Meet your - BedTimes

Transcription

BedTimes
|
The Business Journal for the Sleep Products Industry January 2012
The Millennials:
Meet your
BIG
next
customers
ISPA EXPO 2012
planning guide
How you can be a winner
in the face of losses
Innovative Technology for
Model 1390B
Auto-Pac Workstation
Model 1392
GoldenEagle Quilter
Model 1366
Automatic Vertical
Stitch Border Machine
Model 1347MGB
Auto Faux Tape Edge with
or without Binding
1355
Border Tacker
Model
Model 4300
Automatic Vertical
Handle Machine
Model 1368
Foam Encased Gluing Workstation
to View online
Model 1335MG
Pillow-top Gusset
Ruffler Workstation
1) Download your QR Barcode Software from your App Store
2) Scan the code with your mobile device
3) Learn more about all our bedding automation equipment
online at http://www.atlatt.com/bedding/index.html
The
INTERNATIONAL
SLEEP
PRODUCTS
ASSOCIATION
SUPPLIER
MEMBER
Sudden Service ™ Company
This equipment may be protected by one or more of these patents. Other patents may be pending.
US patents: 4,280,421; 4,432,294; 4,466,367; 4,644,883; 5,134,947; 5,159,889; 5,203,270; 5,522,332; 5,524,563; 5,562,060; 5,634,418; 5,647,293;
5,657,711; 5,743,202; 5,865,135; 5,899,159; 5,915,319; 5,918,560; 5,979,345; 6,035,794; 6,055,921; 6,202,579; 6,279,869; 6,295,481; 6,494,255;
6,802,271; 6,574,815; 6,834,603; 6,968,794; 6,994,043; 7,100,525; 7,100,526; 7,210,181; 7,383,676 ; 7,383,780; 7,412,936; 7,543,364; 7,574,788;
7,647,876; 7,735,439; 7,984,681 Foreign patents: 9-520,472; 0,537,323; 92,905,522.6; 96,936,922.2; 2,076,379; 2,084,055.
Other U.S. and Foreign Patents Pending. Copyright 2011 Atlanta Attachment Co.
11224101911
Atlanta Attachment Company
362 Industrial Park Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
(770) 963-7369 • FAX (770) 963-7641
the Sleep Products Industry Worldwide!
Model 1306
Roll-Pac Workstation
Model 1365
Single Needle
AutoTuft & Quilting
Model 1493
Automatic Panel
Flanging & Cutting
1345-2
Electronic Drive
Tape Edge Workstation
Model
1453A
Semi Automatic
Border Label Tacker
Model
Model 4400
Double Overlock &
Shirring Border
Model 1337EHL
High Lift Heavy Duty Flanger
Sewing Automation
The Company that
Contact a sales representative today at 770-963-7369 to schedule
an appointment to visit our showroom and take a tour of our facility.
Website:
www.atlatt.com
email:
[email protected]
Sudden Service
built
Classic
High Profile
The PowerStack is now available in a High Profile unit to meet the demands of todays taller boxspring configurations.
Hickory Springs patented PowerStack zero deflection box spring is engineered for extreme stability. A series of
cup-shaped internal supports are welded to the box springs’ border wire and cross-support grid, then secured at the
base on two axes. This unique construction prevents head-to-foot and side-to-side sway and reduces pocketing as well.
Assembly is quick and simple — just staple it in place and move it on down the line.
P OW E R S TA C K
B O X S P R ING FEATURES
• Complete one-piece steel foundation
with no separate components.
• Proven durability during all performance tests,
including Cornell, rollator and impact tests.
• 10 gauge, extra-heavy grid wire for
maximum support and durability.
• Nests easily for convenient storage.
• Designed for use with a cost-effective
5-slat frame.
• Reinforced grid for greater surface coverage
and enhanced stability.
• Heavy duty 3 gauge border rod, welded to grid
for maximum edge firmness.
• Welded steel construction, utilizing our own
drawn wire for greater stability.
• Standard utilizes 10 gauge modules.
• High Profile uses 9 gauge modules.
PO Box 819 Hickory, NC 28603 (828) 328-2201 Ext. 4516
www.hickorysprings.com
©2011 Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company
BedTimes
Editor in Chief
Julie A. Palm
571-482-5442
[email protected]
Associate Editor
Barbara Nelles
336-303-1114
[email protected]
Managing Editor
Mary Best
571-482-5432
[email protected]
Ar t Director
Stephanie Belcher
336-201-7475
[email protected]
Vice President
of Adver tising Sales
Kerri Bellias
336-945-0265
[email protected]
Ad Production &
Circulation Manager
Debbie Robbins
571-482-5443
[email protected]
Copy Editor
Betsi Robinson
Volume 140, Number 1
BedTimes (ISSN 0893-5556;
Permit 047-620) is published monthly
by the International Sleep Products
Association. Periodicals postage paid
in Alexandria, Va., and additional
entry offices.
Administrative and ISPA offices
501 Wythe St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1917
Phone 703-683-8371
Fax 703-683-4503
Postmaster: Send address changes to
BedTimes
501 Wythe St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1917
Contents © 2012 by the
International Sleep Products
Association. Reprint permission
obtainable through BedTimes.
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
Contributors
|
Mark E. Battersby
Mark E. Battersby is a freelance
writer who has specialized in
taxes and finance for 25 years.
Working from offices in the
suburban Philadelphia community of Ardmore, Battersby
currently writes for publications in a variety of
fields, syndicates two weekly columns that appear
in more than 65 publications and has written
four books. He can be reached at 610-789-2480
or [email protected].
| Elaine
Dumler
Elaine Dumler is an author, speaker and separations expert who
helps military families transition
through all phases of deployment.
Using techniques and strategies
she taught military families, Dumler helps businesses improve morale, profits and
productivity. Her books, I’m Already Home…Again
and The Road Home, provide resources and connection strategies for maintaining life balance. She
wrote about the skills that military veterans bring to
civilian employers in the April 2011 BedTimes. For
more information on her books and trainings, call
303-430-0592 or visit www.imalreadyhome.com.
| Patricia
Comroe Frank
Patricia Comroe Frank spent much
of her career in advertising, first as
a copywriter and then as chief executive officer of a California-based
marketing communications firm.
Clients included home furnishings and building industry companies. Now living
in North Carolina, Frank specializes in reporting
on niche markets, lifestyle trends and changing demographics. Her byline has appeared in numerous
business and consumer publications. Frank wrote
about the new frugality of consumers in the March
2011 BedTimes. Her debut novel, Falling Through
Time, recently was published as an Amazon e-book.
She can be reached at [email protected]
or 252-728-1668.
| G
lenn Gutek
Glenn Gutek is a speaker and chief executive
officer of Awake Consulting & Coaching, a firm
that helps small businesses and organizations
improve their leadership and business development through training and coaching. He is the
author of Wide-Awake Leadership,
which teaches leaders how to
overcome mediocrity though
effective leadership. For more
information on his speaking
and consulting, visit
www.awakeconsulting.com or contact Gutek at
[email protected] or 407-901-4357.
| Phillip
M. Perry
Phillip M. Perry is an awardwinning writer who has published
widely in the fields of business
management, workplace psychology and employment law, and is
syndicated in scores of magazines
nationwide. He is past editor of a leading communications magazine and served as business editor of
a major industry newspaper. Perry wrote about the
economic forecast for 2012 in the December 2011
BedTimes. He can be reached at 212-274-8694
or [email protected].
| D
orothy
Whitcomb
Dorothy Whitcomb is a freelance
journalist and editor whose work
has appeared in a wide range of
business and general interest publications. Her primary focus for
25 years has been the home
furnishings industry. She wrote a profile of
industry supplier Enriquez Materials & Quilting
Inc. in the December 2011 BedTimes. She can be
reached at [email protected]
or 410-820-0456.
n
Coming up
Deadlines for ISPA EXPO show issue
If you are exhibiting at ISPA EXPO 2012
and have news about new products and
services you’ll be introducing at the show,
submit information for the March issue of
BedTimes, which will have bonus distribution on the show floor in Indianapolis. The
deadline for EXPO news is Wednesday,
Feb. 1. Submit releases and photos to
[email protected].
Correction
A report on the High Point Market in the
December issue of BedTimes contained a
typo in the name of sleep products manufacturer Glideaway. We regret the error.
January 2012 BedTimes
3|
SABA: Our target is customer satisfaction
SABA is dedicated to being more than just a supplier of the
highest quality water-based foam bonding adhesives. We aim at
achieving total customer satisfaction in all facets of our business.
Our service track record is unmatched in the industry. We go
above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction and we’ll
always care enough to do what’s right to meet the needs of
our customers.
Our team of highly trained field technicians is always standing
by to serve and, with four distribution centers across the US
and Canada, you can be assured of on-time deliveries.
See for yourself first hand how the SABA foam bonding adhesive
system can save you money!
l
l
l
l
l
Enjoy 20 to 50% reduction in adhesive costs
Zero capital outlay equipment procurement options
Highest performing water-based adhesive
Cleaner and safer working environment
Monitor and control adhesive usage
Contact SABA today for a risk-free 30 day testing period.
Call us at 810 824 4964
Email us at [email protected]
SABA’s water-based adhesives are second to none and
combined with our efficient application technologies you’ll
enjoy the lowest possible adhesive cost per mattress produced.
For sales inquiries,
please contact:
T 810 824 4964
F 810 824 4986
E [email protected]
W www.saba-adhesives.com
So aim for the best in customer service, adhesive performance
and application efficiency by contacting SABA today.
SABA North America LLC
5420 Lapeer Road
Kimball MI 48074 USA
SABA, dedicated to foam bonding
Est. 1933: 78 years of strong bonds
Inside
■
Departments
9 | Brief Sheet
■ U.S. mattress sales post gains
■ What do employees and employers want from
each other?
■ New marketing methods attract consumers
& more…
15 | Profile
■
28
Features
Dutch Craft Mattress Co. President Eli Schmucker
draws on his Amish values—and entrepreneurial
spirit—to manufacture a full line of mattresses in
Tennessee.
19 | Skills
| 28
Coming to a store near you
They are huge—some 80 million people born
at the end of the last century—and they’re
the most diverse generation in history. The
Millennials have their own ways of shopping
and buying. How can you adapt your marketing strategy to fit the values and lifestyles
of this group?
| 40
When loss turns to gain
Building resilience A technique known as BAND
can strengthen your problem-solving techniques and
improve the decisions you make.
23 | Management
What’s your style? Not all types of management are
equal. What works best often depends on the situation. Here are six styles you can use to direct and
motivate your employees.
40 47 | Leadership
‘We regret to inform you’ As Sophocles wrote, “No one
loves the messenger who brings bad news,” but there are
good and bad ways to deliver it. Consider these straight
approaches to sharing unpleasant information.
Special tax laws offer welcome relief for
companies that have experienced disaster
and misfortune.
65 | News
■ Culp’s sales rise in second quarter
■ Englander teams with Symbol Mattress in India
■ Comfort Solutions signs Restwell & more…
| 53
ISPA EXPO 2012
All the information you need to map out
your trip to the largest machinery and components show for the mattress industry. This
year’s event is March 14-17 in Indianapolis.
■
77 | Newsmakers
■ Ergomotion names new senior account manager
■ Info Retail adds two executives & more…
47
Plus
07 | Note
81 | Calendar
78 | ISPA
■ ISPA promotes product stewardship
■ Seats still available for product safety program
& more…
82 | Advertisers
84 | Classifieds
23
87 | On Sleep
■ NIH launches new sleep research initiative
■ Scientists discover the gene that regulates how long
we sleep & more…
5|
QUALITY BEDFRAME LUMBER MANUFACTURER
CERTIFIED WOOD
SLEEP BETTER WITH
PEACE OF MIND
Bois Le Roux is now FSC® certified, as part of our effort to remain a leader in business
development and contribute to the sustainable management of the environment.
Our FSC certified wood is another added value to our bedframe lumber and our company.
• Rigid, lightweight, resistant products providing better support that extends
mattress life.
• Deal closely with the mill.
• Our production is 100% bedframe lumber.
• Two separate production lines for more versatility and greater productivity.
• Fast delivery, thanks to our warehouses in the US and a loyal carrier working
with us for over 10 years.
Bois Le Roux Inc.
www.blrlumber.com
Phone: 819-877-2092
Toll Free from USA: 888-877-2098
Email: [email protected]
Note
It’s 2012:
That means
ISPA EXPO
time again
I
Mark your calendars
The show returns to
the Indiana
Convention Center
in Indianapolis,
where it also was
held in 2004.
Julie A. Palm
Editor in chief
started as editor of BedTimes in mid-February
2004—just one month before ISPA EXPO in
Indianapolis. I’d attended plenty of furniture
and home accessories shows earlier in my career, but I’d never been to an event dedicated to all
of the machinery, equipment, components, supplies
and services needed to manufacture mattresses.
I asked a co-worker what I could expect to see.
“Hog rings,” she told me.
Hog rings?
I wondered what I had gotten myself into.
During that first ISPA EXPO, I did indeed find
someone to show me what a hog ring is. I also
learned a good bit about serger-flangers, shoddy,
tape-edge and all sorts of other oddly named items
critical to mattress production.
The International Sleep Products Association holds its event—the largest trade show for
the manufacturing of mattresses and other sleep
products—every two years in different U.S. cities.
The coming show will be March 14-17, again at the
Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
At ISPA offices, you can tell when another EXPO
is coming around: Everyone gets a lot busier, planning educational sessions, booking exhibitors onto
the show floor, preparing marketing materials and
EXPO-dedicated websites, helping exhibitors and
attendees plan their visits. The list goes on and on
and on.
At BedTimes, we work on three special show issues. This first one contains a special section to help
you plan your EXPO experience and trip to Indianapolis. (See section starting on Page 53.)
In March, BedTimes will be packed with more
EXPO information, including an exhibitor directory
and maps showing where you can find everything
you’re looking for on the show floor. As always, the
March issue will have bonus distribution at EXPO
itself. Look for it at the convention center and in lo-
cal hotels. In May, we wrap things up with an overview of trends and new products that the BedTimes’
team has seen while covering the show.
If you’re exhibiting at ISPA EXPO 2012 and have
news about products and services you’ll be introducing there, you should plan to submit information to
be included in the March BedTimes. The
deadline for EXPO news is Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Send news releases and photos to me at
[email protected]. Questions? Call
571-482-5442.
If you haven’t registered to attend EXPO, now
is the time. If you register by Wednesday, Feb. 22,
you’ll receive special advance rates. Check
www.ispaexpo.com/register to find easy-to-use registration forms, plus links to hotel registration and
information about transportation and Indianapolis.
I’m looking forward to this year’s show. And not
only because I plan to send our newest team member, Managing Editor Mary Best, on her own search
for hog rings. ■
7|
THAT'S COOL !
CUTTED MATTRESS
MOULDED MATTRESS
The revolutionary high density polyurethane
foam gel, flexible, long lasting, fresh and extremely
breathable. Breathability is unparalleled by most of
flexible foams used to produce mattresses.
Moreover, Watergel ® padding is ecological, noiseless
and offers a relaxing “water effect” and an adequate
support to the body.
NATURAL
CONVOLUTED SHEETS
LONG LASTING
SHEETS
BLOCKS
latex foam
memory foam
www.gommagomma.com
For any technical or commercial information, please contact:
[email protected]
MADE
IN
ITALY
Brief Sheet
Making your sales pitch count
I
n these days of message overload, customers want concise, relevant and useful
information to help simplify purchasing decisions, says Jeff Mowatt, a syndicated
columnist and author of Becoming a Service Icon in 90 Minutes a Month and Influence
with Ease. Mowatt suggests following five steps to help customers compare your
products and services with the competition.
Without naming names, explain
Tell the truth and don’t
what other providers in your line of
exaggerate.
business supply.
Highlight the ways your product or
Briefly point out the downside of
service is different.
their approach.
Again, tell the truth and don’t
exaggerate.
1
New marketing methods
can lead customers
your way for less
3
4
5
2
W
ith consumers receiving
thousands of electronic and
traditional commercial
messages daily, they are no longer
relying on billboards and television
commercials—or “outbound” marketing—as a way of learning about
products and brands.
Instead of casting their nets far and
wide, marketers today are turning to
“inbound” marketing, a trend fueled by
consumers who have become
empowered by the Internet and social
media to discover more effective
alternatives to finding, researching
and buying products.
According to Voltier Digital, a content
marketing agency headquartered in
Delray, Fla., this new marketing strategy
relies on consumers finding an advertiser rather than the other way around.
A bonus: It costs less than traditional
marketing, which many consumers no
longer pay attention to anyway.
According to Voltier Digital:
■ 44% of direct mail is never opened.
■ 86% of people skip through television
commercials.
■ 84% of 25- to 34-year-olds have
clicked out of a website because of an
“irrelevant or intrusive ad.”
“A
leader
must
identify
himself with the
group, must back
up the group, even
at the risk of displeasing superiors.
He must believe
that the group
wants from him a
sense of approval.
If this feeling
prevails, production, discipline
and morale will be
high, and in return,
you can demand
the cooperation to
promote the goals
of the company.”
U.S. mattress sales
continue to rise
T
he wholesale dollar value of mattresses
and foundations sold in the United States
increased 12.5% in October when compared
with the same month in 2010, according to the
Bedding Barometer, a monthly report of U.S. mattress sales published by the International Sleep
Products Association. Unit shipments also rose,
up 2.9% in October. The average unit
selling price climbed 9.3% higher
than October 2010. Looking at
January to October 2011,
year-to-date units and
dollars remained in
positive territory,
increasing 1.5% and
8.7%, respectively,
over 2010.
AUSP was up
7.1%. —Vince Lombardi
9|
Brief Sheet
■ BEGINNINGS
“E
Looking for a few good employers…
very
man
should
be born again on
the first day of
January. Start
with a fresh page.”
—Henry Ward Beecher
“L
ife is
one
grand,
sweet song, so start
the music.”
—Ronald Reagan
“B
eginnings
are
always messy.”
—John Galsworthy
“F
rom
the end
spring
new beginnings.”
—Pliny the Elder
“E
very
exit is
an entry
somewhere else.”
E
mployees want to be recognized and
appreciated by employers for their work
and apparently are willing to change jobs to
receive it, according to a recent survey by
Globoforce, an employee recognition company based in Southborough, Mass.
More than half of those surveyed (52%)
said they weren’t happy with the level of recognition they receive from their employers,
and, despite today’s challenging job market,
38% of respondents said they were looking
for a new job.
The Global Workforce Mood Tracker survey collected 630 responses from fully employed people 18 and older at U.S. companies with 500 or more employees in August
2011. Those responses were compared with
ones gathered in February 2011.
Other findings:
■3
9% of workers said they don’t feel appreciated, a 7% increase from the previous
survey. One major reason for their dissatisfaction: having to perform other employees’ duties along with their own.
■ 49% of employees said they would leave
their current jobs to work for employers
that recognized employees for their efforts
and contributions. Of those searching for
a new job, only 24% said they are satisfied
with the current level of recognition they
receive for their performance.
■ 63% of employees who have no intention
of searching for a new job are happy with
the level of recognition they receive.
■ 66% of employees planning to leave—but
only 40% of those not looking for a job—
think their company should improve its
recognition program.
■ 77% of employees planning to search for a
new job—and 65% of those not looking for
a job—said they would work harder if their
efforts were better recognized.
…and a few good employees
E
conomic wellness depends on a competent
work force. So, with 14 million Americans
unemployed, why can’t companies find qualified workers? Manpower Group, a work force
solutions and services provider headquartered
in Milwaukee, Wis., offers these insights:
■ 52% of U.S. companies report they are having a difficult time filling jobs.
■4
7% of employers blame candidates’ lack of
“hard” job skills or technical skills.
■3
5% of companies say prospects don’t have
the requisite experience.
■2
5% of companies cite candidates’ lack of
business knowledge or formal qualifications.
■2
8% of companies are increasing training
and development.
—Tom Stoppard
|
10
BedTimes January 2012
JOIN TODAY!
Works in conjunction
with Spinal Zone®
patented innerspring
technology
Zone shading for
illustration purposes
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Craftsman Quality | Affordable Value | Patented Features | Limited Distribution | Factories Worldwide
Brief Sheet
8 time-saving secrets
of productive people
D
oes it seem like your co-workers glide effortlessly
through the workday, completing tasks and leaving
work on time while you feel hopelessly behind before
you ever reach your desk in the morning?
As Alexandra Gekas of Woman’s Day suggests, this doesn’t
mean your workload is twice theirs. Instead, it may mean your
co-workers have incorporated time-saving skills into their
workday that you have yet to master.
Check out these eight workplace habits that will increase
your productivity and reduce your stress level:
1 Take breaks Your co-workers may be more efficient be-
cause they take breaks during the day, which is like hitting the
reset button, says Christie Hohlbaum, author of The Power of
Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World. In addition to
lunch, she recommends taking a few 10- to 15-minute breaks
in the morning and afternoon.
2 Start your day on the right foot If you are stressed out be-
fore you even begin work, your productivity will decrease by as
much as 10%. Hohlbaum suggests beginning your day by taking a few minutes to decompress. Establish a ritual that helps
you connect with people, such as chatting with co-workers.
3 Watch what you eat Eating a heavy lunch can make you
lethargic and wreck your ability to concentrate in the afternoon. According to Kari Kooi, a wellness dietitian with the
Methodist Hospital System in Houston, you should keep your
blood sugar levels steady by eating three meals and two
snacks. Stick with fiber-rich carbohydrates, water-rich veggies
and lean meat rather than processed foods.
4 Keep a flexible to-do list While daily lists can be helpful,
they also can be restricting. Stay on course by updating your
list throughout the day, noting what has and hasn’t been accomplished. At the end of the day, create a fresh list.
5 Don’t be a slave to technology In a 24-hour access world,
it’s easy to lose sight of how much time you spend on the Web,
on social networking sites or answering email. Set aside 15
minutes at lunch to scroll through social networks and 15 to
30 minutes a day to check your personal email.
6 Maintain a balanced workload Because different tasks
require different levels of concentration, divide chores into
“weeds” and intensive work. Weeds are small tasks, such as
answering email or returning phone calls. Intensive work, like
preparing a presentation, requires more extended concentration. The key is to mix these up to have a variety of tasks
requiring different types of concentration.
7 Pick your perfectionist battles While we learned in kinder-
garten to turn in perfect work, that ideal is not realistic in the
workplace. Prioritize your work. When you write an informal
email, give it a quick read and spell check but don’t pore over
it two or three times. On the other hand, make use of your perfectionist tendencies when writing a report.
8 Just say “no” It’s easy to get overwhelmed on the job so
minimize the influences that contribute to that feeling. Resist the
urge to participate in conversations with people who gossip and
complain by wearing headphones or closing your office door.
When you feel like you should say “no” to your boss, ask her to
prioritize the tasks you have on your plate.
Consumer spending continues to fall
A
mericans have tightened their belts during
the past five years as the
economic slowdown continues to take a bite out of consumer spending. According
to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
|
12
Statistics, average annual
expenditures per consumer
unit—measured as a family/
shared household or single/
financially independent person—fell 2% in 2010,
following a decrease of
2.8% in 2009.
In 2010, spending on food
and housing fell 3.8% and
2%, respectively. Spending
on entertainment decreased
7%, cash contributions to
charities dropped 5.2%, and
spending on apparel and
services dipped 1.4%.
While spending declined,
prices for goods rose 1.6%
from 2009 to 2010.
See us at:
In the 1950’s 1 in 10 mattresses sold
were all latex.
ISPA
BOOTH
#
1017
March 14-17, 2012,
Indiana Convention Center,
Indianapolis.
Today, we are seeing a resurgence of that
popularity as All Talalay Latex Mattresses are the
fastest growing category in specialty sleep.
800-Latex-US • www.latexintl.com
Profile
Entrepreneur growing
company from Amish roots
Dutch Craft expanding with licensing deal, new plant
S
By Dorothy Whitcomb
Above
Early start Eli
Schmucker began
working in the mattress
business as a teenager.
even years after founding Dutch Craft
Mattress Co., President Eli Schmucker is
confident about the company’s potential for
continued growth. He predicts that within
three years, the production volume of his
Celina, Tenn.-based factory will have tripled and that a
second facility, scheduled to open this year, will be fully
operational.
Such growth—and Dutch Craft’s very identity—are
tied to an unwavering commitment to quality, Schmucker
says. It’s that commitment that drives every decision the
company makes.
“At Dutch Craft, our core belief is that we build the
best product out there and that no one can touch us on
quality,” Schmucker says. “Our challenge is to maintain
our current standards as we grow.”
Below
Primary plant Dutch
Craft Mattress Co.
has headquarters at
a 45,000-square-foot
plant in Celina, Tenn.
An Amish upbringing
Schmucker draws all of his company’s core beliefs—integrity, honesty, hard work and the value of teams—from his
Amish heritage.
“I was raised in an Old Order Amish community in
Middlefield, Ohio,” he says. “We had horses and buggies
and, like all Amish, I left school after eighth grade.” His
formal education ended then, but his interest in learning
never did.
An affinity for motors and automobiles drew
Schmucker away from the Amish life. By the time he was
17, he was working at Therapedic of the Great Lakes. And
at 21, he was running that Therapedic factory.
In fact, it was at Therapedic that the idea for Dutch
Craft was born. When the company relocated its plant in
2002 to a rural facility near his hometown, Schmucker
facilitated the hiring of a group of Amish workers, a move
that turned out to be successful.
“I wanted more to do so I initiated the idea of a highend line of mattresses based on my ‘Amishness’ and the
Amish employees,” Schmucker says.
A Southern startup
When Therapedic passed on the concept, Schmucker decided to pursue the idea himself and took an exploratory
trip to Tennessee—a place he had visited on vacation and
appreciated for its warmer-than-Ohio weather.
“The locals encouraged me to start a company down
here and offered to help,” he says. “I was amazed that they
took me seriously.”
Schmucker believed that he had three things going for
him: He knew how to manufacture mattresses, he could
fix machinery and he was extremely motivated. With
those assets—and the proceeds from selling everything
he owned—he and Bill Troyer, an Amish friend who
Schmucker says “wanted to experience life,” set out for
Tennessee to make beds. (Troyer later left the company to
return to school. He’s now in college and royalty checks
from Dutch Craft help pay expenses.)
Schmucker quickly learned that it took more than
enthusiasm to launch a successful company. Initially
structured as a factory direct, Dutch Craft foundered.
“When I only sold one twin bed in a month, I knew I
had to do something,” he says. What followed were two
years of what Schmucker describes as “a really huge learning process.”
“All I did was learn,” he says. “I learned how to use a
computer, mastered QuickBooks software and read every
book I could find on selling. If you have a passion for
something, you learn it quickly and I really wanted this
business to succeed.”
Instead of relying on customers to come to him,
15 |
Profile
Doing it all Dutch Craft Mattress Co. makes a full line of mattresses, including innerspring and specialty sleep.
Schmucker took to the road,
acting as his company’s only sales
representative and knocking on
retailers’ doors. When he delivered
his first order, he found that his
dealer customer was “hugely dissatisfied.”
“The biggest lesson I learned
is that dealers want quality and
that they don’t want returns,” he
says. “I decided right then that I
wouldn’t use convoluted foams or
fiber pads. I would use no foams
with less than 1.5-pound density and all foundations would be
made of hardwood. Today, even
with beds that retail at $399, we
have no returns.”
A commitment to producing
only high-quality products set
Dutch Craft on a path to success.
In 2011, the company posted $4
million in annual sales, an increase of 30% over the year before.
Schmucker projects that within
five years, annual sales will have
doubled over 2011’s figure.
Sue Eldridge, Dutch Craft’s
bookkeeper and project manager,
thinks that projection may be
conservative.
“Even in a bad economy, our
sales have increased each year,”
she says. “We’ve already surpassed
many of Eli’s sales goals. If we keep
growing the way we are, the next
|
16
five years should be amazing.”
Dutch Craft’s platform for
growth seems sustainable. The
company completely jettisoned
its initial factory-direct model
and now puts all of its efforts into
wholesale sales to retailers. Four
years ago, a 45,000-square-foot
manufacturing facility replaced
the company’s 5,000-square-foot
startup plant. Dutch Craft’s current factory produces about 250
pieces a day but has capacity to
turn out as many as 1,000.
Schmucker plans to open an
additional factory in New York
this spring. He’s been shipping to
the region for the past two years
and has an average of 800 pieces a
month going just to Pennsylvania,
so he’s confident he has the volume to begin production there.
“We want to start small and
build from there,” he says.
Partnerships & private labels
Last summer, Dutch Craft signed
a licensing agreement with Stuart
Carlitz’s Mattress Development
Co. to produce and distribute
Eclipse and Eastman House
brands in Alabama, southern Indiana, northern Georgia, Kentucky
and Tennessee.
“I’m very particular about not
selling to two guys in the same
town,” Schmucker says. “Licensing
gives us an opportunity to sell into
a new region and to offer retailers
opportunities they’ve never had
before.”
Dutch Craft also produces
three private-label brands. For
now, Schmucker is satisfied with
his company’s private-label and
licensing deals and isn’t looking
for additional partnerships.
“I need to get these up and running and always want to be able to
focus on Dutch Craft first,” he says.
The Dutch Craft brand
Dutch Craft offers a variety of mattress constructions and designs
under its own name, including an
environmentally friendly collection called Back to Nature. A
group of gel mattresses is scheduled to debut this month.
The Paradise collection,
introduced a year ago, has rapidly
become a best-seller. With suggested retail prices from $799
to $2,999 for a queen set, the
12-model memory foam and
latex collection is the company’s
most expensive. It’s also a bit of
a departure for a company that
has specialized in innersprings—
though many with foam and latex
comfort layers—and foam-encased coils.
“I was skeptical about this
in the beginning, but none have
come back and we have had nothing but rave reviews from dealers
and consumers,” Schmucker says.
“I think the industry is moving
toward foam and latex and this
Paradise collection could end up
contributing about 25% to annual
sales in two years.”
The Bouquet collection is
Dutch Craft’s entry-level offering,
with suggested retail prices from
$399 to $999 for a queen set. Because customer demand remains
high for two-sided innerspring
mattresses, the company “still
makes a ton of them,” Schmucker
says.
Most Dutch Craft bedding is
sold through furniture retailers and specialty sleep shops in
nearly a dozen states: Alabama,
Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Tennessee and
West Virginia.
The company has about 250
active accounts, but also does a
substantial amount of custom
work.
“We’ve done almost all the
tour buses for country music
stars, including BarlowGirl,
Aaron Tippin and Taylor Swift,”
he says.
Profile
Getting the word out
It was only last year that Schmucker began to seriously consider the
benefits of marketing.
“Eli has always been more
interested in developing product
than dealing with marketing,”
Eldridge says. “He was counting on word-of-mouth to sell the
product.”
But Schmucker has come to
believe that marketing and consumer education are synonymous.
Dutch Craft now makes marketing
and point-of-purchase materials
available to retailers and has upgraded in-store displays with bed
skirts, pillows and foot protectors.
Schmucker jokes about “crawling out from under a rock,” but it
would be a mistake to underestimate this 31-year-old leader. His
employees don’t.
“Eli was always taught to work
hard, do the right thing and respect other people,” Eldridge says.
“That rubs off on everyone around
him. He thinks of us as family and
cares about what we’re doing, not
only at work but outside of it, as
well.”
She adds: “Eli makes Dutch
Craft what it is. He expects us
to make a quality product and to
work hard to achieve that. We
don’t let problems get ahead of
us. We all want the company to
grow, but we want to keep the
quality because it makes our
customers happy and that makes
us happy.”
Meanwhile, the confident
young man who set out to build
“the very best mattresses” remains
confident, if more realistic, after
several years of experience. Dutch
Craft, Schmucker hopes, will be a
long-term player in the industry.
n
BRIEFLY
Company
Dutch Craft Mattress Co.
Specialty Full-line mattress producer with license to
manufacture and distribute Eclipse and
Eastman House brands
Headquarters Celina, Tenn.
Facilities45,000-square-foot manufacturing plant
in Celina with plans for another factory in
New York
Ownership
Privately held
Philosophy‘Our purpose is to serve our God,
our customers and our community.’
Learn more
www.sleepdutchcraft.com
He looks to companies like ultraluxury brand E.S. Kluft & Co. as
guides.
“The sky is the limit for us,” he
says. “As time passes, everything
gets stronger. I don’t know how big
we want to get. We certainly don’t
want it to happen overnight. You
don’t become Earl Kluft overnight.” ■
17 |
Skills
UNDER PRESSURE
The big BAND theory A survivor’s
guide to problem solving / By Elaine Dumler
pens to you, but how you handle it that matters. This is
when problem solving becomes a critical life skill.
Resilience is the ability to recognize, recover from and
adjust to misfortune or change—in short, to bounce back.
Sustainability means figuring out how to get through a
situation effectively and end up better for it. Resiliency
and sustainability work together as you identify stressors
that work against you and learn to get through them
with fortitude and dignity. It’s like a rubber band: A crisis
stretches you to the limit and when you’ve solved it, you
return—intact—to where you were before. With the application of four tools that form the acronym BAND, you
can solve problems like Makala.
B
It’s not what
happens
to you, but
how you
handle it
that matters.
L
iam walked into his office and was hit with
problems from all directions—there were
snags in a critical shipment to his largest customer, the company’s phone system was down
and his computer wouldn’t load a PowerPoint
presentation while executives from a prospective client
waited impatiently. The tension was debilitating, which
wrecked his mood, annoyed co-workers and compromised his ability to do his job. By the end of the day, Liam
had been called to his boss’ office to be reprimanded.
On the same day, Makala arrived at work to face
similar problems stacked up on her desk—plus she had
to fill in for a co-worker who didn’t show up. But unlike
Liam, Makala wasn’t thrown off track and maintained her
composure. One by one, she handled the crises, which
lightened the mood of her co-workers. By the end of the
day, she had been called to her boss’ office to be praised
and promoted.
Scenarios like this are played out in businesses every
day. No one has a perfect day at work. That’s why it’s
called work. So how did Makala breeze through the same
problems as Liam, keep her cool and come out on top?
Through a two-word, problem-solving technique often
used by people in the military, public safety and other
high-stress occupations: resiliency and sustainability. Both
principles center on the realization that it’s not what hap-
—Breathe As stressors appear, step back—physically, mentally or both—and take a deep breath.
This alone will help you clear your head, which
enables you to process new information more efficiently.
Breathing helps relax your muscles and lets your mind
begin to decipher the circumstances at hand. Also, try to
diffuse heightened emotions, especially if you’re dealing
with angry people. It’s hard to help customers if they’re
still venting about their problems. Can you call someone,
like a co-worker, to help you put things into perspective
and get better control of the situation?
A
—Assess Now that you have a clearer head,
prioritize the steps you need to take to solve the
problem as fairly as possible. What’s the specific
problem? Who is affected by it? What’s the most critical
part that needs to be handled first? Don’t forget that at
this point, you’re only identifying and prioritizing your
steps, not acting on them.
For example, if you receive a message from a customer
requesting a significant change in an order, you probably
would determine that your first priority should be to call
the customer for more information and then contact the
appropriate departments in your
company to assess the logistics
of the request.
19 |
Skills
N
Resiliency
is the
ability to
bounce back.
—Navigate You now know the problem and
have developed steps to solve it. The next step is
to act on your plan. Look ahead and determine
exactly what you want to have happen when a good solution is reached. What will the perfect solution look like?
Implement your plan based on the outcome you want. As
you execute each step, occasionally pause to make sure
you are on the right track. Make whatever adjustments
are needed along the way. Are you including the people
who need to be involved in the solution? By doing so, they
will feel you’re working with them and not against them.
D
—Deter You did it! You successfully dealt with
a challenging situation. Now implement the
necessary steps to prevent the problem from
happening again. What lessons did you learn from this
experience that will help you set up parameters to avoid
similar issues?
S
tep 1 Think of a problem as a paper chain.
Problem “links” can develop into hazardous situations. Identify the good and bad links—people,
experiences, outside forces—in the chain. Sometimes
|
20
removing a link can make the chain stronger when you
put it back together.
S
tep 2 To prevent problems from happening
again, determine the level of control you have
over each circumstance and factor. Eliminate or
adjust what you have influence or authority over and
let go of areas beyond your immediate control.
S
tep 3 Establish a safety net. It should consist
of current contacts and any new ones you’ve
built over the course of solving this problem.
Think about what you learned about yourself and those
around you. Who stepped up when they were needed?
Keep the information for those support personnel
close by so you will have it when you need it.
Although BAND may seem like a timeconsuming process right now, as you become comfortable with this creative technique, you will be able to
work through the steps in a matter of minutes to apply
practical problem-solving skills quickly and instinctively to handle—even excel in—any situation. ■
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Management
EFFECTIVE Leadership
What’s your style? 6 approaches
to direct and motivate your staff / By Glenn Gutek
You can’t just
assemble
a group of
people and
claim you
have a team.
Style matters.
Charismatic Here, a leader uses the power of
Beyond guidance for matching your belt to your
shoes, it’s a universal truth that extends to the way
you lead. Understanding your leadership style and
recognizing what approach is needed in certain situations enable you to act quickly and effectively.
After a successful career in the military, Noah retired at a young age with a high rank. Well prepared
for his transition into civilian life, he landed an impressive position with an upstart social media firm.
His new employer was confident his previous leadership performance would transfer to the battlefield
of competitive social networking and e-commerce.
But within months, it became painfully obvious that
members of Noah’s team were not responding well
to his command-and-control leadership style.
As Noah and his company learned, effective leadership in one field or with one team doesn’t always
translate to another. The complexity of today’s marketplace has heightened the importance of knowing
your leadership style and discerning which style will
work best for a particular team.
Here’s a look at the six most prominent styles in
today’s work force:
her personality to motivate employees. This style
may encompass a variety of personalities, but the
common ingredient is that the energy ushered in
by the leader is closely tied to her personality. Once
“Elvis leaves the building,” however, so does some of
the infectious energy.
While this style has been praised and panned
over the years, leadership studies recognize that
there is value to those who bring energy to a company by their mere presence. The downside is that
some teams don’t need to speed things up but rather
could use a little slowing down. The charismatic
leader is an excellent visionary and can elicit a loyal
and passionate following. Where this style often
falls short is in the attention to details.
Technical This style of leadership displays both
knowledge and skill. It is revered in cultures where
high economic value is placed on competence. It is
leading simply by being the best producer of what
your company produces. This leader can influence
a work force with an impeccable reputation and set
the bar for the standard of work quality.
A technical style is difficult to replicate throughJanuary 2012 BedTimes
23 |
Management
out a company. Some leaders who
strongly employ this style can
become like the wizard in The
Wizard of Oz, hiding behind the
curtain, pulling strings and leaving
everyone to wonder, “How do they
do that?” Nobody can argue with
the value that quality plays in any
arena, but keep in mind there’s a
distinction between leading the
best and being the best.
Strategic This is leadership
by connecting the dots. It’s embodied in people who tend to be
global and conceptual thinkers.
They not only are able to see the
destination, but they know the
path to get there must be identified and paved. Tragically, this
style can be marred by the blues,
because not only do strategic
leaders see what could be, they
see what is not.
P (800) 776-7046
|
24
Team building Here, leader-
Directive Here we have leader-
ship is done by defining roles to
build unity. It recognizes that
you can’t just assemble a group
of people and claim you have a
team. Team-building leaders look
at people individually and find
individual roles for them to fill.
At the same time, they align these
individuals into a cohesive whole.
ship by control. While some say
command and control are no
longer cherished, any company in
crisis would love to have a directive leader step forward and bring
order out of chaos. There is still a
need for directive leaders.
Managerial This leadership
style focuses on systems and doing
things right. Processes and systems
are designed and understood so
that operations function consistently. Though some would argue
that managers are not leaders,
effective managers do have a profound influence on those around
them. In fact, they have the capacity to lead a culture that prizes
management, even at the expense
of effectiveness.
F (800) 776-7044
Just the right style
The most important thing to
understand when examining leadership styles is to recognize that
there are circumstances in which
certain styles flourish and others
flounder. Years ago, the common
philosophy was to master all of
these styles.
Today, the world is too diverse
and complex. Truthfully, nobody
has ever been excellent at all
styles. Most experts encourage
you to know your style and work
in an environment where your
www.ctlabels.com
[email protected]
style will thrive. As a leader,
not only should you know your
natural style, you should know
the “shadow side” of that style:
How does your winning formula
undermine your effectiveness?
Typically, a leader’s ineffectiveness will not be exposed, even if
one of her weaknesses is revealed.
Ineffectiveness shines when
strengths run amuck. Remember
the saying, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail”?
Some of the biggest leadership
mistakes are made when you pick
up a hammer but need sandpaper.
Effective leadership in today’s
diverse culture requires a team
approach, and teams need diverse
leadership styles. By employing
the best leadership style for you
and knowing when to adopt other
styles, you can effectively lead your
team to success. ■
Whitewater, WI
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28
Meet the Millennials:
Getting to know your
n e x t
BIG
H
customer
By Patricia Comroe Frank
ere they come—all 80 million-plus of them.
Technically savvy—to the point of being technically dependent—they’re ultraconnected to their peers by a constant stream of texts and tweets from everpresent electronic devices. Loving their mobility, they’ve
replaced land lines with “app”-filled smart phones. Many have
college diplomas but are job hunting. If they are working, they don’t stay at
one employer for long—this group job hops.
Most have little savings; tuition debt makes them penny-pinchers. More
often renters than homeowners, you’ll find them in the city, their preferred
habitat. Having little trust in big corporations, they shrink from sales pitches,
yet feel affection for certain iconic brands. Raised by kid-centric,
indulgent parents, they sometimes think the world revolves
around them. They generally get along with their parents
and aren’t in a hurry to marry. A social conscience often
guides their choices: Google’s principle “you can make
money without doing evil” speaks to them.
Meet your next generation of customers: the
Millennials.
29 |
‘We’re turned
off by the
hard sell.
We want a
conversation,
not a pitch.’
Different names, many faces
We’ll call them Millennials but, depending on the
demographer, this generation has various labels—
Gen Y, Echo Boomers, Generation Next, Net Generation, the Next Boomers—and birth dates. Typically, Millennials are defined as being born between
1980 and 1994, though some demographers extend
the date to 2005. William Strauss and Bill Howe,
authors of Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, use the birth dates 1982 to 2001.
Depending on the birth-date parameters, Millennials number between 80 million and 86 million. A
2010 Met Life study says they represent 25% of the
U.S. population. Even at 80 million, this generation is enormous, topping the culture-shaping baby
boomers, which number 76 million.
Millennials don’t just embrace multiculturism,
they are multicultural. The Pew Research Center,
a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan research
organization that tracks issues, attitudes and trends
shaping the United States, describes this generation
as more culturally diverse than any previous group:
61% white, 19% Hispanic, 14% black, 5% Asian and
1% other.
Shaping a generation
Several major events—some tragic, some financially
challenging and some technologically inventive—
have molded the Millennials.
“9/11 is their defining event,” says Edward
Boches, chief innovation officer at the Boston-based
Mullen advertising agency. “It made them feel vulnerable, less confident in their future security.”
The recent Great Recession is another influencer.
|
30
Boches puts it bluntly: “They feel screwed.”
Carol Phillips, president of Brand Amplitude, a
market research firm based in Stevensville, Mich.,
agrees that the terrorist attacks on the United States
on Sept. 11, 2001, were a defining event for Millennials, but also points to mass shootings at Columbine High School (1999) and Virginia Tech (2007),
as well as Hurricane Katrina’s hit to the U.S. Gulf
Coast in 2005, as seminal events. And, she reminds
us, Millennials “can’t remember life prior to the
Internet.”
B.J. Birtwell, president of the Armory Ad Agency
& Production Co. in Dana Point, Calif., emphasizes
how peer influence defines this group.
“We must not forget how peer-to-peer sharing,
social media and products like the iPhone have
shaped their definition of what ‘immediate’ or ‘consumption’ means,” Birtwell says. “Beyond events,
trends and products, the most influential shaping
comes from their peers. This is often overlooked.”
Bleak employment prospects impact every aspect
of Millennial lives: marriage, housing, buying
power, world view. A 2010 Pew study found that
“fully 37% of 18- to 29-year-olds are unemployed or
out of the work force, the highest share among this
age group in more than three decades.”
Phillips calls them “almost a recession generation.”
Despite the tough economy and perhaps because
of their relative youth, Millennials remain optimistic about their futures. And they have their share of
success stories: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg
(age 27), Mozilla software developer Blake Ross
(age 26), basketball star LeBron James (age 27) and
entertainer Miley Cyrus (a mere 19), to name a few.
Millennial entrepreneurs and developers, often
working in accelerator groups in technology hot
spots, are founding fast-growing digital and e-commerce companies.
What sets them apart
The Millennials are the most connected generation
in history. The Pew Research Center calls them “history’s first ‘always-connected’ generation, treating
their multitasking, handheld devices ‘almost like a
body part.’ ”
Millennials are great at working in teams but
Rules of engagement: Selling to Millennials
1
2
3
4
5
|
32
reate a conversation Millennials care more about what their
C
peers tell them than what marketers tell them. And they’re in
constant communication via texting, instant messaging, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Your goal—and challenge—is getting your
products endorsed by the group. Use “pull” advertising techniques rather than “push.”
Craft a new media strategy Selective print and broadcast
campaigns still belong in a comprehensive advertising program,
but digital media must take a starring role when trying to reach
this generation. Your efforts should include websites (particularly
mobile-enabled sites), social media (especially Facebook and
YouTube), online advertising and search engine marketing.
Be transparent and engaging What’s the story behind your
brand? What’s unique about your company history? Engage buyers with a video showing how your products are made or the evolution of mattresses through the ages. Create online quizzes or,
as Jason Ryan Dorsey, chief strategy officer at the Austin, Texasbased Center for Generational Kinetics, suggests, sponsor an
online contest asking, for example, “If you could send a new
bed to anyone in the world, who would it be?” Promote it
heavily on your website and through social media.
ame that tune Millennials love music—both live
N
and downloaded. Consider marrying your brand to a
memorable tune. Focus on lyrics that demonstrate a user
benefit or capture a sense nostalgia—many of this generation actually like their parents’ music. Sponsor a music
festival or concert.
Reward loyalty More than three-quarters (77%) of
Millennials participate in corporate or retailer loyalty
or reward programs, according to a survey conducted
by Harris Interactive on behalf of Montreal-based loyalty
management firm Aimia. But, cautions Aimia’s Rick
Ferguson, “They expect reward programs to be free,
easy and fast.” In exchange for rewards, 44% of
Millennials will promote products through
social media, the survey found.
may not be strong leaders. Boches defines them
as “collaborative, digitally savvy, entrepreneurial,
open-minded and inclusive.” Phillips’ research finds
them to be more adaptive than previous generations.
“They want to participate, get engaged” in the
world around them, she says.
Given the current economic reality, it’s no surprise that Millennials aren’t particularly acquisitive
consumers—except, perhaps, for those electronic
devices that are viewed as necessities.
“While they aspire to be successful, they don’t
aspire to live in mansions. They don’t want a house
full of stuff,” Phillips says. “Gen Ys make things last
and don’t buy top-of-the-line products. They live
small.”
“Living small” is often dictated by the size of
their living spaces. Spurning the suburbs, they’re
drawn to urban settings. City apartments with tiny
square footage mean belongings must be pared
down to bare essentials. Lightweight, portable,
multiuse furnishings have high appeal for this
group.
Consider price points, too. As Phillips notes,
“The economy has forced them to be thrifty. They’re
in search of the best value, the best deal.”
Cautious shoppers, Millennials use the Internet
and social media to search for and compare products
and to get peer recommendations. Given this, successful manufacturers must craft and implement a
digital marketing and sales strategy to capture their
attention. Though confident in purchasing online,
Millennials remain wary of making a bad buying decision. Most still go to brick-and-mortar retailers for
big-ticket purchases. Experts say mattress manufacturers would be wise to develop branding strategies
that build confidence and drive online shoppers to
retail outlets.
Millennials expect immediate payback on their
expenditures.
“We don’t think long term. How can your
product improve our lives now?” asks
Jason Ryan Dorsey, chief strategy
officer at the Austin, Texas-based
Center for Generational Kinetics.
Dorsey—also known as “The Gen
Y Guy”—describes his generation as “robo shoppers.”
“We research online, buy
offline in the store,” he
says. Keeping this “now”
orientation in mind,
mattress manufacturers
might do best to focus on the
immediate payoffs of a new mattress, such
as improved sleep and better back health, or
how the next step in life, such as moving into
a new place, can prompt a mattress purchase.
Marriage, often a trigger for a new mattress, isn’t a high priority for Millennials right now. Research from Pew
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How the generations
compare
Silent Generation
Born 1925-1945
Population 42 million
Defining moments Great Depression,
World War II
New advertising medium TV
Key characteristics Conformers, hard workers,
technologically challenged, retirees
Baby boomers
Born 1946-1964
Defining moments Assassination of
President John F. Kennedy,
Vietnam, Watergate
New advertising medium FM radio
Key characteristics Idealistic,
collaborative, experimental, rebellious
Generation X
Born 1965-1979
Defining moments Challenger shuttle
explosion, fall of the Berlin Wall
New advertising medium Internet
Key characteristics Latchkey kids, skeptical, self-reliant, media- and
technologically literate
Millennials
Born 1980-1994
Defining moments Columbine
High School and Virginia Tech
shootings, Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
New advertising medium Social media
Key characteristics Goal-oriented,
team players, technology masters Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Law Practice Today,
Fairleigh Dickson University, American Marketing Assn.
|
34
loyal to family
shows that many in this generation are postponing
getting hitched. Only 22% of Millennials are married. By comparison, 33% of Gen Xers, 40% of
boomers and 50% of the Silent Generation were
married at the same age. Millennials also are postponing having children. For the third straight year,
U.S. birth rates dropped in 2010. Experts attribute
the decline to the weak economy.
Timothy Smith—a five-year financial services
industry “veteran” and, at age 28, a Millennial himself—writes and publishes Echo Boom Bomb, a blog
that focuses on his generation from an economic
and financial perspective.
Smith says Millennials have “light wallets” and a
different perspective on homeownership.
“They don’t appear ready to buy homes and may
not want homes,” he says. “The rental housing market is getting younger—the top amenity they want
is Wi-Fi.”
If they do want to buy, they’re hard-pressed to
swing the purchase. Smith quotes one Millennial as
saying, “I want to buy a home in the next five years
or so, but honestly man, I don’t know how I’m going
to do it. I just don’t make that much money.”
How they shop & what they buy
Peer recommendations and positive online reviews
from product users and owners strongly influence
Millennials’ purchases. Winning the stamp of approval of the group makes the sale.
“They really want to know how the product or
brand will bring a sense of belonging,” Birtwell says.
“What social benefit can your product or brand
offer that can deliver on that key psychological
driver? Although price and features are important,
they’re not nearly as important as providing social
benefit.”
Boches concurs.
“Clearly price is an important attribute, but so
are human and social values,” he says. “I think many
want brands that aren’t ‘selfish’ and for-profit only,
but that are for a purpose.”
While Millennials favor environmentally friendly
products, Phillips says they are “not willing to pay
more for organic.”
“Value is important—they’re tight,” she says.
But they do make exceptions for cool, musthave products and will spend significant dollars on
luxury brands that they deem necessities.
“Gen Y is price sensitive, however, consider that
the iPhone is priced at the top of its class and still
remains the No. 1 seller,” Birtwell says. “We would
never recommend anchoring Gen Y strategy on
price.”
Millennials are recrafting the shopping experience. This generation depends less on what you
tell them about your products and more on what
independent research and peer recommendations
tell them.
“They don’t care about brands unless you give
‘We don’t
think
long term.
How can your
product
improve our
lives now?’
them a reason to care,” Birtwell says.
“Their purchase process is very deliberate. By the
time they’re ready to make a purchase, they know
exactly what they want and know what they’re willing to spend,” Phillips adds.
When considering a purchase, Boches says,
“Millennials use Google search, Facebook and other
social media, plus word-of-mouth. Advertising may
still work, but less than on any previous generation.”
“We’re turned off by the hard sell. We want a conversation, not a pitch,” Dorsey says. “Most manufacturers use ‘push’ marketing. With Gen Y, it should
be more about the users.”
Millennials are skeptical, even cynical shoppers.
“When you’re selling, make it clear you’re selling,” Boches says. “Understand who they are and
what matters. Build a following and create advocates
so that peer-to-peer marketing emerges.”
Because Millennials don’t want to make a purchasing mistake, Dorsey recommends lowering the
perceived risk. Comfort returns may appeal to this
generation, as would opportunities to improve a
purchased mattress with customizing accessories
like toppers.
“In some ways, we’re more educated, but need
to be guided through the process,” Dorsey says. Put
videos in your dealers’ stores or on your website that
show Millennials exactly how your mattresses are
made and what components, particularly environmentally friendly ones, are included in the constructions.
Boches suggests giving Millennials plenty of tools
that help them make decisions, including mobileoptimized websites that allow them to research your
products while on the go—or in the store.
The Millennial opportunity
At fully one-quarter of the population, Millennials
represent a rich opportunity for mattress manufacturers. Tricky to sell to, they must be approached on their
own terms. Manufacturer transparency earns points
with this group. Be honest and open about your products and look for ways to connect with this alwaysconnected generation. Often in debt and facing high
unemployment rates, Millennials seek both a good deal
and value. If the product is cool, even better.
Because purchase decisions are strongly influenced by peer recommendations, building a strong
social media presence is key for any company
wanting to sell to this group. This generation must
like a brand before buying. Provide them plenty of
information about your products, along with tips
on buying the right mattress for them, and you’ll
convert Millennials from researchers to purchasers
to brand loyalists. ■
CONTRACT MANUFACTURING
|
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When Loss turns
to Gain
A
Tax laws that help cushion a disaster
By Mark E. Battersby
side from the unwarranted fear that the
Internal Revenue Service might occasionally label a small, moneylosing business as a hobby and reject all the write-offs it has claimed,
many businesses are actually profiting from their losses. That’s right:
Handled properly, those inevitable losses can generate badly needed
funds for a troubled mattress manufacturer or supplier.
Losses can result from natural disasters, dishonest employees or
customers, bad business decisions and a poor economy. Insurance
provides protection from some types of losses, and tax laws help
reduce the bite of others, but planning for or reacting to the losses of
a business can mean survival and, in many cases, even profits.
Although so-called business continuation insurance covers the
expenses of a company temporarily forced to close its doors after a
natural disaster, it’s critical to anticipate other possible losses and
develop strategies for coping or seeking affordable insurance protection for any possible contingency.
L
osses from theft
Losses resulting from theft are tax deductible in the year
the loss was sustained. Tax laws say, however, that theft
losses are actually sustained in the year in which they are
discovered—not necessarily in the year in which they occurred. In other words, a theft loss is not deductible in the tax year in
which the theft actually occurs unless that’s also the year in which the
company discovers the loss.
Going one step further, if, in the year of discovery, a reasonable
possibility of reimbursement for that theft loss exists, the deduction
cannot be taken until reimbursement is actually made or ruled out
|
40
as a probability. Remember: The basic rule states that for losses to be
deductible, there must be a “closed transaction.”
I
nvoluntary conversions
There are other occasions when business property is taken.
The government can, for example, legally take property by the
simple act of condemnation. A new law, ordinance or regulation
may be passed that permits a local government to seize assets
that are no longer permitted within their jurisdiction.
The loss of any business property by actions outside the control
of the manufacturer or supplier is usually labeled as an “involuntary”
conversion.
These actions are unusual in that they frequently result in a gain.
The local government that condemns your parking lot is required to
reimburse you. That reimbursement frequently exceeds a company’s
book value or basis in that property, resulting in a taxable gain.
Fortunately, the rules governing involuntary conversions permit
the property to be replaced with property of a “like kind,” eliminating
the need to report and pay taxes on that gain. Instead, the basis of the
old “lost” property is transferred to the new, which postpones the taxable gain to some date in the future.
The IRS treats gains and losses from thefts, seizures or condemnation as Section 1231 gains or losses. Under Section 1231, if gains from
the sale of property used in a trade or business exceed any losses, then
each gain or loss is treated as if it were from the sale of a long-term
capital asset. If, however, losses exceed the gains, all gains and losses
are classified as ordinary gains and losses.
Note: Information in this article is intended for general educational
purposes. Consult with your own tax professional or legal counsel
for specific guidance related to your business.
41 |
B
Surprisingly,
a number of
businesses
have profited
from casualty
losses.
|
42
usiness losses from a disaster
To help cushion losses suffered by a company, the tax laws contain a special rule
for disaster losses in an area subsequently
determined by the president of the United
States to warrant federal assistance. For those losses,
the executive, business owner or manager has the option of:
■ deducting the loss on the tax return for the year in
which the loss occurred or
■ deducting the loss on the tax return for the
preceding tax year.
In other words, a mattress manufacturer or supplier
has the option of deciding whether its loss would be
more beneficially used to offset the current year’s tax
bill or better used to reduce the previous year’s tax bill
and generating a refund of previously paid taxes.
G
aining from a loss
Surprisingly, a number of businesses
have profited from casualty losses. If,
for instance, the amount of the insurance reimbursement received is more
than the book value or adjusted basis of the destroyed
or damaged property, there actually may be a gain. The
fact that a gain exists doesn’t necessarily mean it will
be taxable right away. Most manufacturers and suppliers are able to defer the gain to a later year, or perhaps
indefinitely, simply by acquiring qualified replacement
property.
In calculating that gain, any expenses incurred in
obtaining the reimbursement, such as the expenses of
hiring an independent insurance adjuster, are subtracted. Then, if the same amount as the rest of the
insurance money received was spent either repairing
or restoring the property or purchasing replacement
property, tax on the gain may be postponed. But the
replacement must occur within two years of the tax
year in which the gain was realized.
A
bandonment
Finally, there are those losses that every
company can control—a loss allowed
for the abandonment of an asset. All a
manufacturer or supplier needs to do
is “manifest an intent to abandon the asset and make
some affirmative act of abandonment.” The resulting
loss is generally the adjusted basis or book value of the
abandoned property.
If a depreciable business or income-producing asset loses its usefulness and is abandoned, the loss is
equal to its adjusted basis. Obviously, the abandonment loss must be distinguished from anticipated
obsolescence.
If a nondepreciable asset is abandoned after a
sudden termination of its usefulness, a loss also is
allowed in an amount equal to its adjusted basis.
This applies to the abandonment of an enterprise, as
well as to intangible assets, such as contracts.
T
oo many losses
When the expenses of a business exceed
its income, it suffers a loss. If a mattress
manufacturer or supplier has too many tax
deductions and too little income, a net operating loss usually results. Many businesses are using losses incurred during the economic downturn
to reduce income from prior tax years, providing a
refund of previously paid taxes. The IRS recently
clarified the procedure for reaping the benefits from
the expanded loss carryback option.
Almost everyone is allowed to carry back a net
operating loss from a trade or business, applying it
as a deduction against prior income and to deduct
from succeeding years’ income any unabsorbed loss.
The relief provided under the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 gave
companies the option of choosing to carry back a
net operating loss for a period of three to five years,
which offsets taxable income in those preceding tax
years. A net operating loss or a loss from operations
carried back five years can offset no more than 50%
of taxable income in that fifth preceding year.
For net operating losses that occurred outside
the window of Dec. 31, 2007, to Jan. 1, 2010, the
carryback period is usually two years preceding the
loss year and then forward to the 20 years following
the loss year. A three-year carryback period exists
for so-called eligible losses, including the portion
of a net operating loss relating to casualty and theft
losses, but not federally declared disasters.
Unfortunately, net operating loss deductions are
not permitted for partnerships or S corporations,
although S corporation shareholders and partners
in partnerships may use their distributive shares of
any net operating loss to calculate individual net
operating losses.
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Unfortunately, recoveries via tax
law are not always smooth.
n
LEARN MORE
For more information about various corporate losses and their tax status,
visit these Internal Revenue Service websites:
Casualty, disaster and theft losses
Casualty losses can result from the destruction of or damage to your
property from any sudden, unexpected or unusual event, such as a flood,
hurricane, tornado, fire, earthquake or even volcanic eruption.
www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc515.html
Disaster losses for businesses kit
A kit to help businesses claim casualty losses on property that has been
destroyed by a natural disaster. Contains tax forms needed to claim a
casualty loss.
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2194b.pdf
Net operating loss
Questions and answers about the Worker, Homeownership, and Business
Assistance Act of 2009.
www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=217370,00.html
L
osses that are shrinkage
When is a theft loss not a theft loss? Consider the tax laws labeling it as inventory
shrinkage and denying a theft-loss tax deduction. The supplies maintained by a mattress
manufacturer or supplier obviously cost money. That
cost, however, will not be taken into consideration or
deducted until the goods are sold, used or disposed of.
Naturally, if the goods are lost or stolen, the difference between the cost of all goods purchased and the
amount received from the sale of the remaining goods
will be less. There is no loss, however, because when it
comes to goods or supplies, their purchase is reflected
in the cost of the company’s inventory. The adjustment
on their books and tax return for inventory shrinkage is permitted regardless of whether that shrinkage
resulted from shoplifting, employee theft or because
the item is simply missing.
Insurance does provide protection from some types
of losses, although the government—in the form of
tax laws—provides a financial cushion for many of the
losses suffered by a company.
Unfortunately, recoveries via tax law are not always
smooth, often requiring professional assistance or, at
the very least, an understanding of how those tax rules
work. Could your company profit from its losses? ■
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Leadership
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
‘I regret to inform you’ Straight methods
for giving employees bad news / By Phillip M. Perry
leaders of the company, lock arms and stop cooperating with the management.
Instead of the negative approach, use phrases
such as, “I have decided we need…” or “It has
become clear to me…”. This helps position you as
a connected leader and that builds credibility with
your employees.
Empathize with your employees, Anderson says,
but don’t commiserate. In other words, it’s fine to
use wording such as, “I can understand how you
would feel discouraged by this news.” But avoid
saying, “I feel the same way.” Once again, becoming
the “naysayer in chief” separates you from the top
decision-makers and undercuts your authority.
‘It’s
important
not to
pass the
buck.’
B
ad news. Leaders hate delivering it—and
no wonder. It makes people feel terrible.
It’s too easy to make a mistake in tone that
can infect the entire workplace with a case
of low morale.
Leaders face a special challenge when times are
tough. How do you announce budget cuts, layoffs,
salary decreases or benefit reductions and still keep
your employees motivated?
The answer is to deliver bad news in good ways.
Here are some tips on doing just that:
Take charge
Don’t undermine your own authority when you
deliver bad news.
“It’s important not to pass the buck,” says Randy
Anderson, president of E3 Professional Trainers
based in Lubbock, Texas. “Avoid saying things like,
‘Accounting is making us take these steps’ or ‘Yeah,
you’re right, I can’t believe the powers that be are
doing this.’ ” This type of phrasing communicates
that you’re not in charge, which undermines your
authority with your employees.
“If you create a disconnect between those who
send the message and the person who delivers it,
the frontline people can turn against the company’s
long-range strategy,” Anderson says. “They will
start saying, ‘The boss doesn’t even believe in this
strategy, so why should we?’ ” They lose faith in the
Damage control
“Leaders in tough times often don’t control the flow
of information,” Anderson says. “When there is bad
news, you want to be the first one your employees
hear it from, putting your perspective on things.”
When you deliver the news, you can do so in a
way that explains the short-term pain in relationship to long-term gain. Use wording such as, “We
don’t expect this condition to last forever. But during the coming three months we have to make the
following changes. We’re all going to take a small
knock now to avoid a big knock a year from now.”
You also can control the impact of bad news by
engaging with those employees who are “thought
leaders,” or people who influence others in the work
force. You want to avoid letting your thought leaders
interpret everything on the negative side, Anderson
says.
“People will start to look for the next person to
be fired or the next customer to depart,” he says.
Include your thought leaders in your strategy,
Anderson says. Ask questions such as, “We are looking for a way to save $50,000. What are your ideas?”
This approach has two benefits, Anderson says: “The
naysayer has skin in the game and will be less likely
to bad mouth. And also you can test the waters to
see if that person can be a leader in a new position
at some point.”
Once you have engaged your thought leaders, get
input from everyone.
“It’s amazing the brainpower you have under
your management that’s easy to overlook,” says
Billy Arcement, a management consultant in
47
|
Leadership
Prairieville, La. “You build ownership in the organization when you let employees give birth to
ideas. So give people a chance to contribute.”
It’s important to involve everyone in the
process of seeking solutions. Put a problem on
the table and ask, “What do you guys think?”You
may not use any of their solutions, but keep asking anyway.
“You have to challenge your employees to
contribute rather than just come to work and
collect their paychecks,” Anderson says. “Let
them become part of the solution.”
Stay upbeat
Take positive, effective actions, always seeing
the glass as half full.
“As a leader you need to set the example for
everyone,” says Diane Amundson, a management
consultant based in Winona, Minn. “You need
to find a balance between buying into the ‘doom
and gloom’ of the economy and being in denial,
pretending that there is nothing wrong.”
One approach is to say something like, “We
|
48
Leadership
refuse to participate in this recession. However,
some of our customers and suppliers are participating, so we will have a few bumps. If everyone
does their job exceptionally well, we will not
only survive but thrive.”
“Continue to notice what people do right
and acknowledge that immediately,” Amundson
says. “Employee surveys consistently show that
people want to do work that is meaningful and
feel appreciated. Focus on what your employees are doing well. This helps with burnout as
people are being asked to do more.”
Give them the big picture
Share the steps you’re taking to resolve problems
and move the company back to a state of full
health. To a large extent that will mean uncovering the numbers.
“Share financial information in the form of
your business income statement on a quarterly
basis,” Amundson says. “Report your revenues
and bottom line and educate people on what
those things mean. And share with them what
you are doing to turn around the numbers.”
Sharing financials will help bring about two
good conditions: Your employees will understand why you need to make the painful changes
you’re making and they will see how the changes
are making a positive impact on the business as
the months go by. The process builds trust in
both your plan and your company’s future.
When it comes to maintaining a vigorous and
productive work force, communication is king.
“Companies that do employee satisfaction
surveys invariably hear, ‘Communication needs
to be improved,’ ” Amundson says. “I have never
met a company that over-communicates. Especially in a slower economy, people want to hear
both good and bad news. So be honest in terms
of company and employee performance.”
Creative leadership is vital to success in any
economic climate. When times are tough, though,
a firm hand on the wheel is more important than
ever. Keeping the ship of business afloat in rough
waters very often means mastering the skill of
delivering bad news in good ways. ■
‘One company
was considering
emailing
employee
about layoffs.
I love email but
that is impersonal
and stupid.’
January 2012 BedTimes 49 |
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Leadership
Tackling tough situations
How can you deliver bad news and keep your employees motivated? Here are
some suggestions for handling three common workplace situations.
Situation 1: You need to cut work hours across the board.
“You can handle this problem in one of two ways,” says Randy Anderson, president of
E3 Professional Trainers in Lubbock, Texas. “The first is to go to your ‘thought leaders’—those employees who tend to influence the thinking of the group—and tell
them first. This has the advantage of investing them in your strategy and obtaining
their input.” You can say something, like “I have something to tell the employees, but I
want you to know it first.”
The second approach is to bring all the employees into one room and have a
single announcement. This reduces the risk of having information leak out ahead of
time. You can say something such as, “I have something to share that’ll be frustrating
to hear but this is the real world we’re in. I can understand this will cause uneasiness
and frustrations and will mean we’ll have to go about things differently.”
Then explain the problem that your business faces and the new cuts that have to
be made. Don’t stop there: Ask for feedback. Say something like, “I want to work with
you in any way I can to create a workable structure so we’re all more productive and
we get back to where we want to be so we’re not in this position forever.”
Finding productive ways to work within your new parameters is critical,
Anderson says.
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Situation 2: You need to reduce health insurance benefits for everyone.
“This is a good example of how sharing financial information can help resolve a
problem,” says Diane Amundson, a management consultant based in Winona, Minn.
“In your quarterly financial presentations you have been sharing how health care
costs are going up. So when it comes time to have a tough talk, it is not a surprise.”
You can say something such as, “As all of you are aware, health care costs have
been skyrocketing. We need to get costs under control so we can keep our jobs here.
So here are our options: We can increase deductibles or we can decrease benefits.
But we cannot stay on our present path.”
And what if you haven’t been having those critical quarterly talks? “Now is the perfect time to start sharing finances,” Amundson says.
Situation 3: You need to lay off employees.
“If you’re going to have layoffs, you have to keep it on a personal level,” says Billy Arcement, a management consultant in Prairieville, La. “One company was considering
emailing employee about layoffs. I love email but that is impersonal and stupid. If you
are going to be a leader, you have to look at people face to face, give them the truth
and tell them why.”
Give the terminated individuals reasons why their jobs are no longer needed.
Communicate that the cut is being done for reasons other than fattening the bottom
line. Instead, explain why it was necessary that their positions be cut in the grand
scheme of things.
“Take an honest approach and even those laid off can understand the rationale,”
Arcement says. “You can also help people make transitions by warning them to be
prepared for possibly more layoffs down the road.” And you can help them find new
positions by providing referrals and references.
Doing this the right way is vital.
“If you handle layoffs badly, there is a big impact on the employees who remain,”
Arcement says.
to the
Mattress industry!
Networking
Education
innovation
March 14-17, 2012
IndIana ConventIon Center
Indianapolis, Indiana, USa
www.ispaexpo.coM
The only trade show in the world devoted
exclusively to the mattress industry.
The Voice of the
Mattress Industry
53 |
education
First class educational sessions will help you stay
on top of the latest trends!
Wednesday, March 14th
tuesday, March 13th
Pre-Conference Seminar for International attendees
the World Mattress Industry: an overview
and the Latest trends, 3:30 – 5:00
pm
pm
Speakers:
n alessandra tracogna, director, Country analysis and
Forecasts Unit, CSIL Centre for Industrial Studies
n Mark rupe, Senior analyst for Consumer durables,
Longbow research
n representatives of the Better Sleep Council (BSC)
Designed especially for our international guests, this
session will give you a comprehensive view of the current
state of the international mattress market from several
perspectives. The session will begin with the numbers,
including a summary of the latest CSIL report covering
mattress production, consumption and international trade
from CSIL’s director of the country analysis and forecast
unit. You will then hear from Mark Rupe, a senior analyst
with Longbow Research, who has more than 10 years of
experience in covering the consumer goods and services
sector. Mark will discuss the mid and long-term consumer
trends in the U.S. and global markets, and the impact the
recession and changing demographics have on the mattress replacement cycle. Representatives of the Better Sleep
Council (BSC) will then help you understand how to apply
this information, as well as the results of the BSC’s research
and other tools to your own market messaging.
This session will be immediately followed by an
InternatIonaL reCePtIon — your exclusive opportunity to
network with colleagues and make valuable business connections with exhibitors and other attendees.
RegistRation foR this session is limited to inteRnational attendees,
and is pResented in english.
|
54
Leveraging Key Benchmarking tools to
Improve Your Bottom Line! 3:00 – 3:45
pm
pm
Speaker: thomas noon, Principal, Industry Insights, Inc.
How does your company measure up
compared to your peers and how can
you best plan for the future? ISPA’s
Mattress Industry Wage and Cost
Surveys (covering the U.S. and
Canadian markets) can help! Both
exclusive surveys, available only to
ISPA members, provide a treasure
trove of industry-specific data designed to help you understand how you stack up against your competitors and help
you make better business decisions. Tom Noon, co-founder
and principal of Industry Insights, Inc., the consulting and
research firm that compiles ISPA’s surveys, will bring these
numbers to life so you can you interpret and leverage the
results while gaining insights into your own operations.
All session participants will receive valuable executive
summaries of the most recent surveys.
MoSt SeSSIonS are Free For ISPa MeMBerS!
regISter onLIne todaY at WWW.ISPaeXPo.CoM
There’s
lots of exhibit
hall space to cover
at ispa expo, so come
with your colleagues
so you can gather
information, then
share and compare!
thursday, March 15
What Motivates Women to Buy?
Insights into How to Influence Women to Purchase
and Build Loyalty with Your Brand, 7:45am – 9:00am
Speaker: delia Passi, Ceo, Medelia, Inc.
Women make or influence the vast majority of all
consumer purchases, including mattresses. And
although your marketing messages are important, they only go so far in closing sales and
creating long-term customer loyalty with
female customers. In this lively and engaging session, you’ll hear from Delia Passi, the
nation’s leading authority on selling to women
and CEO of a successful training, consulting, and
research firm. Her WomenCertified® series of training programs are based on more than a decade of research
and experience in understanding and translating the nuances
of what motivates women to buy and their selection process.
You’ll also be the first to hear the results of a survey of 5,000
female consumers that will be conducted exclusively for this
event. Hear Delia’s findings about what influences women to
purchase one brand over another. She’ll give you her considerable insights and help you develop strategies to successfully create, market and sell your bedding products to this
highly influential consumer segment!
the Importance of Selling Sleep, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Moderator: Cindy Williams, vP of Client Services, Inforetail
Panelists: Karrie Forbes, vice President Marketing, Mattress Firm
Pete Bils, vice President, Sleep Innovation, Select Comfort
A mattress is more than just a commodity; it is an integral part of overall health and well-being. Find out
how simply focusing on the importance of a
good night’s rest can help educate consumers
and sell more mattresses! In this interactive panel discussion, you’ll hear how you
and your retailers can successfully engage
customers by using sleep, rather than price,
as the main discussion. Learn about statistics
that show that more and better mattresses and
accessories are sold when sales associates use this messaging.
Also hear about the latest efforts of the Better Sleep Council
to support you in correlating quality sleep to the purchase
of a new mattress. Come armed with your questions for our
panelists!
Succeeding in the Chinese Market –
opportunities and obstacles, 3:00 – 3:45
pm
pm
Speaker: Jeff Holmes, President & Ceo, J. Homes, LLC
With an exploding middle class the demand for goods in
China is growing rapidly. This offers many opportunities for
mattress manufacturers, but entering this market also presents challenges and pitfalls. Jeff Holmes, former president
and CEO of several of the largest U.S. furniture and bedding
manufacturers/importers, and now consultant for manufacturers of interior furnishings, will discuss his insights on
selling consumer goods in China.
You’ll learn:
• What is the Chinese consumer looking for?
• How demographics, a rising standard of living and
politics are driving Chinese consumption patterns
• The dos and don’ts of exporting and strategic issues to
consider when establishing your presence in China
Hear what it takes to succeed in this burgeoning consumer
market and find out about opportunities in other, growing
Asian markets!
Friday, March 16
the Future of Mattress recycling, 11:00
am
– 11:45am
Moderator: ryan trainer, President, ISPa
Panelists: Mary Sharkey, Sales and Production Manager,
St. vincent de Paul Society of Lane County
Pascal Cohen, President, recyc-Mattresses Inc/
recyc-Matelas Inc.
A growing number of consumers and local governments are
concerned about what happens to discarded mattresses. In
response, more companies are dismantling used mattresses
and selling the steel, foam and other materials they contain
for use in manufacturing other products. At the same time,
some states are considering whether to enact so-called
Extended Producer Responsibility rules, which would make
manufacturers legally responsible for collecting and recycling all used mattresses discarded in their states. While
many agree that increased recycling of used mattress components would be good for the environment and the industry’s
image, how best to accomplish that goal is unclear. Hear two
recyclers as they share their insights on trends likely to affect
mattress recycling, and discuss best practices to be more efficient and to attract a steady supply of used products. ISPA
staff will also discuss the status of pending legislation.
MosT sessions are free for ispa MeMbers! regisTer online Today aT www.ispaexpo.coM
Schedule subject to change. Photography and videotaping is strictly prohibited on the Exhibit floor. Audiotaping and videotaping of
ISPA educational sessions is not permitted. Official photos and video taken at the event are the property of ISPA and may be used in
future promotion and on ISPA’s social media sites.
55 |
innovation
See and compare the latest innovations in machinery,
equipment, supplies, and services for the mattress
industry… all in just a few days!
5
Top reasons to attend
ispa expo 2012
see hundreds of suppliers froM around
The world and a full range of products and services
specifically for the mattress industry.
find new suppliers and new producTs
eXPo is a popular venue for new product launches –
don’t miss the opportunity to see the latest offerings that
can save you time, money, and increase your profits.
geT ideas for cost-effective product enhancements,
manufacturing efficiencies, and innovations.
coMpare and ask quesTions as you see firsthand demonstrations of machinery and inspect hundreds
of other products.
build relaTionships and connect with business
partners, colleagues, and customers.
who will benefit
from attending
ispa expo?
•
•
•
•
CEOs
Business Owners
Presidents, Vice Presidents
Plant/Production Management/
General Management
• Sales/Marketing Management
• Purchasing
• R&D/Engineers
To regisTer, visiT www.ispaexpo.coM
products and services you’ll see at ispa expo
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
accessories
adhesives
adjustable Bed Mechanisms
Chemicals
Computer Software
Fabrics (Knit, Woven, and non-Woven)
Fibers
Fixtures
Foam
Fr Materials and Services (barrier materials,
product testing, quality assurance, and supply
chain management services)
Hard goods (bed rails, box springs, foundations
components, frames, lumber)
Innerspring Units
Machinery & Fixtures (binding, border, flanging,
label sewing, materials handling, packing, panel
cutting, quilting, sergers, staplers, tape edge,
wire-forming)
Parts, Supplies & tools
Soft goods (gel, eyelets, labels, insulators, filler
cloth, mattress tape, tufting buttons, wools,
webbing)
Services (consultants, licensing opportunities,
mattress disposal/scrap recycling, transportation
& logistics)
testing Labs and Services
thread
ticking
top of Bed (pillows, mattress pads and
covers, comforters)
Be sure to patronize those suppliers who support
your industry through their exhibit at ISPa eXPo.
One-Stop Shopping for Replacement Parts
Atlanta Parts Depot
™
A Division of Atlanta Attachment Company®
®
Manufacturing expendable replacement
parts for Atlanta Attachment Company as well as other
sewing equipment companies.
1-866-885-5100
Call
today or email [email protected]
to find out how we can help you get up and running.
•Brother
•Organ
•Cash
•Pegasus
•Consew
•Pfaff
•DurkoppAdler
•Porter
•Efka
•Schmetz
•Galkin
•Singer
•Gribetz
•SunStar
•Groz-Beckert
•Tajima
•IllinoisToolWorks
•UnionSpecial
•Juki
•United
•Meistergram
•Wilcox&Gibbs
•Mitsubishi
•Yamato
We also offer glue, oil, silicone and other accessories.
to View online
1) Download your QR Barcode Software from your App Store
2) Scan the code with your mobile device
3) Learn more about our parts replacement abilitiles online at
http://www.atlantapartsdepot.com/
APD can manage your parts as well with our Parts Management System
Our modular
design, not only
saves valuable
shop space, it will
help your staff
organize inventory
and reduce total
maintenance cost.
Each drawer
has a detailed
drawing located
on the inside
of the lid with
part numbers
indicated and
areas highlighted.
Partitioned
areas with part
numbers allow
for easy location
and to quickly
see inventory.
www.atlantapartsdepot.com•[email protected]
Atlanta Parts Depot is a division of Atlanta Attachment Company ®
© 2011 Atlanta Attachment Company. All rights reserved.
11225101911
Atlanta Parts Depot ™
362 Industrial Park Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
1-866-885-5100
networking
Make Connections at these Special eXPo events!
tuesday, March 13
Friday, March 16
International reception, 5:00
pm
new!
– 6:00pm
Sponsored by Flexible Foam Products, Inc.
A reception exclusively for international
attendees the evening before the show floor
opens. Enjoy refreshments and mingle with
other attendees from around the world. You’ll
have the opportunity to meet with exhibitors
before the show opens the following day.
a fRee dRink ticket will be included with youR badge.
Wednesday, March 14
ISPa Women’s network Breakfast, 8:00
am
– 9:00am
Open to all women in
new!
the mattress industry!
Start off your EXPO experience
in the company of other women in your
industry and enjoy a breakfast program featuring a special
guest speaker. Connect with and learn from other women in
all sectors of the mattress industry!
Wednesday, March 14
Welcome reception, 5:00
pm
– 6:30pm
Sponsored by Atlanta Attachment Company.
Enjoy food, drinks and fun socializing with friends and colleagues at this always entertaining and interactive opening
event featuring the insomniaczzz, your industry band!
youR badge is youR entRance ticket to the Reception which includes
a fRee dRink ticket!
indianapolis,
indiana
has it all!
58
|
ISPa Industry Breakfast, 7:45am – 10:00am
Featuring Keynote Alan Hobson,
Mt. Everest climber, world
adventurer, best-selling author,
and cancer survivor
redefine the Possible!
Join us for this special event that
is included in your ISPA EXPO
attendee registration. The story
of Alan Hobson’s life is a stunning
portrait in passion and persistence
spanning four decades. He is not
only an Everest summiteer and world adventurer, but a successful businessman who has trademarked his own niche.
One of his greatest challenges came three years after summiting Everest, when he was diagnosed with acute leukemia
and given less than a year to live. Thanks to raw courage
and the miracles of modern medicine, he not only survived,
but thrived. He has appeared on many national television
talk shows, including Oprah. His expeditions have required
millions of dollars to finance and execute, and they have
stretched Alan’s leadership, team-building, sales and communications abilities even more than they have his physical
skills. Hobson will share his story and offer practical steps to
manage the unexpected and turn obstacles into opportunities! ISPA also takes this opportunity to recognize its leaders,
acknowledging those who have given outstanding service to
the industry.
ISPA EXPO 2012 will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, a
convenient, centrally-located city. Accessible by all modes of transportation, downtown Indianapolis is easy to get to and is just 15
minutes from the international airport. The Convention Center is
connected to major hotels, restaurants, and attractions via enclosed
skywalks. The appealing and compact downtown area features public art and gardens, fine dining, shops, and entertainment. And in
a city that built its reputation on sports, both amateur and professional, you’ll almost always find some sort of competition going on.
Indy is the perfect place for business and pleasure!
visiT www.ispaexpo.coM To regisTer
From mattress ticking to sheeting,
our products provide the best in
comfort and sustainability — backed
by supply chain expertise, innovation,
and unsurpassed technical support.
natural, soft, and certified for health.
that’s Buhler quality.
Lenzing MicroTencel ® offers
strength, softness and moisture
management. naturally inhibiting
bacterial growth, Microtencel is
made from fsc-certified pulp on a
closed loop processor and certified
by the oeko-tex® standard 100.
www.buhleryarns.com
1881 athens highway, Jefferson, Ga 30549
Lenzing MicroModal® is the
epitome of luxury and the ideal
fiber for high-end mattress ticking.
sustainable, biodegradable, and
renewable, it remains naturally
soft and cool on the skin even
after prolonged use.
US Supima Cotton is superior
in length, strength and fineness —
forever achieving a high-quality
product. dedicated to conservation
and carbon neutrality, it is preferred
by bedding brands for its durability
and fine count yarns.
706.367.9834 or sales@ buhleryarns.com
expo
exhibiting companies
A. Lava & Son Co.
Adfast Corp.
Advance Fiber Technologies Corp/AFT
AEC Narrow Fabrics
American & Efird, Inc.
American Nonwovens Inc
Apropa USA
Aquila Textiles, Inc.
Ateja Tritunggal
Balcan Plastics-First Film Extruding
Baumer of America
Bechik Products, Inc.
Bekaert Textiles
Black Bros. Co.
BLR Lumber
Bo-Buck Mills, Inc.
BoMei Tex Ltd.
BRK Group, LLC
Bruin Plastics Company Inc.
C.J. Hodder Lumber Company
Carpenter Co.
Changshu DAFA Warp Knitting Co., Ltd.
ChemTick Coated Fabrics, Inc.
Coats North America
Costa International
Cranston Trucking Company
Creative Ticking
CT Nassau Tape - Ticking
Culp Home Fashions
D.R. Cash Inc.
Deslee Textiles USA
Diamond Needle Corporation
DMM Bedframe Lumber
Duncan Tickings, Inc.
Dunlap Sunbrand Int. DBA Jumpsource
Earnhardt Manufacturing, LLC
East Grace Corporation
Eclipse Sleep Products/Eastman House Sleep Products
Edgewater Machine Co., Inc.
Enkev Group BV
Enriquez Materials & Quilting, Inc.
Entex Textil S. L.
Ergomotion, Inc.
FabricTech International
Farnsworth Logistics, Inc.
Fecken-Kirfel America
Fine Cotton Factory, Inc.
Flex-A-Bed
Flexible Foam Products, Inc.
|
60
(as of december 2, 2011)
FMA Trading LLC
Foam Solutions, Inc.
Foshan Qianfang Home Supplies Co., Ltd.
Foshan Ruixin Nonwoven Co., Ltd.
GelMakers LLC
Global Latex
Global Systems Group
Guangzhou Xinsheng Industrial Co., Ltd.
Hangzhou Chenyu Textile Co., Ltd
Hangzhou Landscape Imp.& Exp. Co. Ltd.
Hangzhou Xiaoran Import and Export Co. Ltd.
Hangzhou Xiaoshan Lianhong Polyester Textile Co.
Hangzhou Xiaoshan Meixin Decorative Fabric Plant
Hangzhou Xinyada Fabric Co., Ltd.
Harvard Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
Healthcare Co., Ltd.
Henkel Corporation
Herculite Products, Inc.
Hickory Springs Mfg.
Hot Melt Technologies, Inc.
IDEAL Fastener Corporation
Industrias Marves S.A. de C.V.
Innofa
Integrity Software Solutions
Interwoven Group
Jacquard Textile South America S.A.
James Cash Machine Company
Jayhawk Plastics, Inc.
Jiangsu Dreamerry Mattress Manufacturing LTD
John Marshall & Company LTD
Jomel Industries, Inc.
Jones Fiber Products, Inc.
Knickerbocker Bed Company
Komar Alliance LLC
Ko-SI d.d.
Lampe USA Inc.
Latex Green (Private) Ltd.
Latex International
Latex Systems Co Ltd.
Latexco LLC
Lava
Leggett & Platt Bedding Components Group
Leigh Fibers, Inc.
Lenzing
Liberty Threads, N.A., Inc.
Lonza Microbial Control
Lucerne Textiles Inc.
Macao Com. & Ind. Spring Mattress Manufacturer
Markwell Florida
Masias Maquinaria, S. L.
Matsushita Industrial Co., Ltd.
Matt Tech Inspections Inc.
Maxime Knitting Mills Inc.
Middleburg Yarn Inc.
MidWest Nonwovens
Milliken & Company
Monks International NV
Ningbo New Haiyan Belt Industry Co. Ltd.
OHM Systems Inc.
Orsa Foam SPA
Plastic Monofil Company
Pratrivero Group
Precision Blades Inc.
Precision Fabrics Group
Precision Textiles
QAI Laboratories
Qingdao Richriver Electrics Co., Ltd.
Response Computer Group, Inc.
Rock Island Industries
SABA North America
Shaoxing Huajian Mattress Machinery
Simalfa
Simmons Engineering Corporation
Soff-Art
Spec-Tex, Inc.
Springs Creative Products Group
Spuhl AG
Stein Fibers Ltd.
Stork Twin City Testing
Sunkist Chemical Machinery Ltd.
Tekscan Inc.
Texas Pocket Springs
The Govmark Testing Services Inc.
Therapedic International
Tietex
TMI Products, Inc.
Transfer Master Products, Inc.
Uni-Source Textile
Upaco Adhesives
Viking Engineering
Vintex Inc.
VMOD Fibers LLC
Westech Building Products ULC (Westlake)
Wm. T. Burnett
Wright of Thomasville
Xidengbao Mattress Machinery (Guangzhou) Co., Limited
Xsensor Technology Corp.
Z Wood Products Co Inc.
Since 1944
Edgewater Machine Company, Inc.
13-20 131st Street, College Point, N.Y. 11356 U.S.A.
Phone: 718-539-8200 Fax: 718-358-4648
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: edgewatermachine.com
Tired of wasting time searching for the lowest prices available for your quilting machine’s consumables? We want our customers to know that we purchase and manufacture in large volume so that we can offer the consumables, tools, and spare parts you need at LOWER prices than our competitors! These include, but are not limited to: Shuttles, Design Cams & Computer Designs, Ratchets & Gearing, Knives & Hubs, Sharpening Stones, Needles for Chainstitch & Lockstitch (for Emco, Pathe, and Gribetz), Threading Hooks, Complete Emco Looper Assemblies, Spreaders, etc. Scan this QR code with your Smart phone to get more information from our website.




schedule at a glance
tuesday, March 13, 2012
8:00am – 5:00pm
3:30pm – 5:00pm
ispa expo 2012
event sponsors
5:00pm – 6:00pm
registration open
Pre-ConFerenCe SeMInar: the World Mattress Industry:
an overview and the Latest trends
InternatIonaL reCePtIon
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
7:00am
8:00am
9:00am
3:00pm
5:00pm
–
–
–
–
–
5:00pm
9:00am
5:00pm
3:45pm
6:30pm
registration open
ISPa Women’s network Breakfast
ISPa eXPo exhibit Hall open
Leveraging Key Benchmarking tools to Improve Your Bottom Line!
WeLCoMe reCePtIon, featuring the Insomniaczzz
thursday, March 15, 2012
7:00am
7:45am
9:00am
11:00am
3:00pm
–
–
–
–
–
5:00pm
9:00am
5:00pm
12:00pm
3:45pm
registration open
What Motivates Women to Buy?
the Importance of Selling Sleep
Succeeding in the Chinese Market – opportunities and obstacles
Friday, March 16, 2012
7:00am – 5:00pm
7:45am – 10:00am
10:00am – 5:00pm
11:00am – 11:45am
5:00pm – 7:00pm
registration open
Industry Breakfast featuring alan Hobson – “redefine the Possible”
(included with your eXPo attendee registration)
the Future of Mattress recycling
Private exhibitor appointments
Saturday, March 17, 2012
8:30am – 10:00am
9:00am – 12:00pm
registration open
schedule subject to change.
save!
save on hoTel rooMs! take advantage of discounted room rates negoti-
discounTed rooM raTes!
ated by ISPa at the following official ISPa eXPo hotels – Marriott Indianapolis downtown (Co-Headquarters Hotel)
Westin Indianapolis (Co-Headquarters Hotel) Courtyard Indianapolis downtown, Crowne Plaza Union Station, Hampton Inn downtown Indianapolis,
Comfort Suites City Center, Staybridge Suites City Center. Booking at ISPa hotels saves you time, allows flexible arrangements, and enhances your
networking opportunities with other eXPo attendees. and you’ll still qualify to earn hotel frequent-stay points when you reserve ISPa hotels!
book online today and you may also win a free night’s stay! visit www.ISPaeXPo.com and click on Hotels reservations.
regisTer by february 22 and save! To register, visit www.ispaexpo.com for details.
|
62
News
Culp sales up sharply in 2nd quarter
T
extile supplier Culp Inc., with
headquarters in High Point, N.C.,
reports that net sales for its fiscal
second quarter of 2012 were $58 million, a 19% increase over the second
quarter of fiscal 2011. Culp’s fiscal
2012 second quarter ended Oct. 30.
The company’s mattress fabric
sales were up 24% and upholstery
fabric sales rose 11% over the same
period a year ago.
Pretax income was $2.9 million,
or 4.9% of sales, compared with $3.2
million, or 6.5% percent of sales, in the
prior-year period.
Net income was $6.3 million, or $0.49
per diluted share, compared with net income of $4 million, or $0.30 per diluted
share, during the prior-year period. Net
income included an income tax benefit
of $3.4 million, while net income for the
previous year included an $801,000
income tax benefit.
“We are pleased with the positive
sales trend for the second quarter and
through the first half of fiscal 2012,” said
Frank Saxon, Culp president and chief
executive officer. “Both of our businesses
had impressive sales gains, in spite of
an uncertain global economic environ-
ment, and we are well-positioned to
build further on this sales momentum.
These trends reflect the success of our
various sales and marketing initiatives,
along with the benefits of our excellent
design capabilities and efficient manufacturing platform. Overall, our profitability is down somewhat compared with
a year ago, primarily due to higher raw
material costs in both businesses and
the currency impact in the upholstery
fabrics business.”
Culp’s financial position remains
strong, the company said, with cash
and cash equivalents and short-term
investments of $24.3 million and total
debt of $9.2 million as of Oct. 30—even
with stock repurchases of $4.8 million,
capital expenditures of $2.6 million and
debt repayments of $2.3 million.
As of Nov. 25, the company repurchased 585,000 shares of Culp common stock for approximately $5.1
million, or 4.4% of the shares outstanding at the beginning of its repurchase
program announced in June.
Mattress fabric sales for the second
quarter were $35.2 million, compared
with $28.3 million for the second quarter
of fiscal 2011.
n
BRIEFLY
Second-quarter snapshot
Total net sales $58 million
Mattress fabric sales
$35.2 million
Upholstery fabric sales
$22.8 million
“Our mattress fabrics business
delivered a strong sales performance
in the second quarter, reflecting
improved industry demand, and our
sales and marketing initiatives,” said
Iv Culp, president of Culp’s Mattress
Fabrics Division. “Our ability to leverage recent investments in our production facilities, along with the expanded
capacity, have enhanced our ability
to serve our customers. We are wellpositioned with a diverse product line
that meets the current market demand
in all product categories.”
Sales of upholstery fabrics were
$22.8 million in the second quarter of
fiscal 2012, an increase over the $20.5
million posted during the same period
in 2011.
The company projects that its overall
sales in the third quarter will increase 2%
to 6%, with pretax income expected in
the range of $1.9 million to $2.8 million.
Comfort Solutions signs licensee Restwell Mattress
M
attress licensing group
Comfort Solutions, with
headquarters in Willowbrook,
Ill., and Restwell Mattress Co.,
a manufacturer based in Surrey,
British Columbia, have signed a
deal enabling Restwell to make
and market Comfort Solutions
mattresses in several U.S. states.
Restwell will distribute
Comfort Solutions products
throughout Idaho, Montana,
Oregon and Washington. In
2011, Restwell began shipping
products to Alaska, the first
time that state has been served
by Comfort Solutions brands.
“We’re extremely pleased to
have Restwell Mattress as a
new licensee serving retailers in five Northwest states,”
said Dave Roberts, Comfort
Solutions chief operating officer. “The company has been
a successful family business
since it was founded in 1990
and has a well-established
reputation for building quality,
comfort and value into its
products.”
Owned by Chief Executive
Officer Troy Zanatta, Restwell
manufactures its own branded
and private-label bedding and
related sleep products. The
company serves a range of furniture, department store and
specialty mattress retailers in
British Columbia, Alberta and
Saskatchewan, and also sells to
hotels, motels and health care
facilities throughout Western
Canada.
Restwell takes over a Comfort Solutions territory once
serviced by Northwest Bedding, a Spokane, Wash.-based
factory-direct manufacturer
of mattresses and bedroom
furniture.
Comfort Solutions has 10
domestic and 37 international
licensees, serving more than 80
countries. Its brands include
King Koil, Laura Ashley, Sleep
ID and eXtended Life.
65 |
News
Englander inks deal with India producer
M
attress licensing group Englander Sleep
Products has issued an international
license to Mumbai-based Symbol Mattress
Industries LLC to manufacture and market a
full line of beds under the Englander brand.
Symbol Mattress Industries is a major mattress producer for the India market.
The deal is part of Englander’s continued
international expansion, said President Kevin
Toman.
“Symbol Mattress focuses on premium
bedding and has established a sturdy quality reputation,” Toman said. “Their excel-
lence in product development and quality
mattresses is recognized throughout India.
This combination of premium products
and high quality coincides with Englander’s position in the marketplace.”
Englander has seven licensees in the
United States and international licensees
serving Australia and New Zealand, China,
Egypt, Malaysia, South Korea and United
Arab Emirates.
SHORTS
Lenzing fibers earn USDA label
CHANCES ARE THEIR ENERGY WILL WEAR OUT
LONG BEFORE YOUR MATTRESS DOES.
The Lenzing Group, a supplier of
cellulosic fibers headquartered
in Lenzing,
Austria, has
announced
that its Tencel and Lenzing flameresistant fibers have been certified
as 100% bio-based by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. The certification is part of the USDA’s
BioPreferred program, which
encourages government agencies and contractors to purchase
products that are bio-based or
made from significant amounts of
bio-based materials.
The USDA defines bio-based products as “goods composed in whole
or in significant part of agricultural, forestry or marine materials.”
Additional information about the
BioPreferred program can be found
at www.biopreferred.gov.
L&P teams with TV show
As part of the company’s enhanced
marketing focus, Leggett & Platt’s
Consumer Products Group has
partnered with the ABC television
program “Extreme Makeover: Home
Edition,” donating three Leggett
& Platt Fashion Bed products to
recently taped shows. The first
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66
5/10/10 9:05:31 AM
News
Leigh Fibers closes Canada facility
W
ellford, S.C.-based Leigh Fibers, a
fiber and textile recycler and mattress
industry supplier, shut down its fiberreprocessing facility in Montreal, Leigh
Textile Co., in December due to a declining
customer base for recycled textiles in Canada
and the northeastern United States.
“It was a difficult decision to close an operation that has been part of the Leigh family
since 1948,” said Keith Taylor, Leigh Fibers
president. “But so many customers in this
region have gone out of business or substantially reduced their volume in the past few
years that the plant can no longer operate
profitably. The Canadian market, however,
remains an important component of Leigh’s
future growth, and we will continue to serve
our existing customers and to actively seek
new opportunities.”
All Leigh Textiles customers will be
served from the Leigh Fibers facility in Wellford, which has a capacity of 1 million
pounds a day. It is North America’s largest
fiber-reprocessing operation, Taylor said.
The company provided careertransitioning support to all Leigh Textiles
employees and retained an outplacement
firm to aid in the effort. Some employees
were expected to take positions with the
company in South Carolina.
donation, a Euro platform bed with
faux leather finishing, was included in
an episode that aired Nov. 18. The bed
went to the Dunning family of Cool
Spring, Del. The company’s Sasha and
Miami ornamental beds will be part of
episodes of the TV program focusing
on the rebuilding of Joplin, Mo., a city
near L&P’s corporate headquarters in
Carthage, Mo., that was devastated by
a tornado in the spring of 2011.
Foundation’s videos raise awareness
During Pancreatic Cancer Awareness
Month in November, the Seena Magowitz Foundation—a charity best known
in the mattress industry for its annual
golf classic fundraiser held in December—debuted a series of videos to
raise awareness of the disease. Roger
Magowitz, a bedding industry veteran
who is founder and president of the
foundation, has asked the mattress and
home furnishings industries to distribute
the videos in an effort to educate and
inform consumers about pancreatic
cancer and what they can do to help.
The four videos are available for download at www.seenamagowitz
foundation.org/videos.html.
Naturepedic is top pick in magazine
Baby Bargains, a best-selling product
review guide by Alan and Denise Fields,
has rated Naturepedic’s Lightweight Series as the No. 1 pick in crib mattresses.
Naturepedic, based in Chagrin Falls,
Ohio, manufactures certified organic
cotton mattresses for babies and children, mattress pads, sheets, pillows and
changing pads.
67 |
News
Bäumer offers new looper for foam cutting
A
lbrecht Bäumer GmbH & Co. KG, a machinery supplier based in Freudenberg, Germany, has introduced a new foam-cutting looper, a basic model
that can be equipped with additional options to meet customers’ needs.
“The great benefit for the customer lies in the flexibility to buy only the options
needed for their cutting applications,” the company said.
By utilizing the latest servo technology for the belt-drive motors, the machine
allows users to exchange a foam roll without having to stop the machine completely. Bäumer also has been able to reduce the machine velocity during the
roll-exchanging process to prevent unwanted marks on the foam or inaccurate
cutting, the company said. After the new roll has been wound, the machine continues to cut with the selected production speed.
A new option allows for an automated change of cutting thickness so that it is
no longer necessary to manually adjust the cutting thickness of the foil during the
production process. This ensures an accurate result from the start of the cutting
process, according to the company.
The looper can be serviced remotely using a VPN connection to the Internet.
Jumpsource plans introductions at EXPO
J
umpsource, a metal components supplier to a number of industries, is planning to
roll out more than 100 new parts offerings at ISPA EXPO 2012, held March 14-17 in
Indianapolis.
Jumpsource, based in Beverly, Mass., describes itself as a supplier of “OQ” (“original
quality”) parts for bedding and textile machinery. It is owned by Michael Porter Sr.
and his children. The Porter family has a long history in the bedding industry. Porter’s
father started Porter International in 1948. The machinery maker was sold to Leggett
& Platt in 1998 and still operates under the Porter International brand name as part of
L&P’s Global Systems Group.
Porter and his two sons, Michael Porter Jr. and Sam Porter, formed Jumpsource in 1999
and, in recent years, re-entered the bedding business as an after-market parts supplier.
“After being out of the industry and servicing customers in construction, golf and turf by
manufacturing metal parts, I have realized that the people in the bedding industry are great
people,” Porter said. “The bedding industry is small and everyone knows each other. I really
missed it and am very happy I am back in it.”
The company stocks more than 4,400 parts for bedding and textile equipment that it
ships around the world. It has a Shanghai office that oversees its Asia manufacturing operations. U.S. distribution centers are located in Kentucky and Massachusetts.
“We sell parts to the bedding industry that are as good as or better than the OEM’s (original equipment manufacturer) at a savings of 25% to 40%,” Porter said. “We make parts for
all the major bedding machines and all the textile sewing machines.”
The company’s bedding industry website is www.oqparts.com.
Plenty of parts Jumpsource stocks more than 4,400 parts for bedding and textile
equipment that can be shipped around the world.
|
68
Life
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Our bases revitalize customers and energize sales by adjusting to their
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average sale in the same amount of space as a traditional foundation.
Our easy ordering, fast delivery, simple set-up, and impeccable customer
service make Ergomotion base foundations an easy, profitable sell.
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News
Atlanta Attachment extends
technical support hours
M
achinery supplier Atlanta Attachment Co., with headquarters in Lawrenceville, Ga., has added after-hours emergency technical support staffed by an on-call technician from
5 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. These hours are in
addition to its standard weekday hours, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
The evening hours were added to better serve customers in
other time zones, the company said.
Callers may reach Atlanta Attachment technical support by
calling 770-963-7369, Ext. 222. The company said all callers
directed to its voice mailbox should leave detailed messages.
Phone calls to technical support during emergency hours will
be answered in the order received. Nonemergency requests will
be handled the next business day.
A dedicated email address, [email protected], has
been set up for customers needing nonemergency technical
assistance, documentation or machine manuals. For a prompt
response, write “Help Needed” or “Information Needed” in the
subject line and include a detailed explanation of needs, workstation name and model number, the company said.
Advanced Sleep Concepts
sells Mattress Barn chain
M
attress maker Advanced Sleep Concepts Inc. has sold its Mattress
Barn subsidiary, a 25-store retail chain in Florida, to Glenn Haneberg and Vito Favia, owners of two Midwestern sleep shop chains, Back
To Bed and The Bedding Experts. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Advanced Sleep Concepts, headquartered in Rome, Ga., is the holding
company for Spears Mattress Co., the original Englander licensee. Its
mattress brands include Englander, Lady Englander and Rest & Restore,
as well as the newly introduced gel lines Englander Egel and Vista Body
Cool. President Terry Spears retired from the company last year.
“While at one time, owning a successful specialty sleep retailer fit
the company’s strategic vision, this divestiture reinforces ASC’s primary strategy of reinvesting in our core manufacturing business,” said
Dominick Azevedo, Advanced Sleep Concepts president and chief
executive officer. “It will allow us to focus 100% of our efforts on enhancing relationships with our existing customers, as well as develop
relationships with new customers, while optimizing the excess capacity in our production facility.” Azevedo added: “I had the pleasure of working with both Glenn
Haneberg and Vito Favia for five years during my tenure as executive vice
president of sales at Simmons and feel confident they can lead the Mattress Barn team to the next level.”
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70
Made in the USA
News
Pure LatexBLISS unveils ‘cool’ collections
comfortable for warm or cold
sleepers, providing a happy
medium for them and their
sleeping partners.”
Two new collections the
company is calling 3.0 Hybrids
offer durability and comfort “at
an attractive price.” The beds
feature between 2 inches and 5
inches of natural Talalay latex
with different recovery characteristics, along with high-density polyurethane support cores
and heavyweight fabric covers.
The three models in the Fast
Response 3.0 Hybrid group
offer traditional Talalay latex
comfort and support. They
have suggested retails from
$1,399 to $1,999.
Three beds in the Slow
Response 3.0 Hybrid group
incorporate the company’s new
ActiveFusion Talalay latex. The
gel-infused latex mimics the
feel of memory foam and the
gel-infused ticking adds extra
cooling. They retail for $1,499
to $2,099.
“Retailers are looking for in-
Sealy fundraiser aids Salvation Army
SHORT
A
tlanta-based mattress
brand Pure LatexBLISS is
introducing three latex collections at the Las Vegas Market,
which starts Jan. 30 at the
World Market Center in Las
Vegas.
The company’s new Climate Control ActiveFusion
collection incorporates gel
and phase-change material in
both the Talalay latex core and
the fibers of the fabric cover.
The beds have suggested retail
prices from $1,499 to $3,299
for a queen-size set.
“This collection is designed
to appeal to a variety of consumer issues and needs,” said
Kurt Ling, Pure LatexBLISS
co-founder and chief executive
officer. “ActiveFusion technology makes sleeping more
novative new products that give
gel entries a point of differentiation—and reason for existence,”
Ling said. “Incorporating gel into
the ticking places it closer to the
sleeper’s body, optimizing the
cooling and comfort benefits,
which provides consumers with
a good night’s sleep.”
For the second year in a row, Trinity, N.C.-based mattress maker Sealy and its luxury Stearns & Foster brand
are holding a Gift of Sleep fundraiser to benefit the Salvation Army and its residential shelters. For every Stearns & Foster sold through participating retailers, Sealy
donates $100 toward new mattresses for the shelters.
The Gift of Sleep runs through Jan. 8. The program
calls attention to nearly 3.5 million Americans experiencing homelessness, while emphasizing the
Salvation Army’s continued need for mattress
donations, Sealy said.
Catch your competitors napping.
Some mattress manufacturers
haven’t woken up yet to the fact that
consumers want more than comfort
and value… they want to feel they’re
reducing waste and preserving our environment.
That’s what SafeLeigh™ shoddy does.
SafeLeigh is a unique blend of fire-retardant
aramids, made with 100% recycled materials. It
can differentiate your products and assure you of
high quality and cost-effectiveness.
SafeLeigh is one of many innovative solutions from
Leigh Fibers, the global leader in fiber and textile
reprocessing. Want to catch your competitors
napping? See us at the ISPA Expo, Booth 1133.
Recycling Solutions for Generations
Leigh Fibers, Inc.
1101 Syphrit Road, Wellford, SC 29385
Tel: (864) 439-4111 — Fax: (864) 439-4116
e-mail: [email protected] — www.leighfibers.com
71 |
News
Verlo rolls out gel line
V
erlo Mattress Factory Stores, a factorydirect chain based in Fort Atkinson,
Wis., has launched a new line of gel foam
mattresses
The Verlo Cool Contour Gel line
“combines new materials with a signature
approach to custom fitting each person
and crafting the mattress locally to fit individual sleep needs,” the company said. The
beds “sleep cool, relieve pressure, respond
quickly and minimize restless sleeping.”
The open-cell, gel-infused foam in the
bed’s top comfort layer “whisks heat away
from the body and is 12 times more breathable than memory foam,” the company said.
The new mattresses come in three comfort
options: firm, plush and extra-plush.
“Gel foam beds are popular for a good
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72
BRAZIL
POLAND
reason—customers say they sleep better
than any other type of mattress on the
market today,” said George Holder, Verlo
Mattress Factory Stores chief operating
officer.
“People are surprised at how quickly the
material cradles their body,” said Darren
Brylow, store manager at Verlo Mattress
Factory Stores of Greenfield, Wis. “We had
one customer stop in the store after buying a gel bed to thank us and said the bed
changed his life.”
Ergomotion
reports strong
growth in 2011
A
djustable bed supplier Ergomotion reports that it experienced “exceptional growth” in
sales, staffing and facilities during
2011.
The Santa Barbara, Calif.-based
company hired new employees in
sales, marketing, logistics, administration and customer service, effectively doubling its employee roster.
To accommodate its expanded
staff, the company moved customer
service and warehousing functions
to a separate building one block
from its headquarters. The new
facility houses a call center and
shipping center.
Sales in 2011 were quadruple
those of 2010, the company said.
The growth came, in part, from a
vested partnership with a new national distributor, 19 East, in Santa
Barbara. Ergomotion principals
hold a stake in the new company.
“We are continually creating programs to help the industry
understand that we are not selling
an adjustable base, we are creating value-added options to better
your mattress program,” said Kelly
Clenet, Ergomotion co-founder and
president. “We try very hard, as well,
to be the best support vendor in
terms of customer service, marketing support and innovation within
the category.”
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News
Jamison turns factory space into showrooms
Showing off Jamison
Bedding’s plant in Gallatin,
Tenn., now has about 3,000
square feet devoted to
displaying its products.
J
amison Bedding, a mattress
maker based in Brentwood,
Tenn., has converted nearly 3,000
square feet at its factory in Galla-
tin, Tenn., into showrooms for its
full lineup of Jamison and Spring
Air-branded products.
“Our newly introduced
branding—‘We Make Sleep Different’—applies not just to the
products we make, but to how
we want to present ourselves and
serve our customers moving forward,” said Ken Hinman, Jamison
senior vice president of sales and
marketing. “In keeping with that,
we’re opening the doors of our
company in new ways, which
includes inviting retailers to our
facilities to meet our staff and to
see our new Jamison and Spring
Air collections.”
The new showrooms enable
the company to present as many
as 32 Jamison and Spring Air
models in an open, well-lighted
retail-like environment. The
presentations include full topof-bed dressings, coordinated
signage and other point-of-sale
materials. Jamison became a
Spring Air licensee last summer
and began shipping Spring Air
brands in November.
Jamison also intends to use
the remodeled space for internal
product meetings, sales training,
consumer research projects and
other company initiatives, Hinman said.
“We’re very excited about
the expanded capabilities these
showrooms afford us,” he said.
“In 2012, we’ll be making many
other meaningful changes in
how we operate our business.”
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74
Snap to learn more.
News
Mattress Firm buys stores,
begins trading on NASDAQ
M
attress Firm Holding Corp., parent of the Houstonbased sleep shop chain, recently announced an
initial public offering of approximately 5.5 million shares
of common stock priced at $19 per share. The stock began trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on Nov.
18 under the ticker symbol “MFRM,” where, by day’s end,
it rose to about $22 per share. It closed at $22.37 on Dec.
9, just before BedTimes went to press.
The retailer has some 800 storefronts in 25 states.
Just prior to its IPO, Mattress Firm acquired 54 stores in
Georgia, Missouri, Illinois and Minnesota from rival retail
chain Mattress Giant.
Mattress Firm Chief Executive Officer Steve Stagner
told the Houston Chronicle that much of the net proceeds
from the stock offering—estimated to be about $95 million—will be used to pay down debt and improve the
company’s balance sheet.
Sleep Train acquires
two other chains
S
acramento, Calif.-based Sleep Train Inc., the parent company of
mattress retailers Sleep Train, Sleep Country USA and Mattress
Discounters, has expanded its presence in the Pacific Northwest through
the acquisition of retail chains Mattress Outlet and America’s Mattress.
The new stores bring the company’s total store count to 255.
As a result of the acquisitions, Sleep Country USA added 14
rebranded storefronts in Washington and Idaho, and Mattress
Discounters debuted in the Northwest with five new stores in
Washington.
“We are continually looking for strategic growth opportunities that allow us to reach new communities,” said Dale Carlsen,
Sleep Train Inc. chief executive officer. “Through the acquisition of
Mattress Outlet and America’s Mattress, Sleep Train Inc. is expanding rapidly into new regions, bringing local customers quality sleep
products and a superior shopping experience.”
This is the third recent acquisition for Sleep Train Inc., which
bought Christian’s Mattress Xpress in 2011, adding three new Sleep
Train stores in California.
75 |
Newsmakers
Ergomotion expands sales group with hire
E
rgomotion, a Santa
Barbara, Calif.-based
manufacturer of adjustable beds, has hired Ted Singer
as senior account manager for
the East Coast, a newly created
post.
Singer is responsible for
assisting retail and manufacturing partners in growing
their adjustable bed sales.
He is a bedding veteran
with more than 22 years of
experience in the industry, the
majority of which was spent at
supplier Leggett & Platt. Most
recently, Singer served as director of sales and national trainer
for L&P Adjustable Beds in the
eastern United States, South
America and the Caribbean. “I’m happy to be associated
with such a dynamic company. Ergomotion is able to
turn ideas into concept very
quickly with exceptional quality,” Singer said. “The adjustable base market is one of the
fastest-growing segments in the
mattress industry. Ergomotion
has innovation, adaptability in
an ever-changing market and
the ability to create product to
accommodate today’s consumer.”
Singer’s hiring comes during
a period of strong growth for
Ergomotion. In 2011, the company reported that it doubled
its employee roster and it
recently restructured its sales
department.
Johnny Griggs, formerly vice
president of sales, was named
president of U.S. sales, and
Gui Peres, formerly director of
international sales and marketing, was named president of
international sales.
Info Retail adds two to team
I
nfo Retail, a retail strategy and design agency based in Atlanta,
has hired Jim Stoklosa as director of digital signage and development and Michelle Dorminey as project manager.
Stoklosa’s post is a new one for the company. He is responsible for
overseeing the integration of digital signage into clients’ retail strategies; advising on equipment, technologies and systems integration;
Jim Stoklosa
and providing return-on-investment analytics and metrics. He has 15
years of experience developing and marketing digital signage software, hardware, electronics and systems at a range of companies.
Dorminey is responsible for advising clients on the integration of
customer experience metrics with financial metrics. Previously, she
was a marketing and financial analyst for Porsche Cars North America. She also served as director of finance and marketing at E.M.G.
Contractors, a company she founded while in college.
“We are capitalizing on the knowledge and talent of these two experts to strengthen leadership across our offerings in service design, Michelle Dorminey
customer environments and customer experience,” said Ron Bushman, Info Retail president.
IMC promotes four in exec leasing ranks
I
nternational Market
Centers, which owns
home furnishings, gift and
home decor showroom
and exhibition space in
High Point, N.C., and Las
Vegas, has promoted four
members of its leasing
Julie Messner
Craig Staack
team—Julie Messner,
Craig Staack, Lee Hershberg and Margaret Powment, handling home furnishings
ers—to vice president posts.
leasing for IMC’s High Point
Messner, a High Point native
properties. Prior to joining the
IHFC, Messner spent three years
and formerly vice president of
publication sales for the Internaas director of leasing for Merchantional Home Furnishings Center
dise Mart Properties Inc. in High
Point.
in High Point since 2008, is now
Staack, a senior-level furniture
vice president of business developwww.bedtimesmagazine.com
Hershberg has
been promoted to vice
president of home decor.
Based in High Point,
he previously served as
IHFC’s vice president of
accessory leasing since
2008.
Lee Hershberg
Margaret Powers
Powers has been
named vice president of
executive with a 30-year track retradeshow in Las Vegas and will
cord in retail, management, prodoversee the sales and management
uct development and marketing,
of the temporaries at the Las Vegas
has been named vice president of
Market. Powers is a 20-year vetbusiness development, responsible eran of the gift industry, holding
for home furnishings leasing at
top merchandising and corporate
the World Market Center in
retail positions with Hallmark
Cards, Enesco and Hershey.
Las Vegas.
77 |
ISPA
ISPA, others advocate for practical product stewardship
T
he International
Sleep Products
Association has become a founding member
of the Product Management Alliance, a national
organization that promotes
free-market solutions to
product stewardship. The
alliance brings together
product manufacturers
and trade associations
from a wide range of
industries.
Alliance members
share a common belief that
all parties in the supply
chain share responsibility
for managing a product
throughout its life cycle.
The group will advocate
for voluntary, market-
based solutions to these
issues and incentives for
increased recycling and
sustainable design.
The alliance also will
examine and monitor the
economic and commercial
impact of public-policy
initiatives that mandate
so-called “extended
producer responsibility”
programs that shift the
costs of product collection
and recycling solely to the
manufacturer. The group
will work with experts in
industry and government
to develop consistent policies for product recovery,
take-back programs and
other extended producer
responsibility models.
Product Management Alliance founding
members represent the
mattress, carpet, electronics, toy, paper, packaging/
transportation materials,
plastics, personal goods
and pharmaceutical industries. Chris Hudgins, ISPA
vice president of government relations, serves on
its board of directors.
“As more states consider policies to address the
disposal of mattresses, we
will work with decisionmakers to educate them
n
on the benefits of product
management systems
that recognize voluntary
programs and spread
responsibility among all
parts of the manufacturing
and distribution process,”
Hudgins said. “Inefficient
and costly mandatory programs for product disposal
should be avoided and flexible, market-based systems
that will achieve more
economical results should
be encouraged.”
LEARN MORE
For more information about the Product
Management Alliance, check www.product
managementalliance.org.
■ Quality assurance director/manager
■ Quality/system manager
■ Product testing manager
■ Quality specialist
■ Safety/environmental director and manager
■ Loss control engineer
■ Corporate risk manager
■ Product design engineer
■ Product safety manager/supervisor
■ Product liability manager
■ Import compliance manager
■ Technical director
■ Human factors analyst
Register for ISPA’s product safety program
A
re you involved in aspects of product safety, quality control or risk assessment at your company? If so, you’ll want
to participate in the inaugural Certificate in Product Safety
Analysis Program, sponsored jointly by the International Sleep
Products Association and the Center for Supply Chain Management Studies at St. Louis University.
The first course has been rescheduled for Feb. 21-22
in St. Louis. The program will benefit mattress industry professionals
who hold any of these roles:
|
78
Faculty members include experts in risk assessment, compliance, regulation and supply chain management. Courses
will address topics such as risk management, product hazard
analysis, regulation and compliance, effective hazard analysis
presentations, supply chain management, and product safety
issues and trends.
The two-day session concludes with group presentations
and an exam. Participants who successfully complete the
program will receive a Certificate in Product Safety Analysis.
Tuition is $1,250 and does not include accommodations or
travel expenses.
If your company is an ISPA member and you’d like more information or want to register for the program, contact Mary Helen
Uusimaki, ISPA vice president of membership and communications, at [email protected] or 703-683-8371.
ISPA
SHORT
Register for EXPO
The mattress
industry’s largest
show of machinery,
components, supplies and services
is just two months
away. Register
now to attend ISPA
EXPO 2012, held
March 14-17 in
Indianapolis. You’ll
find easy-to-use
registration forms,
plus links to hotels
and information
about transportation and the host
city, at www.ispa
expo.com/register.
Register by Feb. 22
to receive special
advance rates.
Better Sleep Council taps new PR agency
T
he Better Sleep Council, the consumer research and education arm
of the International Sleep
Products Association, has
named Marcus ThomasCleveland as its public
relations and marketing
agency of record.
The BSC sought a
partner for strategic development, public relations
and social/digital media
advertising and conducted
an extensive search before
choosing Marcus Thomas.
“At the BSC, we have
two sets of priorities. The
first is to educate consumers about the importance
of a high-quality mattress
in achieving restful sleep.
The second
is to demonstrate
to ISPA
members
that our work is providing
the value they demand
from the BSC,” said Kärin
Mahoney, BSC director
of communications. “We
were impressed, not just
with Marcus Thomas’
creative direction, but with
their explicit, targeted
goals and measurable out-
comes.”
“To us,
the Better
Sleep
Council
represents a fascinating
creative challenge. We’re
promoting a solution,
not a brand, and we have
to make that solution
resonate in a cluttered
space. Our competition is
anything you might turn
to for a good night’s rest,
from pharmaceuticals to
exercise to aromatherapy,”
said Todd Morgano, Marcus Thomas senior vice
president and director of
public relations.
Marcus Thomas
LLC is a $110 million
integrated marketing
communications agency
with 120 employees
and offices in Cleveland
and Youngstown, Ohio.
Clients include Nestlé,
MTD Products Inc.
(Yard-Man, Troy-Bilt, Yard
Machines,Wolf-Garten and
White Outdoor brands),
Akron Children’s Hospital,
Diebold, Quanex, Tarkett,
Shearer’s, SIRVA, Suncore,
Swagelok and the Ohio
Lottery.
It’s 2012.
Albrecht Bäumer produces machines and
fully integrated solutions. Since 1946. We are
a family business. And we will remain one.
Bäumer machines are known in 38 countries.
The headquarters, together with our subsidiaries
in the USA, China and Japan guarantee service
and support at their best. Our machines are
made in Germany. 280 employees. We are all
responsible for this success. Every day. In order
to extend our market leadership we rely on the
experience of the past, whilst using the highest
technology to produce the best quality products.
It is now time to change. Time to create a
Bäumer of America Inc.
P.O. Box 18, 425 Route 202
Towaco, NJ 07082, USA
Phone: +1 973 263 1569
Fax: +1 973 299 8587
Internet: www.baumerofamerica.com
e-mail: [email protected]
new brand.
Be surprised :: March issue
79 |
PATRON: HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES
Calendar
| January
Jan. 22-25
Interiors U.K.
National Exhibition Centre
Birmingham, England
Phone 44-121-780-4141
[email protected]
www.interiorsuk.com
| APRIL
April 21-26
High Point Market
International Home Furnishings
Center & other locations
High Point, N.C., U.S.
Phone 336-869-1000
[email protected]
www.highpointmarket.org
Jan. 30-Feb. 3
Las Vegas Market
World Market Center
Las Vegas
Phone 888-416-8600
[email protected]
www.lasvegasmarket.com
April 24-27
Interzum Moscow/
Interkomplekt
VVC All-Russian Exhibition
Centre
Moscow
Phone 49-221-821-2932
[email protected]
www.interzum-moscow.com
Jan. 31-Feb. 4
Istanbul Furniture Fair
Istanbul Expo Center
Istanbul, Turkey
Phone 90-212-291-83-10
www.itf-imob.com
| FEBRUARY
Feb. 1-3
Australian International
Furniture Fair
Sydney Exhibition Centre
Sydney, Australia
[email protected]
www.aiff.net.au
Feb. 16-18
Tupelo Furniture Market
Mississippi Complex
Tupelo, Miss., U.S.
Phone 662-842-4442
[email protected]
www.tupelofurnituremarket.com
| MARCH
March 9-12
International Furniture Fair
Singapore/ASEAN Furniture
Show
Singapore Expo
Singapore
Phone 65-6569-6988
[email protected] www.iffs.com.sg
March 14-17
➤ ISPA EXPO 2012
Indiana Convention Center
Indianapolis, U.S.
Phone 703-683-8371
[email protected]
www.ispaexpo.com
March 27-30
Interzum Guangzhou
China/China International
Furniture Fair
China Import & Export Fair
Complex Pazhou
Guangzhou, China
Phone 86-20-8755-2468
[email protected]
www.interzum-guangzhou.com
| July
July 30-Aug. 3
Las Vegas Market
World Market Center
Las Vegas, U.S.
Phone 888-416-8600
[email protected]
www.lasvegasmarket.com
| September
Sept. 25-26
Bed Show 2012
International Center
Telford, England
Phone 44-845-055-6406
or 44-175-679-9950
[email protected]
www.bedshow.co.uk
Top
Istanbul Furniture Fair
Jan. 31-Feb. 4 in
Istanbul, Turkey
Middle
High Point Market
April 21-26 in High Point, N.C.
Photo courtesy N.C. Division of Tourism, Film
and Sports Development
Bottom
Las Vegas Market
Jan. 30-Feb. 3 in Las Vegas
81 |
a d v e r t i s e r s
A. Lava & Son Co.
Steve Appelbaum
800-777-5282
(800-777-LAVA)
www.alavason.com
44
AFT Corp.
Rick Brumfield
800-631-1930
37
American & Efird Inc.
Mark Hatton
704-951-2516
www.amefird.com
66
Atlanta C2-1, 57
Attachment Co. Inc.
Hank Little
770-963-7369
www.atlatt.com
Albrecht Bäumer 79
GmbH & Co. KG
Nina Patisson—Germany
49-2734-289-215
Baumer of America
Philipp Schuster—U.S.
973-263-1569
www.baumerof
america.com
Bloomingburg Spring & 83
Wire Form Co. Inc.
Vickie Schwarm
740-437-7614
www.bloomingburg
spring.com
BLR
Martin Leroux
819-877-2092
www.blrlumber.com
Boyçelik Metal AS
Erol Boydak
90-532-274-3193
www.boycelik.com
6
52
Boyteks Tekstil AS
26-27
Deniz Boydak
90-352-322-0588
www.boyteks.com
|
82
BRK Group
Jeff Miller
562-949-4394
www.brk-group.com
51
Buhler Quality Yarns 59
Corp.
Victor Almeida
706-367-9834
www.buhleryarns.com
CTL (Chicago Tape & Label)
Kristy Enger
262-473-0323
www.ctlabels.com
24
Creative Ticking
Jerry Pratt
704-964-0800
35
CT Nassau Tape-
Ticking LLC
Taber Wood
800-397-0090
www.ctnassau.com
63
Deslee Textiles NV
22
Erik Delaby
864-472-2180
www.desleetextiles.com
Edgewater Machine Co. Inc.
Roy Schlegel
718-539-8200
www.edgewater
machine.com
61
Enriquez Materials & Quilting Inc.
Silvia Enriquez
323-725-4955
www.enriquez
quilting.com
14
Ergomotion
Katie Cauzillo
805-688-3151
www.ergomotion.us
69
Flex-A-Bed Inc.
Ben Groce
800-421-2277
www.flexabed.com
70
Flexible Foam 21
Products Inc.
Mike Crowell
419-647-4191
www.flexiblefoam.com
Hickory Springs 2
Mfg. Co.
Rick Anthony
828-328-2201
www.hickorysprings.com
Innofa USA
Todd Hilliard
336-687-1006
www.innofa.com
31
Integrity Software 50
Solutions
Bill Seres
604-897-8713
www.efreedomis.com
John Marshall & Co. Ltd. 80
Peter Crone
64-3-341-2004
www.joma.co.nz
Jomel Industries Inc.
67
Phil Iuliano
973-282-0300, Ext. 106
www.jomel.net
Kenn Spinrad Inc.
Randy Weinstock
800-373-0944
www.spinrad.net
83
Diamond Needle Corp. 84
Abe Silberstein
800-221-5818
www.diamondneedle.com
Foshan Ruixin 48
Nonwoven Co. Ltd.
(Rayson Global)
Himy Lee
86-757-85806388
www.raysonchina.com
Duroflex International 84
George Mathew
415-990-4343
www.latexglobal.com
Global Systems Group C3
Russ Bowman
954-846-0300
www.gsgcompanies.com
Latex Systems Co. Ltd. 76
Kitti Charoenpornpanichkul
66-2-326-0886, Ext. 204
www.latexsystems.com
EC Retail Studio
Marty Walker
770-690-0023
www.ermcar.com
68
Gommagomma 8
Isabella Mariani
39-02-965100
www.gommagomma.com
Leigh Fibers Inc.
Parris Hicks-Chernez
864-949-5615
www.leighfibers.com
Eclipse International
11
Stuart Carlitz
800-634-8434
www.eclipsemattress.com
www.eastmanhouse
mattress.com
Hengchang Machinery 49
Factory
Ren Ying
86-769-8330-7931
www.hcjixie.com
Maxime Knitting Mills Inc. 18
Lorne Romoff
514-336-0445, Ext. 127
514-265-8782
www.maximeknitting.com
Latex International
13
Tom Eisenberg
203-924-0700, Ext. 341
www.latexintl.com
71
a d v e r t i s e r s
Midwest Quality 20
Bedding Inc.
David Pritchett
855-586-4252, Ext. 15
www.mqbedding.com
Monchis SA de CV
Ramon Zablah
818-336-1736
www.monchis.com
36
MPT Group Ltd.
38-39
Andrew Trickett
44-1706-878-558
www.mptgroup.com
New England Needles Inc.
Tom Lees
800-243-3158
www.newengland
needles.com
33
25
Simalfa
Darren Gilmore
973-423-9266
www.simalfa.com
Pacific Spring Inc.
Victor Nguyen
626-272-8882
75
Starsprings International72
Kai Christensen
46-513-17800
www.starsprings.com
Vintex Inc.
Customer Service
800-846-8399
www.vintex.com
Therapedic International73
Gerry Borreggine
800-314-4433
www.therapedic.com
Wright of Thomasville
74
Area Account Executive
800-678-9019
www.wrightlabels.com
P.T. RubberFoam 17
Indonesia
Andreas Janssen
62-21-53662190
www.rubberfoam.co.id
SABA North America LLC 4
Jim Turner
810-824-4964
www.saba adhesives.com
64
Vertex Fasteners Inc.
43
Tom Fowler
847-768-6139
www.vertexfasteners.com
Orsa Foam S.p.A.
Monica Rossi
033-160-9111
www.orsafoam.it
45
Tietex International Ltd. C4
Wade Wallace
800-843-8390
www.tietex.com
83 |
C L ASSI F IEDS
For Sale
n TAPE-EDGE MACHINES, MULTINEEDLE AND SINGLE-
NEEDLE QUILTERS, long-arm label machines, sergers, etc.
Contact Victor LeBron, American Plant and Equipment.
Phone 864-574-0404; Fax 864-576-7204;
Cell 864-590-1700; Email [email protected];
Web www.americanplantandequipment.com.
n REBUILT AND RECONDITIONED MULTINEEDLE QUILTING
MACHINES. Specializing in PATHE precision parts and service. Technical consultants. SEDCO. Phone 201-567-7141;
Fax 201-567-5515.
n TAPE-EDGE MACHINES, QUILTERS AND MISCELLANEOUS
SEWING MACHINES. Contact Frank Carlino, U.S. Mattress
Machinery. Phone 815-795-6942; Fax 815-795-2178;
Email [email protected].
n SPUHL ANDERSON BK-6 BALE OPENER. Lost contract.
Only 24 hours running time. Like new. $12,500.
Phone 731-285-2991 or 731-676-3266.
n EMCO 8413 QUILTER. Good condition; runs great. Used
in light production at custom mattress shop. Can email
pictures. Contact Steve Ellis in Temple, Texas. Phone 254-743-8192; Email [email protected].
n SURPLUS MACHINES FOR SALE BY OWNER. Gribetz
DG2100 ($12,900), DG5500 ($5,900), DG1200 computerized ($18,900), GI4300 tack-and-jump capable ($45,000),
DG3200 computerized ($35,000); EMCO 8413 ($3,000);
tape-edge machines ($5,000); Spuhl, James Cash and
Gribetz panel cutters from $2,500; WBSCO and Gribetz
wrappers from $7,000; Spuhl unbalers from $2,500. Second
location: 3 computerized quilters—DG2100 and panel cutter, DG5500 tack-and-jump, EMCO 88-1-3-6 computerized. Email [email protected].
Employment Opportunity
n Sales Manager and Sales Reps. Growing 42-year-old
major bedding company for Southeast and mid-Southwest
territories. Send resume to P.O. Box 2460, Verona, MS
38879.
For information and rates on classified advertising contact, Debbie Robbins, advertising production manager.
Phone 571-482-5443; Fax 703-683-4503; Email [email protected].
|
84
IS PRODUCT SAFETY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY?
Earn your Certificate in Product Safety Analysis!
Join ISPA and the Center for Supply Chain Management Studies at Saint Louis University for its
first ever Certificate in Product Safety Analysis program! This is the first of a series of courses
planned for the mattress and interior furnishings business.
Who should attend?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Quality Assurance Directors / Managers
Quality / System Managers
Product Testing Managers
Quality Specialists
Safety / Environmental Directors and Managers
Loss Control Engineer
Corporate Risk Managers
•
•
•
•
•
•
Product Design Engineers
Product Safety Managers / Supervisors
Product Liability Managers
Import Compliance Managers
Technical Directors
Human Factors Analysts
February 21-22, 2012
St. Louis University’s John Cook School of Business St. Louis, MO
Tuition is $1,250
For more information, contact ISPA at [email protected]
Or ADK Information Services, LLC at 314-361-4464 or [email protected]
REGISTER TODAY!
Space is limited
www.sleepproducts.org/productsafety
ISPA...The Voice of the Mattress Industry
ISPA Membership your investment in the
growth, profitability,
and health of your
business and the
mattress industry!
OUR COMMITMENT
ADVOCACY
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
INDUSTRY RESOURCES
CONSUMER EDUCATION
ISPA remains committed to
our industry and stands
behind you with programs,
services, and recources that
help your business thrive!
Stop by our Oasis Lounge at
Las Vegas Market - B-910 - to
relax, recharge, and learn
more about current
initiatives, programs, and
plans for 2012. Visitors will be
entered to win a gift card!
See you in Vegas!
B-910
www.sleepproducts.org
On Sleep
n
SLEEP SNIPPETS
According to Australia’s National Sleep
Research Project:
n The record for the longest period without
sleep is 18 days, 21 hours and 40 minutes
during a rocking-chair marathon. The record holder reported hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision and slurred speech, as
well as lapses in memory and concentration.
n Parents of newborns typically lose between
400 and 750 hours of sleep during the
baby’s first year.
n As little as 17 hours of sustained wakefulness
leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%.
n Dreams that occur during REM sleep are
characterized by bizarre plots, but non-REM
dreams are repetitive and thoughtlike.
NIH launches sleep research plan
B
uilding on scientific advances that
link sleep problems to health and safety
risks, the National Institutes of Health recently
released the 2011 NIH
Sleep Disorders Research
Plan, which identifies
research opportunities to
spur new approaches to
the prevention and treatment of sleep disorders.
The research initiatives include examining
the connection between
sleep and a person’s
body clock or circadian
rhythms, studying the
effects of genetic and
environmental factors
that could influence
a person’s sleep and
conducting more trials to
improve treatments for
sleep disorders. The plan
also charts new courses
for collaborative research
opportunities.
Recent advances and
findings in sleep research
provide the foundation
for new research and the
development of improved
treatments.
“There is a significant opportunity to
inform public health
research, given the
prevalence of sleep and
circadian problems nationwide,” says Michael
J. Twery, director of
the National Center on
Sleep Disorders Research, a branch of the
NIH’s National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute. “The goals outlined
in the plan will help
bring attention to important questions that
still remain about the
effects of sleep and circadian disturbances, as
well as the appropriate
therapeutic approaches
for them.”
The ‘ABCC9’ of sleep
L
egend has it that Napoleon and Leonardo da Vinci never needed more than a few hours of sleep.
Today, Bill Clinton and Martha Stewart brag about getting by without much shut-eye. Others
don’t feel fully rested unless they get 10 hours between the sheets. Clearly, the
amount of sleep each person needs varies widely, suggesting sleep duration is
influenced by many factors.
Now scientists have a better understanding of what those factors are
and how much sleep each person needs. A collaborative study led by
two biologists at the Ludwig Maximalians University of Munich,
Germany, have identified a gene—called ABCC9—that regulates how long we sleep.
More than 4,000 people from seven European countries
took part in the study and filled out a questionnaire about their
sleep habits. Scientists scanned the genomes of the volunteers and searched for variations that matched the descriptions participants gave of their sleep patterns. People
who had two copies of one variant of the gene ABCC9
generally slept for a significantly shorter period in an undisturbed environment than did those with two copies of the
other version.
The findings were reported in the Nov. 22 issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
87 |
On Sleep
Survey: Detroit drowsy, residents
of California cities sleeping easier
Tweets track impact of
work, sleep on moods
R
esearchers at Cornell University in Ithaca,
N.Y., looked to Twitter to confirm that
work, sleep and the amount of daylight
we get really do impact factors like our enthusiasm, alertness, distress and anger. They found
that people tweet more positive messages early
in the morning and again around midnight, suggesting that they aren’t particularly happy while
working. Weekends saw more positive tweets,
with positive-message peaks about two hours
later than those recorded during the week, likely
because people stay out later and sleep in.
Tweets among people in locations with a lot of
daylight during the summer and very little in the
winter also reflected changing moods.
The research team tracked 2.4 million people
in 84 countries for two years, using a text analysis
program to quantify the emotional content of 509
million tweets. Their results, in the paper “Diurnal
and Seasonal Mood Tracks Work, Sleep and Day
Length Across Diverse Cultures,” were published
Sept. 29 in Science.
A
new ranking conducted for major
retailer Sleepy’s shows
that many of the U.S.
cities most in need of
extra zzz’s are east of the
Mississippi in areas hard
hit by the recession. The
sleepiest cities:
1. Detroit
2. Birmingham, Ala.
3. Oklahoma City
4. New Orleans
5. New York
6. Cincinnati
7. Louisville, Ky.
8. Raleigh, N.C.
9. Columbus, Ohio
10. Boston
Even though California is among the
states hardest hit by the
housing crisis, residents
of the Golden State sleep
remarkably well, the
survey reveals.
Here’s the list of the
five most well-rested cit-
ies in the country:
1. San Diego
2. Dallas
3. Richmond, Va.
4. San Jose, Calif.
5. San Francisco
The lists are based on
an analysis of sleep habits
of 350,000 adults across
the country. They are part
of an annual study compiled by the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Beware of bedtime snacks
What you eat and drink before bed can be the difference between a
night of restful sleep and one spent tossing and turning.
“Combating insomnia through nutrition is about eating the right
combination of foods in the evening, and—perhaps even more
important—knowing what foods to avoid,” says Joy Bauer, resident
nutrition expert for NBC’s “The Today Show.”
Foods and drinks to avoid before bedtime include:
■ Caffeine (sodas, tea, coffee, chocolate, etc.)
■ Alcoholic beverages
■ Large meals or bedtime snacks
■ Any liquid 90 minutes before you go to bed.
|
88
When you look back on it all,
they’re the ones that make you love this game.
They’re the ones that took it to a new level.
To get game-changing results, you need experience you can
count on, innovative creativity, and gutsy decision-making.
When you look back at it all,
what will you see in yourself?
Did you adapt when old methods no longer worked?
Did you try harder when others had given up?
Did you utilize new tools and technology?
What did you do to
get ahead of the game?
Need a new game plan?
Check out the Gribetz V16™
– the world’s fastest quilter!
800-326-4742
See the full line-up of game-changing equipment from
Global Systems Group at ISPA EXPO Booth 2433, March 13-17.
954-846-0300
www.GSGexpo.com
www.GSGcompanies.com
Finally there’s some good news about america’s borders.
Good news gives us all a lift. Our border program continues to make leaps and strides.
Now we’ve added the exceptional look and feel once reserved for upholstered furniture and panel systems.
But that’s not all. We accept minimum orders and narrow widths. In custom colors. In cool designs. In a flash.
You can understand why we get a little fired up now and then.
MATTRESS SOLUTIONS
I
ECO Fa B R I C S ,
COT TO N S ,
PRINTS,
jaCquaRdS,
N
N
O
V A T
P O LY E S T E R S ,
E
BLENdS,
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

Meet your - BedTimes

Transcription

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