions, there were 357,862
manufacturers employing roughly
16.3 million people in the United
States in 2010, compared to the
370,230 manufacturers and nearly
17 million workers recorded in previous editions of its directories.
“Technology has driven down
manufacturing employment,” said
Tom Dubin, Manufacturers’ News
president. “Even as demand and
production return to prerecession
levels, fewer employees are needed
in the manufacturing process because of automation and robotics.
Highly skilled workers trained in
today’s technology will continue to
be in great demand, but the days of
well-paid, low-skilled assembly line
workers are gone forever.”
According to the publisher,
Michigan topped the list of states
that lost the most industrial employment last year, with a decline
of 79,101 jobs. California was a
close second, losing 78,723 jobs.
North Carolina’s industrial jobs fell
by 51,831, Indiana’s by 39,451 and
Florida’s by 38,278.
States that lost the least number
of jobs included Alaska (-31), Hawaii (-754), North Dakota (-1,028),
Wyoming (-1,028) and West Virginia (-1,403).
Short
Sleep drug ups risk for falls
Adults who take a commonly
prescribed sleep medication
are significantly more at risk for
nighttime falls and suffer cognitive
impacts, according to a study from
the University of Colorado at Boulder. The study showed that 58%
of older adults and 27% of young
adults who took zolpidem showed
a significant loss of balance when
awakened two hours after sleep.
The generic zolpidem is sold under
several brand names, including
Ambien. In addition to the balance
problems caused by zolpidem,
the study showed that waking up
two hours after taking zolpidem
enhances grogginess.
Sleepy’s celebrates new year by helping new parents
R
ecognizing that new parents are
woefully sleep-deprived, sleep
shop chain Sleepy’s celebrated the
new year by giving parents of the
first babies born in 2011 new Dr.
Breus brand beds.
Parents of newborns in Boston;
New York; Philadelphia; Richmond,
Va.; and Washington, D.C., were to
receive the beds, which are manufactured by International Bedding in
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
In announcing the contest, Sleepy’s
cited a survey showing that parents
of newborns miss out on six months
worth of sleep in their child’s first two
years.
“New parents may worry that their
fate is years of sleeplessness, and it’s
true that many struggle to get a restful
night of sleep,” said Michael Breus,
MD
a clinical psychologist and a diplomate of the American Board of Sleep
Medicine who is known as the Sleep
Doctor. “The better rested you are, the
healthier parent you are. The key is to
help the baby match his/her parents’
B
sleeping schedule. Parents should
make sure the little one gets on a sleep
schedule as soon as they can.”
Sleepy’s, based in Hicksville, N.Y.,
has more than 700 retail stores in 13
states.
G
41
New Strategies for Reshaping Your Business
RegisteR today and enteR
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Sponsored by:
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Keynote: ‘Blue Oceans’
– Navigating your
way to undiscovered
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The All-Industry Event for Mattress
Manufacturers, Retailers, and Suppliers
l
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Discover how to transform your business by changing the way you
interact with customers
Hear a panel of mattress manufacturing and retail executives as they
discuss the issues and obstacles to establishing more productive,
collaborative partnerships
Learn about the latest developments in used mattress recycling, including
the results of a recent pilot program, retailer involvement and emerging
trends
Hear important information for manufacturers and retailers on how the
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act will affect your business
Exhibits included!
Dr. Roch Parayre, business strategist and fellow
at the Wharton School
will share how companies such as Netflix and
Southwest Airlines
have achieved industry
dominance, not by
battling competitors,
but by identifying “blue
oceans,” the untapped
innovative market spaces
ready for growth. Find
how how you can help
your business flourish
by uncovering your own
“blue oceans.”
March 16-18, 2011 | St. Petersburg, FL
Information-packed sessions
with expert speakers!
Manufacturer-Retailer Panel: How Can We
Work Better…Together? In a candid discussion
you’ll hear what industry executives have to say about
the issues, the obstacles and their perspectives on how
retailers and manufacturers can establish more productive, collaborative partnerships.
Put Money in Your Pocket: Redesigning the
Customer Experience. Join Mike Wittenstein to find
out how applying customer experience design concepts
to the mattress business can mean big gains for manufacturers, suppliers and retailers.
The Power of Social and Digital Media.
Hear
from the Better Sleep Council’s new public relations
firm about the importance of using social and digital
media to communicate with the masses. Also learn
why video is becoming the platform of choice to reach
consumers.
The Sustainable Mattress.
Recycling continues to
be an important issue for the mattress industry. Hear
about ongoing used mattress recycling programs, new
mattress recyclers and technology, retailer involvement
and other efforts to address these issues.
Network and Build Relationships
at Relaxed Social Events!
Connect with customers,
colleagues, and business partners.
Don’t miss the annual
ISPA Golf Tournament!
ISPA Women’s Network
Cocktail Reception
Calling all women in the mattress industry!
Help celebrate the new ISPA Women’s Network, a volunteer networking and professional group established to
serve the rapidly growing number of women in all sectors
of the industry — manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers!
Renaissance Vinoy®
Resort & Golf Club
Bring your family or guest to this elegant
hotel on Tampa Bay featuring a championship golf course and spa just minutes from
the excitement of St. Pete Beach. Discounted
hotel rates for Conference attendees. Book
your hotel room now — before they sell out!
CPSIA Implementation: Am I Complying?
The
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008
presents significant questions manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers of consumer products.
This overview will help you navigate the new rules and
understand your new obligations.
To register and for conference
and hotel details, visit
www.sleepproducts.org/
IndustryConference
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NewsMakers
Coomber to drive Sleep Doctor program at IB
Mattress producer International Bedding has promoted Warren
Coomber to the newly created post of vice president of
sales for its exclusive Sleep Doctor program with sleep
expert Dr. Michael Breus.
Coomber is responsible for all marketing, sales,
training and product launches for the Dr. Breus bedding
brand. He reports to Dennis Straily, vice president of
sales for IB, which has headquarters in Fort Lauderdale,
Fla. Coomber is based in Dallas and joined IB in 2009 as
a sales manager. He is a 15-year veteran of the mattress
industry.
According to a news release, Coomber helped create and establish the Dr. Breus brand and has become
increasingly involved in new business development since
joining IB.
“The Sleep Doctor program has been gaining momentum since its introduction in early 2010,” said Jeff Maillet, IB chief executive officer. “Our goal is to ensure that
this unique and growing national brand has all the right
resources and staff support. Warren is a perfect fit for this
new post and his promotion demonstrates IB’s firm commitment to the program.”
Protect-A-Bed adds sales director
P
is based in Winston-Salem,
rotect-A-Bed, a supplier of
N.C. Taylor reports to Clive
mattress and pillow protecGoldin, Protect-A-Bed
tion products based in Northpresident.
brook, Ill., has hired Chris
“Chris has a strong reputaTaylor as director of sales for its
tion for developing and impleFurniture Retail Division. He
is responsible for overseeing
menting strategic sales and
Protect-A-Bed’s new strategy
marketing plans to achieve
Chris Taylor
and exceed sales goals,” said
for selling products directly
James Bell, Protect-A-Bed chief executo home furnishings customers, rather
tive officer. “He also has a lot of experithan through distributors.
ence managing and directing teams of
Taylor has 15 years of experience
sales representatives. He is an essential
in business development and national
part of our company’s growth and exaccount management in the home
furnishings industry. He earned a bachpansion. We hope that with the addition
elor’s degree in communications and an
of Chris, we can expand our leadership
and expertise in this industry.”
MBA from Wake Forest University and
Comfort Solutions co-owner Caldwell dies
W
illiam Caldwell IV, an
Along with his involveowner and 20-year board
ment in the bedding industry,
member of mattress licensCaldwell was chief executive
ing group Comfort Solutions
officer and board chairman
(formerly King Koil), died sudof the biotech firm Advanced
denly on Dec. 13. He was 63.
Cell Technology Inc., which
“Bill was a very active memspecializes in stem-cell
ber of our board and always
research.
passionate about the company,” William Caldwell IV
Caldwell lived in Pacific
said Dave Roberts, president of
Palisades, Calif. Survivors
the Willowbrook, Ill.-based company.
include his wife, Nancy; three sons; a
“He will be greatly missed both personstepdaughter; a stepson; and a sister,
ally and professionally by many people
Candace Smith, who also is a director of
the Comfort Solutions board.
inside and outside our company.”
Kingsdown
promotes one
in Australia
Mattress producer Kingsdown Inc. has
promoted Kishan Chawhan to sales
manager for the Snooze retail account in Australia, a new position.
He is responsible for providing
retail account and sales management, sales training and customer
service to Snooze, a large, Melbourne-based sleep shop chain.
Chawhan has been with Kingsdown, which has headquarters
in Mebane, N.C., since 2002.
Previously, he was a retail training
specialist and is credited with developing Kingsdown and its Sleep
to Live brand in the Australian
Capital Territory, New South Wales
and Queensland.
“Kishan has been pivotal in
launching the Kingsdown and Sleep
to Live business in Australia and
continues to grow the Sleep to Live
brand throughout Australia,” said
Lee Hinshaw, Kingsdown senior
vice president of global branding
and president of international sales.
“We know he will thrive in this
challenging new role.”
45
ISPANews
ISPA website gets makeover
A
s part of the International
Sleep Products Association’s
continuing efforts to improve
its communications with the mattress
industry, it has redesigned its website,
www.sleepproducts.org.
The site contains all of the same
useful content and invaluable resources that the industry and ISPA
members have come to expect, but it
is easier to use and has a new look.
Among the new features:
➤ Improved drop-down menus
➤ Easily accessible log-in forms on
every page
➤Important information high-
lighted in each section of the site
➤M
ore opportunities for marketing
your company via web ads.
The BedTimes website also has a
new look and a new address,
www.bedtimesmagazine.com. For
more on that, see Editor’s Note on
Page 5.
If you are an ISPA member, note
that the first time you log into the
revamped site, you’ll be assigned
a new user name and password
to access member-only sections.
Instructions for doing so are clearly
presented on the site.
ISPA plans additional improvements to the website in the coming months. If you have comments
or suggestions, contact Deborah
Nicholas, manager of ISPA database
and website operations, at
[email protected] or
703-683-8371, Ext. 1303.
Industry Conference coming up
The all-industry International Sleep
Products Association’s Industry
Conference and Exhibition is just a
month away—March 16-18 in St.
Petersburg, Fla. It’s not too late to
make plans to attend.
With educational sessions on
generating growth and profits, better
managing the manufacturer-retailer partnership and leveraging social media, the 2½–day event is the perfect time to
fine-tune your business, refine your strategies and increase
your sales.
In addition to educational sessions, you’ll have plenty of
opportunities to check out the latest products and services
from industry suppliers and learn what suppliers can do to
help you improve your products and increase profitability.
Relaxed social events allow you to connect with customers,
colleagues and business partners. An opening reception will
feature a showing of the Better Sleep Council’s new “Suite 7”
Web series. The ISPA Women’s Network will hold its inaugural
gathering and a golf tournament will wrap things up.
For more information and to register for the conference,
check www.sleepproducts.org/industryconference. To
reserve your room at the Renaissance Vinoy St. Petersburg
Resort & Golf Club, call 888-303-4430. Discounted rates
are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Estes can save members money
M
embers of the International Sleep
Products Association have access to
a variety of cost-cutting and time-saving
programs through affiliated companies.
One of these is Estes Integrated Solutions, which provides discounted freight
services and rates customized to your needs.
Estes can help you design and deploy a spectrum of transportation solutions—from a single link to an supply entire chain.
Among the services Estes offers is consolidation and distribution. Do you ever need to consolidate less-than-truckload
shipments from your production facilities, distribution centers
or vendors and then get them to a single or multiple destinations? Do you need to pick up large quantities of freight at
a single point, break the freight into separate shipments and
distribute it via less-than-truckload, air or truckload to your
end-users? Estes can help with both, delivering your goods with
minimal handling and at low prices.
Estes also offers a Reverse Logistics Pool service, which helps
end-users dispose of used, damaged or outdated products
and reusable packaging. Estes will retrieve these items from
anywhere in the country, consolidate them and deliver them to
your central receiving location.
To learn more about Estes programs for ISPA members, call
800-624-7881, Ext. 2272.
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Getting your message to your customers...at the
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PRINTED
LABELS
POSTERS
BANNERS
FOOT PROTECTORS
HEAD BOARDS
EMBROIDERY
BOLSTERS
PILLOW SHAMS
FOOT PROTECTORS
HEAD BOARDS
HANDLES
CORNER GUARDS
SCREEN PRINTING
DYE SUBLIMATION
47
ISPAAdvocacy
Industry cracking down on unscrupulous renovators
T
he International Sleep Products Association is waging a
multifronted campaign to combat
unscrupulous
mattress
renovators.
ISPA is
working
with the
Enforcement Division of the
U.S. Federal Trade
Commis-
sion’s Bureau of Consumer Protection to curb deceptive practices of
renovators who sell used mattresses
as new.
The Textile Fiber Products Identification Act prohibits misbranding,
falsifying or deceptively representing
a textile product. Renovators who
sell a used mattress as new or fail
to disclose that the product is used
violate this law.
If you know of an unscrupulous renovator who is violating the
federal law, ISPA urges you to report
the company to the FTC by using its
online Complaint Assistant at
www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.
ISPA also is pushing to enact
tougher anti-renovator laws at the
state level. These new laws will make
it harder for renovators to deceive
customers and sell dangerous and
unsanitary used mattresses.
The association plans to work
this year with lawmakers in Florida,
New York, Tennessee and Texas to
pass legislation in these states.
If you live in or have facilities
in these states and are interested in
supporting ISPA’s efforts, contact
Chris Hudgins, ISPA vice president of government relations, at
[email protected] or call
703-683-8371, Ext. 1208.
CPSC: Product safety database coming in March
T
he U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission expects to launch a new
consumer database in March.
In mid-December, the CPSC published a final rule for implementing a
publicly available database that can be
used to file and search for product safety
incident reports. The database is required by the Consumer Product Safety
Improvement Act.
Under new rules, once the CPSC
receives a safety incident report it will
transmit the report to the manufacturer
of the product. The manufacturer has
10 business days to review the report
for accuracy and comment before the
CPSC posts it in the database.
The CPSC is setting up a Web portal
for manufacturers to register with the
CPSC to receive product safety reports
about their products. Registration is not
mandatory but will assist your company
in receiving reports in a timely manner
and allow you to respond to the CPSC
before such reports are published in the
database, according to the International
Sleep Products Association.
For updates on the database imple-
mentation, check the ISPA website,
www.sleepproducts.org, and BedTimes
Bulletin, ISPA’s weekly e-newsletter.
Shorts
ISPA responds to congressional request about excessive regulation
The International Sleep Products Association recently received a letter from
House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.,
requesting help in “identifying existing and proposed regulations that have
negatively impacted job growth.” In response, ISPA outlined several costly and
unnecessary regulations, including 16 CFR Part 1632 and duplicate labeling,
testing and certification requirements imposed by the U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.
Comment period on noise policy extended
The comment period on a proposed change to federal workplace noise exposure policy has been extended until March 21. Under current interpretation, the
U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says employers can address
workplace noise by requiring employees to use equipment such as earplugs.
The proposed interpretation could require employers to implement solutions to
reduce machinery noise, provided that they are “capable of being done,” even
if that means higher costs. If such changes would be an issue for your company,
ISPA asks that you contact Chris Hudgins, ISPA vice president of government
relations, at [email protected] or 703-683-8371, Ext. 1208.
49
UpClose
Industry veteran follows entrepreneurial passion
After years with established companies, Van Dyke turns to startup
By Dorothy Whitcomb
W
hen Interwoven Group LLC
was launched in March 2009,
Sandy Van Dyke began a
journey he had been preparing for his
entire professional life. It was only a year
earlier that he and John Wilkinson, a
colleague from Van Dyke’s days at Van
Waters & Rogers Textiles and Supplies,
had decided it was time to go out on
their own.
“I had always wanted to be a business owner and John convinced me that
the time was right,” Van Dyke says.
Van Dyke began his career in a
management training program at Bassett Upholstery, a division of Bassett
Furniture Industries. In 1973, he took a
position at VWR Textiles and Supplies
selling nonwoven textiles to furniture
and bedding manufacturers. When Van
Dyke left the company 20 years later, he
was serving as its president and a member of the board of directors of VWR’s
corporate parent.
Van Dyke is proud of his tenure at
VWR.
“Our management team took a business (VWR Textiles and Supplies) that
in 1984 was doing $30 million in sales
and grew it to $75 million by 1993,”
when it was sold to Carthage, Mo.-based
Leggett & Platt.
With the company’s sale, Van Dyke
looked for new opportunities. He got
his first taste of entrepreneurship as part
of a small investment group that purchased the Momentum Textiles division
from VWR. He worked as that company’s executive vice president for three
years before joining Hickory Springs
Mfg. Co. in 1998. For the next 11 years,
he led the Hickory, N.C.-based company’s Textile Converting and Fasteners
Divisions.
Van Dyke thought long and hard
before leaving Hickory Springs. “They’re
‘Being a musician is addictive’ says Sandy Van
Dyke, who plays trumpet and sings in the
industry band, the Insomniaczzz. The band,
shown here playing at ISPA EXPO 2010, includes
(from left) Gerry Borreggine, Jim Malkiewicz,
Ray Allegrezza, David Orders, Van Dyke, Don
Wright and Paul Block.
good people,” he says. “It was a very difficult decision.”
But once the decision was made to
join Wilkinson in their own venture,
Van Dyke set his eyes on the future.
With 37 years of industry experience
under his belt, Van Dyke hopes to make
Interwoven Group a significant player
in the mattress ticking and construction
textile segments.
“I see us as becoming a very specialized business and growing to $30
million in sales in the next few years,” he
says. “We want to capture at least 10%
of the market.”
Van Dyke plans to reach this goal by
building on his experience, as well as the
values that he and Wilkinson share.
“We are completely customeroriented,” he says. “We listen to people
and, understanding their needs, we develop our business around those needs.
We have the capability of working with
a vast number of companies that can
➤ Bio in brief
Name Sandy Van Dyke
Company Interwoven Group LLC
Title Co-owner and president
Location Van Dyke lives in
Conover, N.C.; his company is
based in Buda, Texas
Education In 1971, Van Dyke
earned a bachelor’s degree in
physical education from
Appalachian State University
in Boone, N.C.
Age 61
Family Van Dyke and his wife,
Debbie, have been married for 40
years. They have two children and
four grandchildren.
make products for us. Using our knowledge and these resources, we can create
products that solve problems and are
useful to our customers.”
Van Dyke has more than an entrepreneurial drive and customer-oriented
focus pushing him toward building
a solidly successful company. He and
Wilkinson are intent upon creating a
legacy.
“We want to build a family business,”
he says. “Our sons, Kevin Wilkinson
and Greg Van Dyke, work as account
managers in the business and we hope
to pass Interwoven on to them.”
Industry supporter Van Dyke has
been active in the International Sleep
Products Association for years. He has
held leadership positions on ISPA’s
board, served as chairman of its Suppliers Council and participated in its
Finance, Nominating and Trade Show
committees, as well as its Membership
Task Force. In 2010, Van Dyke received
the Robert MacMorran Memorial
Award for outstanding service to the
plays trumpet and sings in two bands,
the Insomniaczzz, the mattress industry
band, and Fast Cadillac, a group that
plays beach music and rhythm and
blues. “Being a musician is addictive.
Once you get it in your system, you can’t
stop,” he says. “Music gives me energy.
Anytime I’m in a difficult situation, I
turn to music to help me sort things
through. It’s an opportunity to get away
from day-to-day life.”
Company debut Sandy Van Dyke showed
Interwoven Group LLC products for the first
time at ISPA EXPO 2010 in Charlotte, N.C.
industry. “I’ve come to believe that
individuals can have an impact and I’ve
become dedicated to helping the industry continue to thrive and find ways
to better promote bedding,” he says.
The magic of music While still in
high school, Van Dyke began playing
trumpet semiprofessionally. The gigs
paid his way through college, but he
put them aside when he married and
needed a steady job. Today, Van Dyke
Cherished possession Not surprisingly
given his love of music, Van Dyke names
his trumpet as his most prized possession. “It’s nothing special, but it’s mine,”
he says. “We’ve traveled to a lot of places
and played a lot of jobs together.”
Coach Van Dyke Van Dyke loves baseball almost as much as music. He spent 10
years coaching high school teams when he
lived in Hickory, N.C., traveling the state
with his teams and taking many of them
to the playoffs. “Thirty years later, many
of my players still stay in touch and that’s
very rewarding,” he says. BT
51
Calendar
www.interzum.com
interzum
cologne May 25 – 28, 2011
February
Feb. 2-4
Australian International
Furniture Fair
Sydney Exhibition
Centre
Sydney, Australia
Phone 613-9654-7773
[email protected]
www.aec.net.au
Feb. 18-20
Tupelo Furniture Market
➤ March 16-18
Mississippi & Tupelo
ISPA Industry
complexes
Conference & Exhibition
Tupelo, Miss., U.S.
Renaissance Vinoy
Phone 662-842-4442
St. Petersburg Resort &
tfm@tupelofurniture
Golf Club
market.com
St. Petersburg, Fla., U.S.
www.tupelofurniture
Phone 703-683-8371
market.com
[email protected]
www.sleepproducts.org
The future starts
arts here
World’s
Leading
Event
Discover the broad range of industry
applications only presented at interzum.
March
March 1-5
Malaysian International
Furniture Fair
Putra World Trade
Centre & Kuala Lumpur
Convention Centre
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone 603-9282-2888
[email protected]
www.miff.com.my
• Discover the diversity of interzum
• Leading global show for suppliers to the furniture
and interiors industry
• Worldwide innovations from international key brands
• Central location in Europe
• One trip – two fairs : Combine your trip with a visit to
Ligna Hannover, May 30 – June 3, 2011
March 3-5
Guangzhou
International Sleep
Industry Exhibition
China Import & Export
Fair Pazhou Complex
Guangzhou, China
Phone 86-20-28314758
or 86-20-28316878
[email protected]
www.intersleep.net
Save time and money !
Register and buy tickets online : www.interzum.com
March 11-14
Vietnam International
Furniture & Home
Accessories Fair
Saigon Exhibition &
Convention Center
Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam
Phone 84-8-3836-4682
[email protected]
www.vifafair.com
Koelnmesse Inc.
8700 West Bryn Mawr Avenue
Suite 640 North
Chicago, Illinois 60631
Phone 773-326 9920
Fax 773-714 0063
[email protected]
www.koelnmessenafta.com
87x254_USA-Bedtimes 1
ISPA Industry Conference The
annual, all-industry event
will be March 16-18 in
St. Petersburg, Fla.
April
April 2-7
High Point Market
International Home
Furnishings Center &
other locations
High Point, N.C., U.S.
Phone 336-869-1000
dawn@highpoint
market.org
www.highpoint
market.org
May
May 25-28
Interzum Cologne
Koelnmesse
Cologne, Germany
Phone 49-221-821-0
[email protected]
www.koelnmesse.de
www.interzum.com
August
Aug. 1-5
Las Vegas Market
World Market Center
Las Vegas, U.S.
Phone 888-416-8600
[email protected]
www.lasvegasmarket.com
22.11.10 15:15
Classifieds
For Sale
Employment Opportunity
TAPE-EDGE MACHINES, MULTINEEDLE AND SINGLENEEDLE 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.
Dynamic, High-Level Sales Manager for
Restwell Mattress CO. Located in Surrey, British
Columbia. Open new markets, create sales and marketing
strategies, grow sales revenue and profits, and manage
account executives. Territory includes western Canada
with expansion opportunities into eastern Canada and the
Pacific Northwest. Travel required. Five years of senior sales
management experience required. Salary and bonus. Reply
to [email protected]. For more information and complete
job posting, visit our websites at www.restwell.com and
www.novotextilesco.com.
REBUILT AND RECONDITIONED MULTINEEDLE
QUILTING MACHINES. Specializing in PATHE precision
parts and service. Technical consultants.
SEDCO. Phone 201-567-7141; Fax 201-567-5515.
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. Phone 336-342-4217; Fax 336-342-4116;
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$$ GREAT RATES $$
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Speed • Accuracy • Delivered
SpECIAl hAnDlInG SySTEm FoR
lTl TICkInG mATERIAl RollS
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Dianne Francin
877-282-5282
[email protected]
www.cranstontrucking.com
53
AdvertisersIndex
A. Lava & Son Co.
Steve Appelbaum
800-777-5282
(800-777-LAVA)
www.alavason.com
14
Foshan Ruixin Nonwoven Co. Ltd.
Himy Lee
86-757-85806388
www.raysonchina.com
39
AFT Corp.
25
Rick Brumfield
800-631-1930
Atlanta Attachment Co. Inc. C2-1, 37
Hank Little
770-963-7369
www.atlatt.com
Global Systems Group
Russ Bowman
954-846-0300
www.gsgcompanies.com
26, C3
Bloomingburg Spring & Wire Form 53
Vickie Schwarm
740-437-7614
www.bloomingburgspring.com BLR
Martin Leroux
819-877-2092
www.blrlumber.com
Boyteks Tekstil AS
Deniz Boydak
90-352-322-0588
www.boyteks.com
44
16-17
Costa International
Daniel Vazquez
305-885-9761
www.costa-international.com
38
Cranston Trucking
Dianne Francin
336-887-9712
www.cranstontrucking.com 53
Diamond Needle Corp.
Abe Silberstein 800-221-5818
www.diamondneedle.com 51
P.T. Dunlopillo Indonesia
Sham Bharwani
62-21-3858626
www.dunlopillo.co.id
48
Duroflex International
George Mathew
415-990-4343
www.latexglobal.com
51
Edgewater Machine Co. Inc.
Roy Schlegel
718-539-8200
www.edgewatermachine.com
30
Enkev Group BV
Marc Dokter
31-299-364355
www.enkev.com
28
Enriquez Materials & Quilting Inc. 8
Silvia Enriquez
323-725-4955
www.enriquezquilting.com
Hengchang Machinery Factory
Ren Ying
86-769-83307931
www.hcjixie.com
33
Henkel Corp.
Tim Brown
614-483-1149
www.henkelna.com
36
Hickory Springs Mfg. Co.
Rick Anthony
828-328-2201
www.hickorysprings.com
2
Ideal Quilting Ltd.
Nick Rossini
416-748-8402
www.idealquilting.com
11
International Poly Industries Co.
Athira Rajan
968-2444-9211
49
Innofa USA
Todd Hilliard
336-687-1006
www.innofa.com
23
John Marshall & Co. Ltd.
Peter Crone
64-3-341-2004
www.joma.co.nz
6
Kenn Spinrad Inc.
Randy Weinstock
800-373-0944
www.spinrad.net
49
Latex Systems
Kitti Charoenpornpanichkul
66-2-326-0886, Ext. 204
www.latexsystem.com
55
MFI International Mfg. LLC
Lawrence Wollschlager
915-858-0971
www.mfiintl.com
12
Middleburg Yarn Processing Co. Inc.
Howard Reece
570-374-1284, Ext. 210
41
New England Needles Inc.
Thomas Lees
800-243-3158
www.newenglandneedles.com
29
OHM Systems Inc.
Catherine Anbil
513-771-0008
www.ohmworld.com
48
Pacific Spring Inc.
Victor Nguyen
626-272-8882
32
Quilting Inc. Mark Gibney
800-358-0153
www.quiltinginc.com
15
P.T. RubberFoam Indonesia
Andreas Janssen
62-21-53662190
www.rubberfoam.co.id
SABA North America LLC
Jim Turner
810-824-4964
www.saba-adhesives.com
40
Simalfa
Darren Gilmore
973-423-9266
www.simalfa.com
13
SpringCo. Inc.
Carlos Luna
305-887-3782
35
Subiñas Confort S.L.
Javier Subiñas
34-94-416-04-40
www.subinas.es
34
Sunds Velour A/S
Steffen Rømer
45-60-210-410
www.sunds.com
10
Therapedic International
Gerry Borreggine
800-314-4433
www.therapedic.com
21
Tietex International Ltd.
Wade Wallace
800-843-8390
www.tietex.com
C4
Wright of Thomasville
Area Account Executive
800-678-9019
www.wrightlabels.com
47
4
Xidengbao Mattress Machinery
46
Sammin
86-20-26275665
www.china-mattress-machine.com
TheLastWord
Pretty well-rested
Don’t try this at home
The idea of getting “beauty sleep” has
scientific merit, according to a new
study.
Scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, studied
23 people, ages 18 to 31. Each was
photographed twice—once after
getting a normal night’s sleep (about
eight hours) and once after being
kept awake for 31 hours.
Then a panel of 65 other people,
who knew nothing about how rested
the subjects were, judged the photos
on attractiveness, health and whether
or not the subjects looked tired.
The observers judged the
sleep-deprived subjects to be less
attractive, less healthy and more
tired, according to the study, which
was published in December in the
British Medical Journal.
tchy and frustrated, people dealing with a bedbug infestation are willing to try just about anything to get rid of the
insects. At best, most of these remedies are ineffective; some
are downright dangerous.
Brian Hirsch, director of Protect-A-Bed’s Pest Control
Division, works with pest control companies on the front
lines of treating bedbug problems and has compiled a list of the 10 least effective home
remedies he’s heard of people using:
1. Fuels—dousing the bed and other home furnishings in diesel, gasoline or kerosene
2. Sulfur—burning sulfur inside the home
3. Bug bombs—setting off multiple bug bombs and creating a risk of explosion
4. Fire extinguishers—using fire extinguishers to “freeze” the bugs
5. Lights—sleeping with the lights on to trick the bedbugs into not biting
6. Exterior pesticides—using pesticides that aren’t effective against bedbugs
7. Olive oil—covering your body in olive oil so the bugs can’t climb on you
8. WD-40—spraying the bugs directly with a lubricant
9. Cold—turning off the heat in the winter to freeze the bugs out
10. Baking soda and rubbing alcohol—applying this combination to a mattress or
upholstered furniture.
“Bedbugs and their aftermath have caused many rational people to lose the ability
to reason,” Hirsch says.
Hirsch, who often fields inquiries from friends and colleagues who have concerns
about bedbugs, tells people to remain calm and to contact a reputable pest control expert to help resolve the problem. A mix of chemical and nonchemical methods is usually
required to eliminate bedbugs and infestations often require several treatments. ProtectA-Bed, based in Northbrook, Ill., offers mattress and pillow encasement products that
can be used as part of a bedbug prevention and containment process.
I
Workers wiped out by weariness
M
ore than eight in 10 workers (85%) say they’d be more
productive on the job if they’d gotten more sleep,
according to a survey commissioned by Philips Consumer
Lifestyle, a maker of wellness products with North American headquarters in Stamford, Conn.
Other findings:
➤ More than half (56%) of workers say they don’t consistently get a good night’s sleep
➤ Nearly two-thirds (64%) say a lack of sleep starts their
work day off badly
➤ More than one-third (37%) of respondents aren’t ready
to get up when their alarm goes off
➤ Nearly one in three (32%) of workers admit to oversleeping and waking up after they were supposed to be
at work
➤ Nearly one in four (23%) of respondents say
they’ve taken a nap at work. 56 | BedTimes | February 2011
“The findings from the sleep survey support the link
between sleep and workplace performance,” says Russell
Rosenberg, vice chairman of the National Sleep Foundation and director of the Atlanta School
of Sleep Medicine and Technology.
“The survey shows that inadequate
sleep and poor sleep habits are primary factors for poor job performance and
can also lead to increased irritability,
moodiness and lack of energy.” The survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,000 white-collar workers
was fielded by Braun Research Inc. via
telephone in November. Philips Consumer Lifestyle is part of Royal Philips
Electronics, headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Do you still use the same manufacturing processes used
15 years ago...10 years ago...2 years ago?
The bedding industry works at a faster, leaner pace
than it did only a few years ago.
See GSG’s fastest, newest innovation at Interzum Köln.
It’s very new. It’s very different. It’s very fast!
See it in the Global Systems Group booth in Interzum Hall 9.1.
800-326-4742
954-846-0300
www.GSGcompanies.com
FORGET
THE
MAYBES
You’ve ordered product from
halfway round the world. Eventually —
maybe in 8 weeks, or maybe 10 weeks, or
maybe 12 weeks, you’ll take delivery. Maybe
you’ll get what you expect. Maybe the quality
actually will be acceptable. Maybe the real cost
will be worth the wait. That’s a lot of maybes —
enough to put your sales in the tank.
Tietex delivers your custom order in 2-4 weeks and stock
orders the next day. We promise quality, consistency and
product integrity. And back every yard we make. No exceptions.
Now that’s worth remembering.
I
ECo Fa B R I C S ,
CoT To N S ,
PRINTS,
N
jaCquaRdS,
N
O
V
P o Ly E S T E R S ,
A
T
BLENdS,
E
ST I TC h B o N d S ,
wa R P k N I T S ,
FILLER CLoThS.
Tietex International Ltd., 3010 North Blackstock Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29301, Ph. 864.574.0500, Fax 864.574.9490, www.tietex.com

Create a positive workplace

Transcription

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