Mattress - BedTimes

Transcription

Mattress - BedTimes

BedTimes
FEBRUARY 2010
THE BUSINESS JOURNAL FOR THE SLEEP PRODUCTS INDUSTRY
Mattress
recycling
Industry
putting
old beds
to bed
Product Watch:
Bio-based foams
A primer on ISPA’s
stats program
Trade show
tax tips
Innovative Technology for
the Sewn Products Industry Worldwide!
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Certify your Peace of Mind
Hickory Springs goes one step further for quality foam.
CertiPUR-US (CM)
approved foams are:
• Low emission (low VOCS).
• Made without ozone depleters.
• Produced without PBDEs.
• Made without mercury,
lead and heavy metal.
• Made without formaldehyde.
• Made without phthalates.
By complying with the CertiPUR-US (CM) voluntary testing, analysis and certification
program, Hickory Springs confirms the proactive measures taken to verify that
its flexible polyurethane foam not only provides durable comfort but is produced
in a responsible, consumer-friendly manner.
How will CertiPUR-US benefit your company?
• Focuses on current consumer concerns about foam involving health and indoor air quality.
• Provides comfort and conﬁdence, reassuring consumers about the foam in your sofa.
• Provides a reference source website for your customer service staff. You don’t need an
in-house expert on health regulations and concerns.
• Demonstrates your commitment to a healthy home environment.
Based on a similar program in Europe, CertiPUR-US provides added value to furniture
manufacturers – and eventually consumers — offering peace of mind and answering
questions typically asked by consumers. Hickory Springs is one of several founding
members of the CertiPUR-US program, which was officially introduced in early 2009.
To switch to Hickory Springs’ certified CertiPUR-US foam, call 1.800.438.5341
or visit HickorySprings.com. Also see certipur.us.
PO Box 128, Hickory NC 28603
CertiPUR-US is a Certification Mark of Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Inc.
©2009 Hickory Springs Mfg. Co.
FEB 2010
InSide
Features
9 Product Watch: Foams getting ‘greener’
Research and technological advances are allowing foamers and bedding
manufacturers to include higher percentages of renewable oils in mattress
constructions.
14 Laying mattresses to rest
The bedding industry is working on several fronts to find ways to dispose of used
mattresses—all in an effort to reduce the environmental impact on landfills and
keep used beds out of the hands of unscrupulous renovators.
Departments
7 Front Matter
Are the financial benefits of moving
U.S. jobs offshore starting to dissipate?
There is some evidence of that, but
the debate on U.S. manufacturing
continues.
49 Marketing Matters
Email marketing is a relatively
inexpensive and certainly quick way of
getting your message out. A consulting
firm offers advice on making the most
of your email campaigns.
56 ISPA News
59 Up Close
62 Calendar
65 Advertisers Index
67 Classifieds
68 The Last Word
55 Cost Management
Attending a trade show such as the
upcoming ISPA EXPO comes with
costs, including transportation and
lodging. Careful record-keeping
can help you take money-saving tax
deductions.
5 Editor’s Note
27 Industry News
51 Newsmakers
www.sleepproducts.org/bedtimes
BedTimes | February 2010 |
3
Resolve to save money in the new year
by using SABA water-based adhesives
Want to save money this year?
This is one NewYear’s Resolution you can keep.
When choosing an adhesive supplier, SABA
understands that quality, service and cost are
requirements of top bedding producers. SABA’s waterbased adhesives are second to none and our dedication
to customer service is unmatched. Only SABA provides
its customers with the most efficient application system
on the planet ensuring the lowest possible adhesive
cost per mattress produced. So keep your NewYear’s
Resolution to save more this year by using SABA
adhesives.
“
Since we began working with SABA our
adhesive costs have come down almost
20%. Using their monitoring system we
can now track our costs and make adjustments faster. We also don’t have all the
messy overspray that wasted adhesive and
caused problems for our operators. We
are very happy with the professional
service we have received and would
recommend SABA to others in the bedding industry.
”
ShaunPennington
GeneralManager
DiamondMattressCo.
See for yourself first hand how the SABA foam bonding adhesive
system can save you money!
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Enjoy 20 to 50% reduction in adhesive costs
All application equipment provided at no cost to you
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 sales@saba-adhesives.com
For sales inquiries, please contact:
T 810 824 4964
F 810 824 4986
E sales@saba-adhesives.com
W www.saba-adhesives.com
SABA North America LLC
5420 Lapeer Road
Kimball MI 48074 USA
SABA, dedicated to foam bonding
Est. 1933: 76 years of strong bonds
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Julie A. Palm
336-727-1889
jpalm@sleepproducts.org
SENIOR WRITER
Barbara Nelles
336-856-8973
bnelles@sleepproducts.org
CONTRIBUTORS
Phillip M. Perry
Dorothy Whitcomb
ART DIRECTOR
Stephanie Belcher
336-201-7475
stephanie@jimmydog.com
Vice President of Sales
Kerri Bellias
336-945-0265
kbellias@sleepproducts.org
Ad Production &
CIRCULATION manager
Debbie Robbins
336-342-4217
drobbins@sleepproducts.org
COPY EDITOR
Margaret Talley-Seijn
BedTimes deadlines
Editorial deadlines for the Industry
News and Newsmakers sections
of the April issue of BedTimes are
Monday, March 1.
Volume 138 Number 2
BedTimes (ISSN 0893-5556) is published
monthly by the International Sleep Products
Association. Periodicals postage paid at
Alexandria, Va., and additional mailing offices.
Editorial and advertising offices
126 Parkview Lane, Reidsville, NC 27320
Phone 703-683-8371; Fax 703-683-4503
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 © 2010 by the
International Sleep Products
Association. Reprint permission
obtainable through BedTimes.
Editor’sNote
‘Greening’ mattresses
from start to finish
F
or several years, BedTimes
has been tracking consumers’
growing interest in “green”
products. What those consumers—
and manufacturers—mean when
they talk about green is a matter of
debate. Does it mean products are
recyclable? Made with renewable or
recycled components? Locally produced? Are they free of chemicals?
Organic? Do they have a smaller carbon footprint?
All of those questions have yet
to be sorted out. What doesn’t need
much further study is that consumers are receptive to manufacturers’
efforts to turn out more sustainable
products using more environmentally friendly methods.
This month, BedTimes looks at
two aspects of the “greening” of the
bedding industry. We start at the
beginning of the production process
with a Product Watch on bio-based
(or natural oil) polyols and show
how they are being used in mattress
foams as the chemistry advances.
(See story on Page 9.)
In our cover story, we jump to
the end of the mattress life cycle and
examine what the industry is doing
to keep these bulky products out of
landfills. (See story on Page 14.)
Recyclers continue to struggle to
find a way to make breaking down
mattresses and selling their components profitable. But new business
models and machinery are making
recycling more feasible. The International Sleep Products Association
is a driving force in these efforts—
from the creation several years ago
of a Mattress Disposal Task Force to
its current ISPA Earth Sustainability
Initiative. (For more information,
check the Web site
www.sleepproducts.org/sustainability.)
Supplies Guide corrections
Two companies have noted errors in
listings that appeared in the BedTimes
Supplies Guide, published in the December 2009 issue of the magazine.
BLU Sleep Products’ correct street
address is 1597 Cunard St., Laval, QC
H7S 2B4, Canada.
MFI International-Competitive
Crossborder Solutions was listed as
supplying some incorrect products, including foot protectors. The company
supplies the following in the “Accessories, Soft Goods” category: sheets/comforters/duvets, mattress pads/toppers,
mattress protectors, pillow covers and
pillows. In the “Mattress Materials, Soft
Goods” category, the company offers
dust covers, insulator pads, mattress
covers, mattress kits and quilted covers.
We apologize for the errors.
Mattress manufacturers can
find sources for machinery,
equipment, supplies, components and services year-round
in the online Supplies Guide at
www.bedtimessuppliesguide.com. BT
Julie A. Palm
5
LAVA-adv-jan10
06-01-2010
10:53
Pagina 1
EXPERTS IN KNITTING
LAVA USA INC.
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PRODUCTION & WAREHOUSE: CASTLEGATE INDUSTRIAL PARK 1405 CASTLE COURT GASTONIA NC 28052 CASTLEGATE@LAVATEXTILES.COM
FrontMatter
Is it time to bring
jobs back to U.S.?
Debate on future
of manufacturing continues
T
hough still significantly higher,
the cost burden of manufacturing in the United States has fallen
sharply from highs reached three years
ago.
In 2008, U.S. manufacturers spent
17.6% more on taxes, natural gas,
employee benefits, torts and pollution
controls than manufacturers in other
countries. In 2006, that number was
31.7%, according to the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI and the Manufacturing Institute.
Does that mean it’s time to slow
the flow of jobs out of the United
States and even bring some aspects of
manufacturing back? As part of the
series “Deloitte Debates,” experts from
global consulting firm Deloitte LLP
tackle that question.
“The fact that the gap closed…is
meaningful change and some companies are looking hard at jumping
on the repatriation bandwagon,” says
Dmitri Shiry, a partner at Deloitte.
“This is especially true for those
where the intellectual property and
quality risks of offshore operations
offset the benefits of lower manufacturing costs. If the U.S. is going to re-
establish manufacturing as a catalyst
for growth during the next cycle of
economic recovery, that trend will
need to continue and expand.”
Manufacturing in the United States
is growing more competitive, in part,
because the cost of doing business is
rising in other countries, Shiry says.
For instance, health care costs are
going up in Canada and the United
Kingdom as supplemental private
insurance gains popularity and China
is adding pollution control requirements.
“Another factor is that some costs
in the U.S. are easing,” Shiry says. “Domestic manufacturers have managed
benefit expenses by moving toward
less expensive defined contribution plans. For some manufacturers,
though, the double hit of high energy
costs and taxes can trump all other
considerations. And, unless policymakers align incentives to encourage
the repatriation of jobs, today’s positive trends could be short-lived.”
Todd Izzo, a partner in Deloitte Tax
LLP, delves deeper into the tax issue.
“Taxes can play an important role
in encouraging companies to expand
in the U.S. If the U.S. were to adopt
tax policies that encouraged domestic investment in capital and labor,
such actions could further reduce the
structure gap in costs between U.S.
firms and their foreign competitors,”
Izzo says. “Unfortunately, U.S. tax
policy currently discourages repatriation of foreign earnings both through
its imposition of tax on a worldwide
basis and by its high rate on corporate
income.”
Izzo argues that the Obama
administration and Congress should
stop considering increases in business
taxes and focus instead on “fundamentally reforming business tax rules
to encourage investment in labor and
capital.”
When it comes to labor, U.S.
manufacturers face another challenge,
says Tom Morrison, a principal in
Deloitte Consulting LLP.
“The crisis is not about the availability of workers for jobs that require
technical skills. It is about a mismatch
of the availability of these skills where
manufacturers want them most,” Morrison says. “This skills shortage is exacerbated by an aging work force and the
increasingly global nature of business.”
One solution is for companies to
work in partnership with technical
schools, community colleges and universities in their areas to create talent
pipelines.
“We believe these training and development partnerships will be critical
for new skilled workers and ongoing
training to keep the work force
up-to-date,” Morrison says. “Companies and communities with plans and
a commitment to skills development
and retention will likely have a leg up.” BT
➤ Learn more
To read the entire jobs debate,
check www.deloitte.com/us/
debates/bringjobshome.
7
•JomaAdStopCountingSheepBedTimes.indd 1
3/1/08 11:04:19 AM
ProductWatch
‘Green’ foams grabbing the spotlight
Renewable content in mattresses on the rise
By Barbara Nelles
T
raditional flexible foam is the
bubbly result of combining
two parts petrochemical-based
polyol with one part petrochemicalbased isocyanate—and a small
amount of water. Otto Bayer is
credited with inventing the chemistry in 1937 in Germany and little has
changed in the underlying polyurethane chemistry of flexible foam.
Till now.
Fluctuating oil prices, a desire to
reduce dependence on oil, concerns
about climate change and consumer
desire for “green” products have
combined to spur research into
polyurethane feedstocks from natural
oil polyols.
Today, foams made
with NOPs have
found their way into
mattresses, pillows
and toppers. And
foamers say new highdensity and viscoelastic variations
made from next-generation NOPs
perform well with an even greater
percentage of renewable content.
“Green foams have become
mainstream. This is no fad,” says
Dimitri Dounis, corporate director
of marketing and foam research at
Hickory Springs Mfg. Co., a foam
supplier based in Hickory, N.C. “We
are taking the industry on a journey
in a new direction, toward reduced
energy consumption, reduced carbon emissions and toward greater
sustainability. Each year we take
bigger and bigger steps to get to a
nonpetroleum-based composition.”
NOPs were commercialized in
flexible foams about five years ago.
They were first used in automobile
seating, then upholstered furniture
and then bedding. The first generation of these foams had an odor and,
unlike petrochemicals, plant-based
oils can turn rancid. Second and
third generations of NOPs have been
modified at the molecular level to
produce odorless
foams.
The source
Four multinational
companies are global
players in NOPs;
many others have smaller, regional
roles. Agribusiness Cargill, with
headquarters in Wayzata, Minn.,
manufactures BiOH polyols from
soybeans at operations in North
and South America. Dow Chemical,
based in Midland, Mich., produces
the Renuva family of polyols, also
from soybean oil. Pittsburgh-based
Bayer MaterialScience LLC produces
castor oil-based polyol for the furni-
ture and bedding industries.
BASF Corp., which has U.S.
headquarters in Wyandotte,
Mich., also uses castor oil to
manufacture Pluracol BALANCE 50 polyol for furniture
and bedding applications.
Chemical companies began
research and development of
NOPs as early as the 1990s
and say they continue to investigate a range of feedstocks. Seed
oils such as soybean, castor, palm,
rapeseed (or canola) and sunflower
have shown the most promise, they
say.
Cargill’s BiOH polyols
(www.bioh.com) were commercialized in 2006, says Jessica Koster,
BiOH Polyols marketing manager.
The bulk of BiOH polyols’ business is currently in North America
9
ProductWatch
How ‘green’ is green?
What percentage of natural oil polyols in a flexible foam warrants a “green” claim? Is
it 3% renewable content by total foam weight? 10%? 15%? It’s a subject of
contention in the mattress industry.
Umberto Torresan, global marketing manager for Dow Polyurethanes–
Natural Oil Polyols, a division of Dow Chemical, says his company would
like to see the bedding industry create guidelines to define what level of
renewable content makes a product green.
He also urges the foam industry to clearly label its products with precise
information about sustainable content.
“The amount of natural oil in a particular foam is currently not part of the
information available to consumers,” Torresan says. “That is something that
must change.” Dow, based in Midland, Mich., produces the Renuva family of
NOPs.
But determining and confirming how much renewable content a foam
contains is not always easy. Foam suppliers BedTimes interviewed say that
right now carbon-14 dating is the only way to check how much “new” (or
renewable content) a competitor’s product contains.
Other sustainability-related concerns center on the natural oil feedstocks
themselves. The primary oils used in mattress foams—soy and castor—each
have potential environmental and health impacts.
Worries about soybeans largely revolve around losses to the Amazon rainforest due to crop cultivation and the amount of energy required to process
a soy polyol, regardless of the source country. To mitigate concerns about
deforestation, some chemical producers buy soy that’s only grown in the
United States.
“We make sure soybean oil we use doesn’t come from where people are
exploited, the environment is destroyed or the food chain interrupted,” Torresan says.
Castor oil is produced directly from the plant without molecular modification and its cultivation doesn’t require irrigation or pesticides. But castor is
often grown in remote, arid regions and there is a concern that an oil extraction process using hexane can pose a health risk to workers.
“It’s important to remember that bio-based foams are greener, but they are
not green,” says Dimitri Dounis, corporate director of marketing and foam
research at Hickory Springs Mfg. Co., a foam supplier based in Hickory, N.C.
“My belief, though, is that nothing is impossible. One day, we could have a
flexible foam that is all renewable content.”
where, she says, “the environmental
mindset is stronger among consumers than it is in Latin America.” The
company also ships to Europe and
Asia.
“Initially, some mattress makers
were using BiOH polyols, but not
talking about it,” Koster says. “They
wanted to get comfortable with the
product first. Now, they are taking credit for it and even designing
10 | BedTimes | February 2010
the entire bed around the soy-foam
concept. It’s a huge win. Consumers
are so interested in products with
smaller carbon footprints.”
Dow Chemical’s Renuva
(www.dow.com/renuva) is “robust
and customizable and especially
geared toward specialty foams,” says
Umberto Torresan, global marketing
manager for Dow Polyurethanes–
Natural Oil Polyols. “Renuva allows
Market moves Cargill commercialized its BiOH
polyols, made from soy, in 2006. (Photo
courtesy Cargill Inc.)
foamers to create a visco-elastic
with up to 30% total renewable
content by weight. We have our
own method of breaking apart the
soy oil molecules and putting them
back together in a different way that
allows you to use even more renewable content in a flexible foam.”
Trends toward sustainability are
driving interest in green foams, Torresan says.
“The Obama administration is
making a huge push toward alternative energy and renewable
resources,” he says. “For instance,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred program
(www.biopreferred.gov) will soon
come out with a BioPreferred label
Carpenter’s ‘renewal’ Carpenter Co. offers
the Renew line of flexible foams for mattress
manufacturing.
Lenzing AG, A-4860 Lenzing, Austria
BOTANIC BED
TENCEL®
The New Age Fiber
Lenzing Fibers, Inc.
530 Seventh Avenue, Suite 808
New York, NY 10018-3508
Phone: 212 944-7898
E-Mail: n.nadash@lenzing.com
Botanic Bed System
TENCEL® fiber comes from Nature. It is of botanic origin because it is extracted from
the raw material, wood. The applications for TENCEL® are exceptionally versatile.
The fiber can be used in every aspect of sleeping – beginning with mattresses and
mattress pads to bed covers and linens, all the way to lingerie.
TENCEL®’s universality makes it possible to enjoy a completely botanic bed from
nature. Perfect moisture management guarantees a pleasantly dry sleeping climate.
Nothing is dreamier than that when you go to sleep in a botanic TENCEL® bed.
Lenzing is world market leader among cellulose fiber manufacturers and produces TENCEL®, Lenzing
Modal®, Lenzing FR® and Lenzing Viscose®.
www.lenzing.com
Leading Fiber Innovation
ProductWatch
Plant-based blocks Advanced Urethane Technologies incorporates castor
oil into its Acella-Flex foams.
Changing formulations FXI Foamex Innovations has been supplying
foams with renewable content for about three years.
for products that contain a
“We use both castorcertain amount of renewand soy-based polyols and
able content.” (You can folhave found that the second
low news about the BioPreand third generations of
ferred program on Twitter
these products have a much
using @BioPreferred.)
improved performance,”
“And then there is
Vaselli says. “We experialmighty Walmart,” Tormented with other types
resan says. In July 2009, the
of oils, but have found that
retailer announced plans
the level of refinement
to create a “worldwide susand consistency in the soy
tainable product index” by
and castor products yield
surveying its 100,000 global
the best results. We use as
Marketing opportunities Hickory Springs Mfg. Co. created a Web site
just to promote its Preserve brand of foams.
suppliers about such things
much of these plant-based
as their greenhouse gas emispolyols as possible without
sions, water use and solid
compromising product perwaste production. The result“Second-generation renewable
formance.”
ing global database will be used to
foams were released in 2008 and
FXI’s Reflex Natural portfolio inhelp provide consumers with inforhave higher content percentages,”
cludes Aerus Natural, a visco-elastic
mation that will allow them to make
he says. “Third-generation foams
foam launched in 2008.
more sustainable choices, according
are in development now.” Preserve
In 2007, Flexible Foam introto the retailing giant.
foams are between 10% and 16%
duced BioFlex with soy-based
renewable content, according to the
polyols. And in early 2008, the
Mattress industry offerings
company.
foamer began using a percentage of
In 2005, Hickory Springs began a
FXI Foamex Innovations began
soy polyol in all of its foam formucollaboration with Cargill to assist
producing foams with renewable
lations, says Michael Crowell, vice
in the development of soy-based
content in 2007 as part of a 15-yearpresident of marketing for the Spenpolyols for flexible foams.
old commitment to become a
cerville, Ohio-based company.
“We poured the very first foam
greener company, says Alvaro Vaselli,
“We did it because the American
using soy polyol in the first quarter
senior vice president of foam prodpublic is very interested in green
of 2006 at our Conover, N.C., facilucts for the Media, Pa.-based foam
and natural products and because
ity,” says David Duncan, Hickory
supplier. The company has miniit’s a step toward reducing depenSprings national product manager
mized emissions at its four largest
dency on fossil fuels,” he says.
for bedding foam products. The
U.S. plants with its closed-chamber
“We are continually working to
company markets the foam under
Variable Pressure Foaming process
use more soy content,” he says. “We
the Preserve brand and has launched
and initiated a range of recycling
recently completed our third trial
a Web site, www.preservefoam.com.
and energy conservation efforts. The
with a new visco-elastic foam and
Hickory Springs’ first renewable
VPF process is used to manufacture
recently had a breakthrough that
foams were 5% to 6% renewable
the company’s Reflex Natural line of
will allow us to use as much as 20%
content by weight, Dounis says.
foams with bio-based content.
soy polyol by weight. Currently,
the percentage is 3% to 12%. It’s a
balancing act. If you put too much
soy-based (content) in, you weaken
the physical properties of the foam.
The tensil, tear and elongation (or
TTE) will drop.”
Carpenter Co., a foam supplier
based in Richmond, Va., offers Renew, a family of flexible foams for
mattresses that contain between 3%
and 12% plant-based content. The
company has supplied this material
to the furniture industry since 2007
and mattress makers since 2008.
Foams sold in the United States
are made with soy polyols, says Ed
Malechek, Carpenter president.
“We looked at castor oil and
some others and we continue to
pour some castor-based foams in
Europe,” he says. The company has
the capability to produce foams with
bio-based content at all 12 of its
Read more
➤ “Global Warming: New Challenge for Polyurethanes?” www.ptonline.com/articles/200812fa3.html
➤ “ Polyurethane,” www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyurethane and “Natural Oil
Polyols,” www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_oil_polyols
➤ “ USDA ‘BioPreferred’ Label Intended for Retail Shelves,”
www.environmentalleader.com/2009/08/05/usda-biopreferred-labelintended-for-retail-shelves
pouring plants.
Chicago-based Advanced Urethane Technologies manufactures
Acella-Flex foams with sustainable
content derived from castor oil.
Acella-Flex is offered in a variety
of foam types and densities—from
0.9 pounds to 6 pounds. The company introduced the foams to the
mattress industry in 2008 though, as
with other bio-based flexible foams,
they were first used in upholstered
furniture applications.
The amount of castor-oil derived
polyol in a particular Acella-Flex
foam typically ranges from 3% to
6% of the foam’s total content by
weight, says Joe Progar, Advanced
Urethane Technologies executive
vice president of OEM sales. Newer
foams will contain up to 10% natural oil polyols. Levels are determined
by foam type and customer requirements. BT
13
Mattress
recycling
Industry finding useful
ways to dispose
of used beds
T
By Barbara Nelles
he sight of a filthy, old mattress lying on the side of the road is an
ugly reminder of a problem. What happens to mattresses at the
end of their useful life? Where do they go and who is responsible
for disposing of them?
Landfill operators hate bulky mattresses. They don’t compact well
and their springs pop out and jam machinery. The mattress industry
hates that too many used beds end up in the hands of unscrupulous renovators who perform a little cosmetic surgery and resell them as new,
often violating federal flammability standards and exposing consumers
to allergens and pests, such as dust mite waste and bed bugs.
Mattress recycling is gaining supporters both inside and outside the
bedding industry. They agree: It’s good for the environment and for
the industry’s image. It’s also good for new mattress sales when it cuts
off the supply of used beds to dishonest renovators.
There are more than a dozen mattress recycling facilities in North
America. (For a list, check www.sleepproducts.org and click the
“Sustainability” tab.) The majority are run
by nonprofits and most have found that
financial viability depends on collecting a per-piece tipping fee. The
going rate is $6 to $15 per unit.
The market for reclaimed
materials is unstable. Most
recently, the recession
pushed prices for scrap
foam and steel down
significantly.
15
Recycling has ‘green’ appeal for consumers
Consumers generally like the idea of their used mattresses being diverted from landfills
and having the components recycled.
“There is a marketing advantage to retailers in telling consumers you
are being responsible for your waste stream,” Jonathan Harrison says. “Our
research shows that consumers are open to paying a ‘green’ fee of $6 to $10
per unit to retailers for the disposal of
their used mattress—as long as they
have a guarantee that their old bed
won’t be resold and it won’t end up in
a landfill.”
Harrison is director of operations for
Rubicon National Social Innovations,
a San Francisco-based nonprofit that
helped Goodwill Industries in San Jose,
Calif., open a small recycling facility.
A 2009 SOLinc survey of 500 U.S.
consumers who had purchased or were
planning to buy a new mattress had
similar findings.
“Our study shows that consumers
are already behind mattress recycling,”
says Joe Paviglianti, a principal and
Out with the old The International Sleep
partner in Phoenix-based SOLinc, a
Products Association is investigating the
mattress recycling consultancy. “They
possibility of using tire-shredding
will choose one retailer over another
machinery to recycle mattresses and
if it is recycling used bedding. They
foundations.
don’t want their old mattress resold or
landfilled.”
SOLinc’s study also showed that many consumers are confused by the
term “recycling.”
“They associate it with renovation,” Paviglianti says. “We need better consumer education to explain that none of the reclaimed components are used
in new beds.”
Abdul Erdem, president of Montreal-based recycling company MattCanada, agrees.
“Today’s consumer cares about where their mattress is going,” he says.
“They are interested in mattress recycling. We want to see recycling become
mainstream. It’s better for the environment and for the mattress industry.”
Widespread recycling could improve consumers’ impressions of the entire
mattress industry, some say.
“Consumers deal with mattress disposal once every 10 years or so,” says
Dave Rosenbrook, fleet facilities manager for Slumberland in Little Canada,
Minn. “But when they do, it can be a real thorn in their sides and recycling
can be a compelling story: ‘We’ll pick up and dispose of your old mattress in
an environmentally friendly, safe manner.’ ”
Or, as Barrie Brown, a former mattress retailing executive who is now a
consultant, puts it: “If we did something really bold about mattress recycling,
it could shake up the industry’s bad image among consumers.”
Some in the recycling and mattress
industries support the idea of a universal product disposal fee collected
at the point of sale—much like what
is done in many states with used tires,
large appliances, automobile batter-
ies, paint and other items. But others
worry about increased government
intervention. They prefer that the
industry devise and manage its own
solution.
There is increasing agreement,
however, that within seven to 10 years,
recycling of used mattress materials
could become commonplace in North
America. There is less interest in Europe, where mattresses are incinerated
or burned for energy.
But, in addition to driving down
prices for
used components, the
recession
has slowed
momentum
when it comes
to the growth
of mattress
recycling: The
flow of beds
has slowed,
recyclers have
closed and
demand for
components
has dried up.
On a
positive note, studies and anecdotal
evidence show that a growing number
of consumers are concerned about
what happens to the mattresses they
discard. Perhaps it’s the sight of those
beds on the side of the road.
ISPA’s involvement
Promoting mattress recycling is one of
the goals of ISPA Earth, the cradle-tocradle sustainability initiative of the
International Sleep Products Association.
“ISPA’s primary role is as a facilitator, promoting and encouraging
mattress recycling,” says Ryan Trainer,
ISPA executive vice president and
general counsel. “We work to stimulate discussion and awareness of mattress recycling; act as an information
resource on processes, procedures and
equipment; and are helping interested
entrepreneurs and organizations connect with existing operations.”
One challenge for ISPA is budgetary constraints that prevent the
association from fully funding all aspects of its recycling initiative, Trainer
acknowledges.
However, ISPA has done much
work to date. In 2003, it created
a Mattress Disposal Task Force to
study the opportunities and chalwww.sleepproducts.org/bedtimes
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New uses for old components
➤ Steel springs Reclaimed steel is
bundled and sold as scrap to be
remelted and poured into new steel
components.
➤ Foam About 70% of the foam in
mattresses can be ground and reused
in carpet underlayment and moving pads. It’s also used as a biomass
fuel source. Studies are under way to
convert used foams back into polyols
for new polyurethanes.
➤ Fiber Cotton fiber can be mixed
with wood fiber, carded and used in
engine oil filters. Cellulosic fibers may
be incinerated.
➤ Wood The staples in foundations are
a complication, but most wood can
be chipped and used as landscape
mulch, stuffing for pet beds or biomass fuel for waste-to-energy production.
➤ Fabric Tickings can be reclaimed and
used in items such as pet beds.
➤ Shoddy pads They also can be used
as a fuel source for waste-to-energy
production.
lenges posed by mattress disposal
and component recycling. It issued
a thorough analysis of recycling
and made detailed recommendations on how the industry should
move forward. (The report is available under the “Sustainability” tab at
www.sleepproducts.org.) ISPA also
has provided limited assistance to a
recycling operation and sponsored a
design competition for reusing mattress components in creative ways.
The association currently is exploring the efficacy of using tire-shredding
machinery adapted for mattress
recycling. These machines can shred
an entire mattress or foundation in
seconds. Afterward, a magnetized
separation process is used to collect
the metal. Many see such grinding as
the best way to handle high-volume
recycling and to prevent cast-off beds
or their components from being
reused by renovators.
“The mattress industry is trying to
solve the recycling problem, in part,
because it’s the right thing to do,”
Trainer says. “But another important
motivating factor is that we want to
act now to avoid or lessen the costs
and disruptions that might result if
governments were to impose recycling
obligations on mattress producers.
California and other states are now
considering legislation making manufacturers responsible for recycling a
consumer product when it reaches
the end of its useful life. Some of the
options under consideration could be
costly and impractical.”
“I’m very optimistic that the right
solution or solutions to recycling will
be found because ISPA members back
some sort of initiative,” says Steve
Willis, staff vice president of continuous process improvement at industry
supplier Leggett & Platt, which has
headquarters in Carthage, Mo. “The
best approach is to develop two to
three options that will fit everyone’s
needs. One thing is certain, we need
to tackle this issue and make it work
fiscally and physically.”
An interesting model, Trainer says,
is the independent nonprofit Rechargeable Battery Recycling Program
(www.call2recycle.org), which funds
the collection and recycling of rechargable batteries in North America.
“Although the funding mechanisms that finance this program
wouldn’t work well for the mattress
industry, we can learn a lot from how
they have solved some of the logistical
problems of getting the used products
to a recycling center,” he says. “They
have enlisted retailers as important
links in the collection process and
promote their industry’s green efforts.”
Less landfilling
Mattress retailers are on the front lines
of disposal. Many majors, including
Toronto-based Sleep Country Canada,
Phoenix-based Sleep America and
Rooms To Go, with headquarters in
Seffner, Fla., have implemented programs aimed at diverting mattresses
from landfills. They donate lightly
used beds to charity, do their own
recycling or contract with recyclers.
Retailers Slumberland and Art Van
Furniture have invested in shredding
machines to compact used bedding
before taking it to the landfill.
“We use a shredder from SSI
Shredding Systems that allows us
to grind up mattresses, box springs
and unusable products and compact the material about 20 to 1,” says
Dave Rosenbrook, fleet and facilities manager at Slumberland, which
has headquarters in Little Canada,
Minn.
“But the industry as a whole needs
to devise and manage a comprehensive solution,” Barrie Brown says.
“Others talk about needing ‘a level
playing field’ in order to begin, but if
we do nothing, that may lead to government imposing a solution on the
industry.” Brown is former president
and chief executive officer of retailer
Mattress Giant and now is a Dallasbased independent consult to smallbox retailers.
Brown says he is a long-time advocate of mattress recycling and notes
that Mattress Giant continues to send
customer castoffs to recycler Conigliaro Industries in Framingham, Mass.
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SOLinc (Save Our Landfills), a
mattress recycling consultancy based
in Phoenix, is “working to find a scalable solution for retailers of all sizes,”
says principal and partner Daryl Newton. “Fundamental to our mission is
education of consumers, manufacturers, retailers and recyclers.” One client
is Correctional Industries, a public/
private partnership based in Seattle
that is establishing a recycling facility
using prison labor.
Lee Quinn, chief executive officer
of Sleep Products Inc., a Restonic
licensee based in New Albany, Ind.,
says his company takes possession and
disassembles all of its retailer returns. It sells metal and foam to scrap
dealers.
“There may not be
a single, ready answer
to (industrywide) recycling,” he says. “It’s an
expensive proposition.
And in the current economic climate, people
are concerned about
every dime.”
Mattress manufacturer Corsicana
Bedding Inc., based
in Corsicana, Texas,
has started recycling its retailers’ used
mattress pickups at no charge. In
October, it opened Dream Green, a
separate operation where it manually
tears down beds.
“In three months, we’ve kept about
1,000 mattresses out of landfills and
out of the hands of renovators,” says
Carroll Moran, Corsicana president.
“I see a need for this and am trying to
come up with a viable mattress recycling operation. Our goal is to at least
be able to break even on collection,
tear down and recycling.”
“We are absolutely antirebuilding,” Moran says. “We’ve
witnessed renovators selling old
Corsicana mattresses as new—for
more than they were originally sold
for. Our industry needs a solution to
this problem.”
Mostly manual methods
Most mattress recyclers manually
“fillet” mattresses and pull apart the
components.
At PPL Industries in Minneapolis, mattresses are dissected on
roller tables using electric cutters. The
operation is a subsidiary of Project
for Pride in Living, a nonprofit that
assists low-income families in the
Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
“Our goal is to not automate further than we have to and to just break
even,” says Doug Jewett, PPL chief operating officer. “But material handling
equipment is really important.” PPL
has invested in balers, forklifts and
power pallet jacks.
PPL provides three to six months
of job training for difficult-toemploy people—the homeless,
immigrants or individuals recently
Renovators
vs. recyclers
Whether sold or stolen, used beds
find their way into the renovation
market from curbside, loading
docks, transfer stations, landfills
and elsewhere.
Industry representatives and recyclers that BedTimes spoke with
estimate that 10% to 30%—most
cite the higher percentage—of all
discarded bedding finds its way to
renovators.
“The used bedding market is
almost impossible to quantify,”
says Barrie Brown, a former retail
executive who is now a consultant. “The harsh reality is that
there are stores everywhere selling
these products and they give the
whole industry a bad name.”
released from institutions.
“We get complaints about the
cost—$15 per mattress or foundation—but not from consumers.
They’re on board with our program
and what we’re trying to do,” Jewett
says. Among those who say the perpiece charge is too high are retailers,
municipalities and private waste
haulers, he says.
The PPL facility opened in July
2008, but had a sluggish start because of the economy. Only 4,000
pieces were recycled in 2009. PPL
plans on lowering its per-piece
price, broadening its reach to a
seven-county area and conducting
community awareness and collection campaigns.
Goodwill Industries
in San Jose, Calif.,
opened a small recycling facility in 2009
with the assistance
of Rubicon National
Social Innovations,
a nonprofit with
headquarters in San
Francisco. Rubicon’s
goal is to support the
creation of businesses
that provide training
and transitional employment for
“marginal” populations. It’s also
involved with mattress recycling operations soon to open in Baltimore
and Philadelphia.
The San Jose Goodwill facility
does both residential and commercial mattress pickups.
“The dismantling operation is
highly manual,” says Jonathan Harrison, Rubicon director of operations. “We fillet the mattress, but
use a machine to remove springs
from wood. Then we saw and bale
the wood. We don’t use expensive
grinders.”
The largest mattress recycler in
North America is the St. Vincent de
Paul Society of Lane County, based
in Eugene, Ore. It operates three
facilities in California and Oregon
that together process about 150,000
mattresses per year. There is a $6
tipping fee per unit.
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Containing critter concerns
As many recyclers will tell you, there’s a stigma about handling old mattresses
and all the publicity about bed bugs has only added to it.
Mattress recycling was spotlighted on the Discovery Channel’s hit program
“Dirty Jobs” in September when host Mike Rowe visited a center run by St.
Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County. Rowe spent considerable time being
grossed out by just the thought of dust mites and bed bugs.
In addition to having workers use gloves, wear protective clothing and
wash their hands, Doug Jewett says his mattress recycling facility contracts
with a pest control company to keep the premises free of insects. Jewett is
chief operating officer of Project for Pride in Living in Minneapolis. All mattresses also are stored on roller carts lined with clean paper.
“You watch for telltale signs on the paper—droppings, bed bugs, roaches,”
he says. “Roaches are a big problem on bedding that’s been stored in damp
places like garages.”
in Oakland can deconstruct a mattress in 10 minutes using a machine
that shears off the top of the bed,”
says Terry McDonald, St. Vincent
de Paul of Lane County director.
Components are bundled and baled,
then shipped to companies across
the country.
“Our community is supportive
of mattress recycling and the good
green jobs it produces,” McDonald
says. “That’s important to our success.”
Governments in California and
Oregon also are supportive—and
way ahead of the rest of the country
in terms of waste reduction initiatives, McDonald says. In 1990, the
state of California mandated that
municipalities reduce the number of
products going to landfills and many
cities put mattresses on that list.
MattCanada, which is based in
Montreal, has three locations in
Canada, including a new facility in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. The company
designed and patented a mattress
dismantler. (You can view it in
action at MattCanada’s Web site,
www.mattcanada.com.) The company uses several other machines to
strip, shred and compact materials,
and offers free consulting services to
anyone interested in starting a mattress recycling business.
“The first couple of years were
hard until we gained the trust of
customers. We have 32 accounts
from different sectors, including
retailers Sears and Hudson Bay,” says
Abdul Erdem, MattCanada president. “We aren’t making millions,
but we’re surviving.” BT
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to
IndustryNews
Simmons wins court approval of sale to Serta owners
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware has
approved a prepackaged restructuring plan for Atlantabased mattress maker Simmons. The decision allows Ares
Management LLC and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
to acquire Simmons and all of its subsidiaries, as well as
its parent Bedding Holdco Inc. The investors own National Bedding Co., the largest manufacturer of bedding
under the Serta brand name.
When the announcement was made Jan. 5, it was
expected that Simmons would complete the transaction
and emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy by Jan. 20. The
reorganized company will have significantly reduced its
debt, from $1 billion to about $450 million. The plan
provides for all trade vendors, suppliers, employees and
senior secured lenders to be paid in full.
“Just as our lenders and note holders voted their confidence last fall, this favorable decision by the court further
validates the viability of our plan and opens the door to
an exciting future for our company, our employees, and
all of our suppliers and our customers,” said Steve Fendrich, Simmons president and chief operating officer.
Before the court’s approval, The Wall Street Journal
reported that a group of government-linked Chinese financiers were encouraging Chinese bidders to challenge
Simmons’ prepackaged restructuring plan and make a
play for the company. Simmons discounted the report,
saying it was not contemplating and had not solicited any
alternate bids in China or elsewhere.
Las Vegas revamps market schedule
B
eginning this summer, the Las Vegas Market, a
biannual market held at the World Market Center
complex, will have a new schedule and structure to create
“two multifaceted, mega-markets.”
The summer furniture and mattress market, now
scheduled for Aug. 2-6, will overlap with the debuting
Gift + Home and Vegas Kids exhibitions, which will run
Aug. 4-7. This year’s winter market was Feb. 1-5; the summer 2010 market had been set for Sept. 13-17.
“Together, these events will attract the broadest possible range of buyers, exhibitors
and designers to Las Vegas for extraordinary business opportunities,” according to the
market authority. Organizers said they will schedule future summer markets for late
July or early August, depending “on calendar and strategic considerations.”
The next winter market will be Jan. 24-28, 2011, and is timed to coincide with the
Surfaces floor covering expo and InspireDesign, the World Market Center’s new hospitality design show. Organizers said they plan to hold future winter markets in late
January or early February.
“At a time when all businesses require introspection and must challenge themselves
to create more value, we are proud to embark on strategic decisions that, based on
input from many of our partners, optimize sales opportunities for their businesses
and expand channels of distribution,” said Robert Maricich, World Market Center
president and chief executive officer.
Market authorities said the new schedule and structure “will provide retailers an
opportunity to see increased new product rollouts, cross-shop a diversified product
platform, discover new vendors and place orders in order to have merchandise in their
stores during the important fourth quarter.”
Organizers also said the new schedule will “reduce potential industry conflicts.”
Many mattress makers reported that they saw less traffic from East Coast retailers
when the Las Vegas Market was held last September. They attributed the decrease,
in part, to the fact that the October High Point furniture market was just a few
weeks later.
Renovator recalls
mattress sets
M
attress World, based in Dallas, has
voluntarily recalled about 750
renovated mattress sets that fail to meet
the mandatory federal open-flame standard, according to the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission.
Included in the recall are renovated
twin-, full-, queen- and king-size
mattress sets sold in blue, white and
taupe floral colorways. Only those
with the following information on
tags attached to the mattress and
foundation are included in the recall:
“Manufacturer: Mattress World. Date
of Manufacture: May 29, 2009 through
September 4, 2009. Prototype ID:
MWQ or MWFOBXQ.”
The mattress sets were sold at a
variety of furniture stores in Arkansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas from
May through September. They retailed
for between $35 and $105.
No incidents or injuries associated with the mattress sets have been
reported.
The CPSC recommends consumers
call Mattress World at 877-819-0725
or email mattressworld@live.com to
receive a full refund.
27
IndustryNews
Therapedic adds upholstery licensee
P
executive officer.
rinceton, N.J.-based
“This is a strong promattress licensing group
gram and a natural extenTherapedic International has
sion to our mattress line,”
entered into an agreement
he said. “Plus, we’ve built
with Edgecombe Furniture
a quick-ship model that
to produce sofas, love seats,
helps retailers make quick
chairs, sleep sofas and other
sales and turn goods fast.”
upholstery goods under the
“We are excited about
Therapedic label.
the growth potential with
Edgecombe is sister
Therapedic and look forcompany of Therapedic’s
ward to growing stronger
mid-Atlantic licensee, Sleep
as a part of the Therapedic
Worthy.
team,” said Bob Phillips,
The new upholstery line
Diving into upholstery Therapedic International has signed a licensing deal
will incorporate Therapedic with Cotton Belt Inc.’s Edgecombe Furniture division to produce upholstered vice president of EdgeMemoryTouch visco-elastic furniture. Celebrating the partnership are Edgecombe and Cotton Belt execu- combe, which has headquarters in Pinetops, N.C.
foams and Therapedic Pure- tives (from left) Bob and Ellis Phillips and Dan Alwine.
Edgecombe and Sleep
Touch latex inserts.
available for shipment throughout
Worthy are both divisions of Cotton
All upholstery will be manufacNorth America, said Gerry BorregBelt Inc.
tured in the United States and be
gine, Therapedic president and chief
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Natura World marketing
MediWedge in U.S., Canada
Natura World, a maker of natural and organic bedding
products based in Cambridge, Ontario, has obtained exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute
MediWedge bed foundations in North America.
MediWedge is a patented technology designed to
improve sleep health and alleviate common sleep
disturbances such as gastroesophageal reflux disease.
“Natura World is committed to finding natural
solutions to common sleep disruptions,” said Ralph
Rossdeutscher, Natura World chief executive officer. “The Natura MediWedge foundation provides a
healthy way to adjust your sleep environment. This
small lifestyle change can dramatically improve sleep
quality.”
The foundation slightly elevates the head and
shoulders, allowing gravity to help reduce nighttime
reflux and ease breathing. It can be used beneath any
type of mattress.
Shorts
Magniflex debuts at Canadian market
As part of a plan to grow its market share in Canada,
specialty bedding producer Magniflex showed for the
first time at the Canadian Home Furnishings Market
Jan. 9-12 in Toronto. Magniflex, based in Prato, Italy,
conducted a test launch with retailers in Montreal and
Toronto last year. The company’s mattresses are distributed in 70 countries.
Relax The Back adds new Anatomic Global beds
Mattress manufacturer Anatomic Global, with headquarters in Corona, Calif., is producing a new line
for La Palma, Calif.-based retailer Relax The Back.
PureRelax by Relax The Back joins PureFit by Relax The
Back on the retailer’s floor. The beds contain Anatomic
Global’s trademarked EcoMemoryFoam, an open-cell
visco-elastic with renewable content; the Enhanced
Anatomic Support System for pressure relief; and a
LiveResponseFoam comfort layer.
29
IndustryNews
Classic Sleep expects quick
emergence from bankruptcy
M
attress manufacturer and importer Classic Sleep
Products, based in Jessup, Md., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the
District of Maryland. It is seeking approval for the sale
of company assets to a new entity, Classic Brands LLC.
Classic Sleep Products’ long-time Chinese manufacturing partner would have an equity stake in the new company and has pledged $10 million in financing.
Classic Sleep Products said there will be no disruption of service to customers, vendors or suppliers during
the Chapter 11 process and the company expects to exit
bankruptcy quickly.
Under the proposed reorganization plan, current
management will increase its majority ownership stake
in the business with funding provided by JMX Capital
Partners and a senior lender, CIT Financial.
“We see this move as a very exciting opportunity to
solidify Classic’s position as the leading value brand
in the United States. This strong infusion of capital
will strengthen our current business and position the
company for dynamic future growth,” said Mike Zippelli,
Classic Sleep Products chief executive officer.
Zippelli said the filing was necessary in order to
separate the mattress producer from its retail arm, Dormia Inc., which had operated more than 30 stores until
shortly after its Chapter 11 filing 18 months ago.
Classic Sleep Products sells its beds and sleep accessories under the Dormia, Space Age and Natural Expressions brands.
Mexican pad maker
opens plant in U.S.
Marves Industries, a Mexican manufacturer of nonwovens and
insulator pads for mattresses and furniture, is opening a
manufacturing plant in Hildebran, N.C.
According to a news release issued by the state,
North Carolina will invest $1.75 million in the new facility, which is expected to bring 66 manufacturing jobs
to Burke County. Marves will operate out of a former
Bauer Industries facility, an acoustic padding company
that abruptly ceased operation in February 2009.
The Uruapan, Michoacán-based Marves says its
new plant will be well-positioned to supply mattress
makers in the eastern half of the United States.
“The availability of the building, equipment and
trained labor in Hildebran weighed heavily in the decision,” said Elias Gomez, Marves general manager.
Innovation resurfaces
Since 1905, Eclipse® International has set the bar for technologies that
truly improve sleep quality, reduce back and neck pain, and virtually
eliminate stiffness.* Clinical studies has proved it, our patents protect it,
and the innovative features help our sleep products sell themselves.
We are proud to introduce the latest evolution of Spinal Zone® Sleep
Technology - a patent-pending development that extends our proven
lumbar support into the outer quilting - producing unsurpassed, fulldepth support from the innerspring to the top of the mattress.
QUILTING
Patent-Pending
Join the world’s fastest growing bedding group today!
Craftsman Quality | Affordable Value | Patented Features | Limited Distribution
* Research results were documented in two separate scientific studies conducted by the Director of the Exercise Physiology and Human Performance Laboratory of West Virginia University.
A World of Sleep Since 1905
www.eclipsemattress.com
GRAND
OPENING
OF OUR NEW
SHOWROOM
For licensing opportunities, contact: Stu Carlitz toll free: 800.634.8434 tel: 215.715.9677
NEW Las Vegas Market Showroom: Building C, Space 1536
UNITED STATES KOREA TAIWAN CHINA AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND UNITED KINGDOM IRELAND SOUTH AFRICA MALAYSIA INDONESIA U.A.E. SINGAPORE PHILIPPINES
IndustryNews
Hickory Springs buys
Hi-Tech Foam Products
Industry components supplier Hickory Springs Mfg. Co. has acquired
Indianapolis-based Hi-Tech Foam Products LLC. Hi-Tech fabricates
foam in Mexico and China, supplying the appliance, automotive,
medical and military sectors. Its core competencies include die cutting, precision fabrication, lamination and design. Terms of the deal
were not disclosed.
The company will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Hickory Springs under the Hi-Tech Foam Products name.
“The acquisition of Hi-Tech fits well with our strategic goals
of growth and diversification,” said Don Coleman, president of
Hickory Springs, which has headquarters in Hickory, N.C.
Steven Andrasik, who transferred from Hickory Springs’ foam
plant in Commerce, Calif., will manage plant operations. John
Metaxas, Hi-Tech vice president of sales, remains in that capacity.
Metaxas is a specialty foam-fabrication industry veteran with more
than 15 years of experience.
is a
Short
Retailer: 2009 good for foster charity
Seattle-based retailer Sleep Country
USA’s Foster Kids Program collected
87,785 donations of clothing, shoes,
coats, school supplies and gifts, as
well as $77,000 in cash to benefit
foster children in Washington and Oregon. The Sleep Country USA Secret
Santa Toy Drive alone yielded 8,581
holiday gifts. The retailer partners with
16 organizations in the region. “Foster
children face setbacks that few can
imagine,” said Terry Horsley, Sleep
Country USA vice president of brand
strategy. “I’m incredibly proud of our
company and customers for supporting a program that shapes the future of
our next generation.” Donations can
be made at www.sleepcountry.com.
for mattress manufacturers
Why? Our readers say BedTimes
is their source for
➤ New & innovative equipment
➤ The latest research on
consumers needs & wants
➤ Classiﬁed & product
advertising
➤ Up-to-date news
about the industry
➤ FR & regulatory
information
➤ Coverage of suppliers
& new products
➤ Mattress disposal
& recycling
➤ Ideas & industry trends
Gribetz to offer training during ISPA EXPO
G
ribetz International, a division of Carthage, Mo.based Leggett & Platt’s Global Systems Group,
expects to offer free, advanced training sessions on
Gribetz quilting machinery at ISPA EXPO, which will
be March 3-6 in Charlotte, N.C. The company plans to
hold the classes March 5-6.
Tune-up tips are designed to help mattress manufacturers boost the performance of their Gribetz
quilters and make better use of the machines’ existing
features. The training also will improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness, a lean manufacturing practice that
increases production and maximizes capacity.
Some of the information to be covered:
➤ Reducing downtime on quilters and panel cutters
➤ Tuning equipment for maximum productivity
➤ Details about advanced programming
➤ Setting up Gribetz BatchMode/AutoSchedule for
production savings.
Space in sessions is limited. To reserve your spot, call
Gribetz at 800-326-4742 or 954-846-0300. Topics and ses-
sion schedules will vary. Check www.gsgcompanies.com
or email gsginfo@gsgcompanies.com for more details.
Protect Your Product & Promote Your Brand!
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33
IndustryNews
Masias offers panel recycling system
M
asias Maquinaria SL, a producer
of equipment that directly feeds
opened fibers into quilting machines, also has developed machinery
designed to recycle quilted mattress
panels.
Masias’ compact shredder recycles clean scraps resulting from
the production of quilted mattress
panels, such as sewing selvages, as
well as complete, quilted panels
composed of ticking, fiber, foam and
even fine interlining, according to the
company, which has headquarters in
Olot, Spain.
The recycled materials can be con-
Coming Real Soon
See What’s Next. Now. at Springs Creative.
ISPA Expo 2010 Booth #1942
Brought to you by the makers of
© Springs reati
C ve ProductsGroup, LC
800.533.6522 • www.springscreative.com
veyed through direct feeding lines to
quilting machines or vacuum cushion
filling lines so that the components
can be reused to produce mattress
panels or sofa cushions. The new
filling can be made exclusively from
recycled materials or blended with
virgin fibers.
Eclipse/Eastman
take new showroom
space in Las Vegas
Eclipse International and Eastman
House opened a new, larger
showroom at the Las Vegas
Market’s World Market Center
in time for the winter furniture
market Feb. 1-5. At close to
2,000 square feet, it is three
times the size of the previous
showroom.
The growth of both brands
necessitated the move to a
larger space, according to the
North Brunswick, N.J.-based
bed maker and licensing
group. The new showroom is
on the 15th floor of Building C.
New models on display
from Eclipse incorporate its
patent-pending Zoned Quilt
Technology to provide lumbar support and reduce the
likelihood of body impressions. Eclipse has added to its
“green” mattress collection,
which features organic cotton
fabrics, foams with bio-based
content and natural latex.
Eastman House has rolled
out inner-tufted and handtufted mattresses with tufted
borders. The ultra-premium
brand also added new models
to its coil-on-coil collections,
as well as a new box spring
design.
IndustryNews
Suppliers team up on FR marketing, distribution
Creative Ticking, Springs Creative Products Group and Ventex
have entered into licensing deals and marketing and
distribution arrangements for TCF (Totally Chlorine
Free) FR rayon-based fire barriers, yarns and finished
products.
“This technology, based on the cutting-edge Verifiber TCF FR rayon fiber, is the most exciting and innovative that we have ever introduced,” said Harrison
Murphy, president of Great Falls, Va.-based Ventex.
The company will offer a complete line of knitted
tickings with built-in fire barriers, knitted sock-style
interliners, and woven and nonwoven fire barriers.
Creative Ticking, with headquarters in Gastonia,
N.C., will coordinate the introduction of Tiotec Free
TCF knitted tickings.
“We now have access to an interlocking set of
patents that enables us to offer the very best products
WHAT’S
Box
INSIDE
The
that can be made in this field. We have thousands of
decorative designs to bring to market with the TCF fireblocking technology,” said Ron Sytz, Creative Ticking
chief executive officer.
Springs Creative Products Group will sell a complete line of TCF knitted interliners under the Firegard
brand umbrella.
“Not only are these new interliners the most ecofriendly in the marketplace, they have a chemical profile that limits the content of chemicals like antimony,
lead, bromine, chlorine, melamine and are the first
high-performance, halogen-free fire barriers that will
change the way mattresses are designed,” said Scott
Frisch, Springs Creative vice president.
The products will be shown at the ISPA EXPO
March 3-6 in Charlotte, N.C.
Come see for yourself all the new and exciting ways
Wright of Thomasville can boost your brand
recognition in the marketplace.
Visit our space at ISPA EXPO 2010
BOOTH 1613
Add eye-catching dimension to any setting with our
full line of Top of Bed and Point of Sale products.
Draw customers in and ensure success with Wright
Showroom Solutions.
PRINTED
EMBROIDERY
LABELS
POSTERS
BANNERS
FOOT PROTECTORS
HEAD BOARDS
BOLSTERS
PILLOW SHAMS
FOOT PROTECTORS
HEAD BOARDS
DYE SUBLIMATION
Tel (800) 678-9019
www.wrightlabels.com
WRIGHT of Thomasville, Inc.
salesinfo@wrightlabels.com
WRIGHT of Hong Kong, LLC
waiman@wrightlabels-hk.com
FabricTech announces 2009 growth & new offerings
M
attress and pillow protection supplier FabricTech International saw
record growth in the West and Midwest
in 2009 and surpassed the 1,200-store
count, according to the Cedar Grove,
N.J.-based company.
The privately held company’s products are available at retailers including
America’s Mattress, Ashley HomeStore,
R.C. Willey, Sleepy’s, Sit ’n Sleep and
Value City Furniture.
“Our goal over the last six months
was to broaden our distribution nationally, growing from our traditional
stronghold in the eastern U.S.,” said Jeff
Bergman, FabricTech president and
chief operating officer. “We added a new
sales team and they have given us the
ability to really provide the high level of
service, training and support retailers
want in order to develop their mattress
and pillow protection business.”
At the winter Las Vegas Market, held
Feb. 1-5, the company introduced a
number of products. FabricTech Elite is
a new line of machine-washable mattress and pillow protectors with Sanitized Silver fibers. The company says
they are the first bed protection products in the United States to incorporate
the technology. Silver is said to control
odor by killing bacteria on contact and
protects against allergens, dust mites
and moisture.
FabricTech’s first infant-care product,
the Crib Protector, is made with OmniGuard Ultra material. Two new pillow
protectors with OmniGuard Ultra—one
for small travel-size pillows and one for
full-size hotel pillows—also are available.
Short
United Feather teams with online retailer
Pillow and fill supplier United Feather & Down, which has headquarters in
Des Plaines, Ill., is supplying its premium down blend and down alternative fills to online retailer My Ideal Pillow (www.myidealpillow.com), based
in Wilson, N.C. My Ideal Pillow is incorporating United Feather’s Lyocell
Down, SpiralLoft and MicroMax fills in custom-made pillows that are created using a computerized pillow-fitting system.
37


WOVEN TICKING
           
... an exciting collection of italian
“pannel-border-bed-base” designs.
STRETCH KNITS
... the very latest technology offering
truely unique design feature.
Guangzhou 27-30.3.2010
Hall 11.2 - Stand E15
MATTRESS TAPE
... specialty tapes to perfectly compliment
to “panel-border” combinations.
Charlotte 3-6.3.2010
Hall B - Stand 1243
www.weavingworldwide.com
Manufacturing in the following locations:
Jacquard Textile South America
Buenos Aires - Argentina
Mail: ventas@jacquard-textile.com
Phone: +54 911 5487 8950
Jacquard Textile Asia
Jacquard Fabrics India PVT
Stellini Textile Group
Phetchaburi - Thailand
Mail: sales@jacquard-textile.com
Coimbatore - India
Mail: pooviah@jacquardfabrics.in
Magnago (MI) - Italy
Mail: valentino@stellinigroup.com
Phone: +66 32 446 864
Phone: +91 98 4214 0189
Phone: +39 331 072 501
Stay on Track...
l
l
l
l
Meet industry suppliers from around the world
See new machinery, products, services, and innovations
Make connections, build relationships and network
Stay on top of industry trends
Special events you won’t want to miss!
Welcome Reception
Wednesday, March 3, 5:00-6:30pm
The Carolinas...From the Mountains to the Coast
featuring the Insomniaczzz
Be sure to attend this fun, interactive kick-off event!
Enjoy food, drinks, and great entertainment! Sponsored by:
ISPA Industry Breakfast
featuring Craig Karges
Friday, March 5, 7:45-10:00am
March 3-6, 2010
Let illusionist Craig Karges dazzle your mind while
you enjoy a filling buffet breakfast with colleagues
and friends. His performance is a wonderful blend of
mystery, humor, psychology and intuition.
Charlotte Convention Center
Charlotte North Carolina USA
Register today for the only trade show in the world
devoted exclusively to the mattress industry!
www.sleepproducts.org/iSpAexpo
39
Learn and Benefit from exceptional
industry-Specific educational Sessions
Pre-Conference Seminar
Tuesday, March 2
Mattress Safety — What You Need to Know
3:00pm – 5:00pm
Speaker: Representative from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (invited)
Make sure you are up to speed on the current status of CPSC’s efforts to enforce the Part 1632 and 1633 mattress flammability standards. Also learn how the CPSC is implementing new safety requirements enacted in the Consumer Products Safety
Improvements Act (CPSIA) and what impact they might have on your business in terms of the components you use, and how
you test and certify your product. Separate ticketS required for educational SeSSionS – See regiStration form for detailS.
Wednesday, March 3
Roundtable: industry Forecast — What
Will the Future Look Like? 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Speakers: Jerry Epperson, Managing Director,
Mann, Armistead and Epperson, Ltd.
Michael Sherman, Ph.D., President,
Association Research Inc.
Given today’s challenging
marketplace, anticipating the
future is difficult — but more
critical than ever. Be one of the
first to hear an overview of the
2010 mattress industry forecast
figures. Our experts will review
the highlights and tell you what
it may mean for your business.
Understand how the forecast
is prepared and how to use this valuable information to help
make more informed decisions.
Thursday, March 4
Teaming with Retailers to improve
the Customer experience 7:45am – 9:00am
Speaker: Mike Wittenstein, Chief Experience Architect
MikeWittenstein.com
Paying attention to the front line can improve your bottom
line. As manufacturers, you can impact consumer perception
of your brand by teaming with your retailers on the customer
experience. In this session, Mike Wittenstein, an authority
on customer experience with a successful track record at such
brands as McDonald’s, Wingate Inns, IBM and Air Canada,
as well as with aspiring brands, will show you the practical
nuts and bolts of pulling together a customer experience design
plan that improves your profitability and the profitability of
your retailers.
Thursday, March 4 (continued)
Roundtable: Mattress Recycling & Disposal —
opportunities and Challenges 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Speaker: Representative from Rubicon National
Social Innovations
Recycling is becoming an
increasingly important issue
for the industry as more
communities refuse to accept
used mattresses in landfills and
some states consider whether to
make mattress manufacturers
responsible for taking back and
recycling their used products.
Hear about recent ISPA efforts
to expand recycling and disposal initiatives, the potential
opportunities and pitfalls, and how other industries are meeting similar challenges.
Friday, March 5
Roundtable: ‘Green’ — What Does it
Really Mean? 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Speakers: Industry ‘Green’ Task Force
Consumers’ attitudes toward
‘green’ products have significantly evolved. Many more are
demanding assurance that the
products they buy are truly
‘green’. Most manufacturers
and retailers agree that any
standard developed should be
straightforward and easy for
the consumer to understand. But what does ‘green’ really mean
when it comes to mattresses and what should the scope of such
a standard be? Hear about the current efforts to tackle these
questions and more.
Separate ticketS required for roundtable and educational SeSSionS – See regiStration form for detailS.
roundtableS free for iSpa memberS. no video or audiotaping of educational SeSSionS permitted.
iSpA expo 2010
Schedule at a Glance
Tuesday, March 2
8:00am – 5:00pm
3:00pm – 5:00pm
Registration Open
PRe-cOnFeRence SeMInAR: Mattress Safety — What You need to Know
Wednesday, March 3
7:00am
9:00am
2:00pm
5:00pm
–
–
–
–
5:00pm
5:00pm
3:00pm
6:30pm
Registration Open
ISPA eXPO exhibit Hall Open
ROundTABle: Industry Forecast — What Will the Future look like?
WelcOMe RecePTIOn: The carolinas...From the Mountains to the coast,
featuring the Insomniaczzz
Thursday, March 4
7:00am
7:45am
9:00am
2:00pm
5:00pm
–
–
–
–
–
5:00pm
9:00am
5:00pm
3:00pm
7:00pm
Registration Open
SeMInAR: Teaming with Retailers to Improve the customer experience
ROundTABle: Mattress Recycling & disposal — Opportunities and challenges
Private exhibitor Appointments
Friday, March 5
7:00am – 5:00pm
7:45am – 10:00am
10:00 – 5:00
2:00pm – 3:00pm
5:00pm – 7:00pm
am
pm
Registration Open
Industry Breakfast featuring craig Karges, Illusionist
(included with your eXPO attendee registration)
ROundTABle: ‘Green’ — What does It Really Mean?
Private exhibitor Appointments
Saturday, March 6
8:30am – 10:00am
9:00am – 12:00pm
Registration Open
Visit the ISPA eXPO Website to register
and for the latest event details.
www.sleepproducts.org/ISPAeXPO
*Schedule subject to change. Additional fee for Roundtables and educational Seminars. See registration form for details. Roundtables are free for ISPA members.
iSpA expo 2010
Event Sponsors
41
CHARLoTTe, NoRTH CARoLiNA, USA
Centrally-located, extremely
affordable and convenient
ISPA EXPO 2010 is easily accessible by car, train or
air and convenient to Charlotte Douglas International
Airport, which handles nearly 600 flights daily.
Charlotte is also within a 200-mile radius of the
majority of North Carolina manufacturers who make
up the “furniture capital of the world.”
Charlotte’s Center City convention district boasts
nearly 100 restaurants and eateries as well as scores
of shopping and entertainment options. Walk along
the bustling streets or step aboard the Historic
Charlotte Trolley in the South End and experience
the warmth and Southern hospitality visitors to the
Queen City have come to know.
ReGiSTeR FoR iSpA expo 2010 ToDAY — iT’S eASY!
8 OnlIne: Use your credit card to register online at
www.sleepproducts.org/ispaexpo/registration. Sign
up here for all EXPO events and make your hotel and
travel reservations too.
2 FAX: Fax your completed registration form with full
credit card payment to 1-508-759-4552.
+ MAIl: Mail your completed registration form and
payment to: ISPA EXPO 2010, c/o CDS, 107 Waterhouse Road, Bourne, MA 02532 USA.
ReSeRve AT oFFiCiAL iSpA expo 2010 HoTeLS AND
ReCeive DiSCoUNTeD RATeS!
Captivating and cosmopolitan,
Charlotte has character to spare
and an ambiance all its own!
Take advantage of low rates arranged with official
ISPA EXPO 2010 hotels, all located within walking
distance of the Charlotte Convention Center.
Book your hotel online at
www.sleepproducts.org/ISPAEXPO/Hotels/Travel
or call 800-220-5918, M-F, 8am-5pm US Central
Standard Time. International Travelers please call
1-312-527-7300.
Is Your Sewing Equipment Down
Because You Need
Replacement Parts?
Contact Atlanta Parts Depot
and Test Our
SuddenService Guarantee
*
72 Hours or FREE!
®
We also stock replacement parts for many competitors' machines.
* As the leading supplier of automated sewing workstations, we are proud
to offer this 72 hours or FREE policy. AAC pledges unequaled service and
support to our valued customers. We pledge to maintain inventories of the
recommended spare parts for our automated workstations and to ship those
replacement parts within 72 hours. If the expendable replacement parts are
not shipped within 72 hours they will be... Free of Charge!
Contact sales for the recommended spare parts list and the model
workstations covered.
www.atlantapartsdepot.com•sales@atlantapartsdepot.com
Atlanta Parts Depot is a division of Atlanta Attachment Company ®
© 2009 Atlanta Attachment Company. All rights reserved.
09082082809
Atlanta Parts Depot ™
362 Industrial Park Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
1-866-885-5100
exhibiting Companies
A. Lava & Son Co.
Diamond Spring Company - USA
Advance Fiber Tech. Corp. (AFT)
Domtar
American & Efird, Inc.
D.R. Cash Inc.
American Nonwovens Inc.
Dunlap Sunbrand International
Apropa Machinery USA
Duroflex Limited
Arch Chemicals, Inc.
Eclipse International/Eastman House
Ateja Tritunggal
ESCO (Edge-Sweets Company)
Atlanta Attachment Co., Inc.
Edgewater Machine Co., Inc.
Avery Dennison Corporation —
Fastener Division
Enkev Group
BarretteWood
Entex Textil, S. L.
Baumer of America, Inc.
Bechik Products, Inc.
Bekaert Textiles USA Inc.
Black Bros. Company
BLR
Bo-Buck Mills, Inc.
Enriquez Materials & Quilting Inc.
Ergomotion
Estes Forwarding Worldwide
Everbright Manufactory Ltd.
Fecken-Kirfel America Inc.
Feutre National Felt Inc.
BoMei-Changfu Ltd.
First Film Extruding, LLC/
Balcan Plastics Ltd.
BRK Group LLC
Flex-A-Bed
Bruin Plastics Co., Inc.
Flexible Foam Products, Inc.
C.J. Hodder Lumber Company
FMA Trading LLC
Carpenter Company
Foshan Ruixin Nonwoven Co., LTD.
Chamay Mattress Ticking Manufacture
(Foshan) Co., LTD.
FXI Foamex Innovations
Chem-Tick Coated Fabrics, Inc.
Chung Tien Enterprise Co., LTD.
Coats North America
Costa International
Creative Ticking
CREDO O.O.O.
CT Nassau Tape – Ticking
CTL-Chicago Tape & Label
Culp Home Fashions
Demand Foam Cutting
Deslee Textiles USA Inc.
Diamond Needle Corp.
Galkin Automated Products
The Govmark Organization, Inc.
Harvard Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
Henkel Corporation
Herculite Products, Inc.
Hickory Springs Mfg. Co., Inc.
Ideal Quilting Limited
Innofa
Integrity Software Solutions
Jacquard Textile
James Cash Machine Co., Inc.
John Marshall & Co. Ltd.
Soltex, Inc.
Jomel Industries, Inc.
Spec-Tex Inc.
Jones Fiber Products, Inc.
Springs Creative Products Group LLC
Knickerbocker Bed Co., Inc.
Spuhl AG
Komar Alliance
Stork Twin City Testing
Lady Americana
Sunkist Chemical Machinery Ltd
Lampe USA Inc.
T.J. Beall Company Inc.
Latex International
Tai Wa Hong (Macau)
Latex Systems Co. Ltd.
Tekscan Inc.
Latexco
Texas Pocket Springs
Lava USA
Thomson Research Associates, Inc.
Leggett & Platt, Inc.
Tietex International, Ltd.
Leigh Fibers Inc.
Transfer Master Products
AKA Maxwell Adjustable Beds
Lenzing
Liberty Threads N.A. Inc.
Lucerne Textiles Inc.
Luen Tai Group (HK) Limited
Masias Maquinaria, S.A.
Matsushita Industry Co., Ltd.
Maxime Knitting Inc.
Milliken & Company
Monks International N.V.
Nantong Healthcare Foam Series Co., Ltd
Uni-Source Textile
Utopia Mattress, Inc. (Division of BedInABox)
Vintex Inc.
Vita Nonwovens
William T. Burnett & Co., Inc.
Wright of Thomasville, Inc.
XSensor Technology Corporation
Z Wood Products Co. Inc.
Zhejiang Huajian Mattress Machinery Limited
Natura World Inc.
OHM System
P. Bjerre Inc.
Performance Fabrics & Fibers
Plastic Monofil Co. Ltd.
Precision Custom Coatings
Precision Fabrics Group, Inc.
Radium Foam Vita Talalay
Remex AG
Response Computer Group, Inc.
Restonic Mattress Corp.
Richard Pieris Natural Foam, Ltd.
SABA North America, L.L.C.
Shanghai Latex Industrial Co. Ltd.
Simalfa
Simmons Engineering Corp.
Show Hours
Wednesday, March 3
exhibit Hall Open
9:00am – 5:00pm
Thursday, March 4
exhibit Hall Open
Private Appointments
9:00am – 5:00pm
5:00pm – 7:00pm
Friday, March 5
exhibit Hall Open
Private Appointments
10:00am – 5:00pm
5:00pm – 7:00pm
Saturday, March 6
exhibit Hall Open
9:00am – 12:00noon
*As of January 7, 2010
www.sleepproducts.org/iSpAexpo
45
Attendee Advance Registration Form
March 3-6, 2010
(Deadline: February 10, 2010)
Charlotte, NC USA
SAVE TIME AND REGISTER ONLINE AT WWW.SLEEPPRODUCTS.ORG/ISPAEXPO
FEES
REGISTRANT INFO
One registration per form. Photocopy form for additional registrations.
Mr.
Ms.
Mrs.
(PLEASE
TYPE OR PRINT CLEARLY)
First Name
Last Name
Badge Name
Job Title
RECEIVED AT ISPA
BY FEBRUARY 10
ISPA Member Manufacturer
ISPA Member Supplier
Non-Member Manufacturer
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Spouse/Guest Non-Industry
(LIMIT ONE PER REGISTRANT)
Spouse/Non-Industry Guest Name:
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Phone
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EXPO REGISTRATION
Admission to exhibits, Welcome Reception & Industry Breakfast included.
Manufacturer defined as the manufacturer of end-product mattresses.
Advance Fees
Full Fees
OTHER THAN
$105
$325
$175
$525
$25
$30
TOTAL: $
U.S.)
SEMINARS & INDUSTRY BREAKFAST
I am attending ISPA EXPO for the first time. Yes No
BUSINESS (CHECK
ONE)
POSITION (CHECK
Mattress Manufacturer
Factory Direct
Industry Supplier
Financial/Investment
Other
BUYING POWER (CHECK
$80
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$150
$425
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You MUST select this box if you plan to attend.
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RECEIVED AT ISPA
AFTER FEBRUARY 10
ONE)
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$50
7:45-10:00am Industry Breakfast and Keynote
$60
Thursday, March 4
7:45-9:00am
Teaming with Retailers to Improve
the Customer Experience
TOTAL: $
Wednesday, March 3
2:00-3:00pm
Industry Forecast – What Will
the Future Look Like?
251-500
Full payment must accompany this form. Mail or fax (not both)
completed forms with payment to: ISPA 2010, c/o CDS,
107 Waterhouse Road, Bourne, MA 02532; Fax: 508-759-4552.
For assistance, contact ISPA at clyons@sleepproducts.org.
Note cancellation & refund policy. No wire transfers.
(U.S.
Advance Fees Full Fees
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
PAYMENT
Company Check enclosed.
Tuesday, March 2
Mattress Safety – What You
3:00-5:00pm
Need to Know
Thursday, March 4
2:00-3:00pm
Mattress Recycling & Disposal –
Opportunities and Challenges
Friday, March 5
2:00-3:00pm
“Green” – What Does It
Really Mean?
ISPA)
Exp. Date:
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MarketingMatters
Making the most of email campaigns
How to get your message delivered & read
A
lot of companies are using
email marketing to accomplish a variety of objectives—
and a lot of companies are making
critical mistakes. Some are even
unknowingly opening themselves up
to significant liability by failing to
meet federal anti-spam compliance
requirements. ProspectDB, an emarketing and database consultancy
in Canoga, Calif., offers 10 ways
to improve your company’s email
campaigns.
1. Time delivery Be conscientious
of the time, day, date and frequency
that emails are delivered. There
are many theories regarding the
best time to send email. In general,
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
are your best bets for business-tobusiness email. You want to get your
message into recipients’ inboxes
during working hours. Emails sent
in the middle of the night are more
likely to be viewed as spam by email
filters. If you can tweak your settings
to allow for a slight delay between
each email, you’ll see better results.
It’s also been shown that if you send
1,000 emails each day over 10 days,
you typically will get better results
than if you send 10,000 emails in
one day.
2. Diversify and customize Use a
variety of subject lines to make your
emails look less like spam as they hit
servers. By diversifying you also can
target your message more specifically to particular types of companies, job titles, regions, etc. Targeted
emails with customized content for
specific sub-groups make messages
more relevant to recipients.
3. Follow up immediately Don’t
wait a few days or weeks to follow up
on results from your campaign. If you
got a response to an email you had
sent out, you would quickly follow up.
Your email campaigns should be set
up to do the same thing.
4. Don’t look like spam Don’t
put lots of text in ALL CAPS. Don’t
use words like “free” or “discount”
frequently—and never in the subject
line. And don’t use the words “remove” or “unsubscribe” in your optout instructions. Instead, incorporate
instructions on how to unsubscribe
into a confidentiality agreement at the
bottom of the email.
5. Check your spam score One
service we recommend can be found
at www.thecassiopeia.com/portal/
spamtest.html. A variety of others
are available and we suggest using as
many as possible.
6. Recognize tracking trade-offs
The more you do to track things like
open rates and click-through rates, the
more likely your email is to be seen as
unsolicited—and the less likely it is to
reach its intended recipient.
7. Offer response options Give
recipients the option to reply directly
to the email they have received, go to
a Web site or pick up the phone and
call you. More options for responding
equals more responses.
8. Use a dedicated domain If your
company’s main Web site is www.
abcbedding.com, don’t use that domain for your marketing campaigns.
Instead, use a dedicated domain, such
as www.abcbedding-email.com, for
marketing campaigns. This prevents
your primary company Web site from
ever being affected by complaints.
9. Make email content personal
The more that an email looks like one
that recipients would receive from a
co-worker, colleague or other professional, the more likely they are to open
it. Start with the recipient’s name, end
with a signature line and make sure
the email comes from a person instead
of an anonymous entity.
10. Be CAN-SPAM compliant To
avoid violating federal anti-spam
laws, don’t use deceptive subject
lines, include a full signature line
with address and phone number and
provide opt-out instructions. For
more information on CAN-SPAM
compliance, check www.ftc.gov/bcp/
edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/
bus61.shtm. BT
ProspectDB, headquartered in
Canoga, Calif., helps clients obtain
and use databases and lists for their
research, sales and marketing efforts.
Its services include off-the-shelf and
custom-built databases, e-marketing
consulting and database cleansing
and analysis. For more information,
email info@prosepctdb.com or call
877-591-3252.
49
BURYING COMF
ORT
Many of today’s mattress designs have become a bit over stuffed with body-impression prone
foam and fiber. While these designs may look and even feel great on the retail floor, they tend
not to hold up over the long run. And that can lead to unnecessary comfort returns.
One way to guarantee exceptional, long-lasting comfort is to bring the pure conforming support
and pressure relief of Talalay latex right to the surface of the mattress. No high-loft barriers, no
quilt materials, no body impressions... just pure comfort that stands the test of time.
a division of
See us at the ISPA Expo, March 3-6, Space #2201
®
www.LatexIntl.com
Call 800-LATEX-US x347
NewsMakers
Carpenter Co. promotes Malechek
I
ndustry veteran Ed Malechek has
been named president and chief operating officer of Carpenter Co., which
is based in Richmond. Va. He previously was executive vice president.
Stan Yukevich, former president,
has stepped down from that post and
now will serve as vice chairman of the
board. He also will assist Malechek in
the transition.
Malechek is responsible for Carpenter’s operations in North America,
Natura adds
CFO position
Mattress and sleep accessories manufacturer Natura World has hired
Ted Sehl as chief financial officer, a newly created position. He
reports to Ralph Rossdeutscher,
president of the Cambridge,
Ontario-based company.
Sehl’s finance background
includes positions at appliance
manufacturer W.C. Wood Corp.,
and McDonald’s Restaurants of
Canada. He serves on the board
of directors of Hammond Mfg., a
global manufacturer of electrical
components and electronics. Sehl has a master’s of business administration degree, is
a graduate of York University in
Toronto and is a chartered accountant.
“Like all of North America,
Natura hunkered down during the
recession, refining and focusing
our growth. But we have continued to innovate, expand and grow
in new directions,” Rossdeutscher
said. “Ted will be a driving force
as we march forward on the swift
and steady course we’ve set for
ourselves and the industry.”
including the Engineering Groups and
the Reinhart Technical Center.
Yukevich will continue to oversee
corporate purchasing. Carpenter’s
European operations are managed by
Rolf Pötzsch, who will continue to
report to Yukevich.
Malechek has long been active in
the International Sleep Products Association and its Better Sleep Council.
In 2006, he was presented with ISPA’s
Robert MacMorran Memorial Award.
Ed Malechek
Jamison sales VP retires; new hire takes reins
T
had Pettyjohn has retired from
his post as vice president of sales
and marketing for Jamison Bedding—a job he held for 30 years. His
replacement is Ken Hinman, former
vice president of global sales, marketing and design at Hartmann Inc.
Pettyjohn continues to serve the
Brentwood, Tenn.-based company as a
senior consultant and will assist Hinman during a transition period.
“We are going to miss Thad’s leadership, his extensive product knowledge and wisdom. We wish him much
success in a long-deserved retirement,”
said Frank Gorrell III, Jamison Bedding president and chief executive
officer.
Hinman has more than 25 years of
experience in sales management and
product development. Most recently,
he oversaw sales and marketing for
Hartmann, a luggage and leather case
producer. Prior to that, he was with
Federated Department Stores, Elizabeth Arden and Revlon.
He is a graduate of the University
of Mississippi.
Furniture First: Muenkel moves to Serta
Mattress manufacturing and retailing veteran Bob Muenkel has joined Hoffman
Estates, Ill.-based Serta International as director of sales development.
Before joining Serta, he was director of mattresses for Furniture First,
a purchasing cooperative of U.S. furniture retailers with headquarters in
Harrisburg, Pa. Prior to that, he was a key account manager with Sealy.
He also spent more than a decade with sleep specialty chain Sleepy’s,
eventually becoming vice president of sales.
“This newly created position will focus on sales training nationally for
Serta,” said Bill Hartman, Furniture First president. “Bob has been a strong
advocate for our membership and has worked hard to produce results for
all our supplier partners. I know Bob is excited about this opportunity and
we wish him well in his career.”
Furniture First is currently seeking a director of mattresses to
replace Muenkel.
51
NewsMakers
Beverly Knits grows its Creative Ticking team
Creative Ticking, the mattress fabric sales unit of Beverly Knits,
has announced a number of personnel changes.
Textile veteran Jerry Pratt joined the Gastonia, N.C.headquartered company as president. Previously, he was
president of Bodet-Horst USA and, prior to that, he was
vice president of knits/purchasing for Blumenthal Print
Works.
“We are fortunate to have Jerry leading our team with
his talent, skills and 35-plus years of experience in knitted and woven fabrics,” said Ronald Sytz, Beverly Knits
owner and chief executive officer.
Steve Gravlee is Creative Ticking’s vice president. He
has 28 years of experience in woven, nonwoven and
knitted fabrics. In addition to administrative duties, Gravlee is responsible for in-house sales accounts. Previously,
He was vice president of sales at Performance Fabrics
and Fibers. He spent 18 years with Tietex. Gravlee reports
to Pratt.
Elizabeth Stuart, who has 22 years of experience in
her field, was hired as a fabric designer. She is responsible for concept, pattern and color development, as well
as the direction of the company’s four open lines.
Ray Gregory has been named vice president of technical service and quality control. He has 30 years of experience in yarn manufacturing and with woven and knitted
fabrics. His other responsibilities include managing some
national accounts and overseeing product development.
Previously, he was with Blumenthal Print Works and
China Grove Textile.
Barbara Sponseller is customer service manager. She
has 30 years of fabric manufacturing experience and
handles customer service functions, including orders and
delivery. Previously, Sponseller was with Fabrictex Inc.
She reports to Gravlee.
Dan Schrein is serving as sales representative for most
North American accounts. Schrein was with Tietex for
three years, spent 16 years in sales at Burlington Industries and, prior to that, worked in mattress manufacturing.
He reports to Pratt.
John Lungal and FR Systems are now representing Creative Ticking in Canada. Lungal also is an agent for other
Beverly Knits products sold in Canada.
Hickory’s Bobby Bush Sr. dies
B
obby W. Bush Sr., a retired 50year veteran of industry supplier
Hickory Springs Mfg. Co., died Jan.
2. He was 78.
Bush spent his entire career with
the Hickory, N.C.-based company,
retiring as executive vice president
of sales.
A statement from the company
described him as “the chief architect in the foundation and success
of Hickory Springs. He was always
thinking of ways to do things better,
how to be more creative and how to
make the company stronger.”
“His compassion for all those he
met was evident. He was more than
just a sincere guy, he was always
your greatest supporter,” said Don
Coleman, a longtime family friend
and Hickory Springs president. “We
have lost a true pioneer in our business and in the industries we serve.”
Throughout his career, Bush
Bobby W. Bush Sr.
served on a number of association
and organization boards, including the American Furniture Hall of
Fame, the Bienenstock Furniture
Library, the suppliers division of
the American Home Furnishings
Alliance, the International Sleep
Products Association and the Polyurethane Foam Association.
He received two of ISPA’s highest honors, the Robert MacMorran
Memorial Award in 1989 and the
(Russell Abolt) Exceptional Service
Award in 1998. In 2006, he was inducted into the American Furniture
Hall of Fame.
Bush graduated as a ranking
cadet from Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Ga., and received
a degree from Duke University in
Durham, N.C.
He is survived by his wife, Jane;
two sons, Bobby Bush Jr. and Jimmy
Bush; five grandchildren; and two
great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials
may be sent to the Riverside Military Academy, the Hickory Choral
Society in Hickory or the Catawba
Science Center in Hickory.
Sleep Products’ John Quinn dies
Bedding industry veteran John D. Quinn of Sleep Products Inc. in New Albany, Ind.,
died Jan. 4, following a long battle with cancer. He was 77.
The Quinn family entered the mattress business in 1924, running and
building Kentucky Sanitary Bedding. In 1958, the family started Sleep Products Inc. as a Restonic licensee.
“Sleep Products Inc. thrives today because of their commitment to honesty, fairness, integrity and an ability to conduct themselves with high standards
for more than 50 years,” said Ron Passaglia, Restonic president.
Quinn served as president and chief executive officer of the company and,
most recently, as chairman. He was active in the Restonic organization, serving on the board as chairman and treasurer.
“He worked tirelessly for the betterment of Restonic as a mentor to new
licensees, ambassador to international licensees and chairman of several search
committees when Restonic was seeking new leadership,” Passaglia said. “John
was well respected throughout the industry and will be missed by all.”
Quinn served in the Air Force during the Korean War.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Lou; three sons, Lee, Bob and Tom; a
daughter, Ellen; 13 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the American
Cancer Society.
Short
Tempur-Pedic expands board
Mattress and pillow producer
Tempur-Pedic, based in Lexington, Ky., has expanded its board
to 11 members and elected
Evelyn S. Dilsaver to serve as
a director and member of the
Audit Committee. After joining
Charles Schwab Corp. in 1991,
Dilsaver held various management posts, including president
and chief executive officer of
Charles Schwab Investment
Management from 2004-07.
Dilsaver, a certified public accountant, also serves on the
boards of Aeropostale Inc.,
Blue Shield of California,
HighMark Funds and Tamalpais
Bancorp.
53
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CostManagement
Taking right tax deductions can pay off
Many travel expenses related to ISPA EXPO could qualify
By Phillip M. Perry
T
rade shows are great for finding
new products, sparking fresh ideas
and making profitable contacts.
But they do come with costs—plane
fare, car rentals, hotel bills, meals—that
add up.
One way to reduce a trade show’s
impact on your bottom line is by
deducting all appropriate, allowable
travel costs as business expenses on your
income taxes. Here are some ideas for
you to consider as you plan your trip
to the ISPA EXPO, held March 3-6 in
Charlotte, N.C.
Qualified shows
Before you can deduct any expenses
related to attending a trade show, you
must first determine if the event qualifies. For readers of BedTimes who are
planning to attend the ISPA EXPO, the
answer is most likely “yes.”
“If a trade show serves a legitimate
business purpose then the related travel
expenses are tax deductible,” says Patrick
Anderson, a principal in Anderson
Economic Group in Lansing, Mich. Tax
experts recommend retaining documents to support a claim that a trade
show serves a legitimate business purpose. Options include an event agenda
showing business-oriented seminars, an
exhibitor list, business cards and information picked up from vendors.
Meal expenses
“You can deduct meals when you are
traveling overnight away from home
or if the meal is business related,” says
Andrew Benedict, tax manager at RGA
Advisors in New York. However, only
50% of the meal cost is deductible.
(The other 50% represents an expense
you would have even if you weren’t on
a business trip, the Internal Revenue
Service reasons.)
And take it easy on upscale restaurants.
“You cannot deduct meals if the
expenses are lavish or extravagant,”
Benedict says. “They must be reasonable, even though there is no fixed dollar
amount established.” To take any deductions, keep records of the dollar amount,
the time and place and the business
purpose of the meal.
Per diem rates
Itemizing expenses while traveling can
be a chore. You can save yourself some
effort by opting for standardized deductions, or per diems. These are available
in two categories. The first is lodging.
The second is meals and incidental
expenses.
“If you are taking a lot of employees
to the show, using the per diem expense
can simplify your record keeping,” says
Abe Schneier, technical manager at the
American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants in Washington, D.C. “It
also helps you control expenses since
you can tell your employees what the
per diem rate is and ask them to try to
limit their budgets to that amount.”
Even if you’re using the per diem
method, you still need to keep records
showing the time, place and business
purpose of your travel.
Per diem rates are revised periodical-
➤ Learn more
You can get more detailed guidance on deducting business
travel expenses from the Internal
Revenue Service’s Publication
463, “Travel, Entertainment, Gift
and Car Expenses.” To get a copy,
check www.irs.gov and enter
“Publication 463” in the search
box.
ly and are listed in IRS Publication 1542,
“Per Diem Rates (for Travel Within the
Continental United States).” For current
rates, check and enter “Publication
1542” in the search box.
Other travelers
What about spouses or part-time workers who are traveling to the trade show?
“Generally you cannot deduct travel
expenses of a spouse who does not play
a substantial business role,” Anderson
says. “This is a common area of abuse
and one at which the IRS looks closely.”
Expenses for part-time workers are
deductible if their presence is needed for
your business.
“The regulations are no different
for full-time or part-time employees,”
Anderson says. “Just remember to go
back to the fundamental rule: Expenses
are only deductible if the travel serves a
business purpose.”
Careful records
Keeping receipts is only part of the
record-keeping process. You also must
properly document your expenses.
“The IRS typically requires contemporaneous records for expenses related
to travel, meals and entertainment,”
Benedict says. “For each day’s business
expense, you need to record the business
purpose, the time and the place in some
kind of log. Such notation should be
made at or close to the time you actually
incurred the expense.”
Store all these records in a safe
place where you can access them
easily if the IRS ever questions your
travel expenses.
Benedict says: “The biggest mistake business owners make is not
making an adequate record the same
week the expenses were incurred
and then trying to reconstruct the
events a year later.” BT
55
ISPANews
Charting the mattress industry’s health
ISPA statistics program evolves to meet member needs
S
urveys repeatedly show that
accurate industry statistics are
one of the most important benefits
of membership in the International
Sleep Products Association. Many
dedicated industry participants and
ISPA staff work hard to provide
monthly, quarterly and annual data,
as well as regular industry forecasts
and other reports that members can
use to help manage their businesses
and plan for the future. But many
ISPA members don’t fully understand the program’s processes.
At the ISPA Industry Conference
and Exhibition held in Florida in
November, Bill Creekmuir, chairman of the ISPA Statistics Committee and Simmons chief financial
officer, explained to attendees how
data is collected and compiled and
answered attendees’ questions.
A multipronged program
ISPA’s statistics program includes
the monthly and quarterly Bedding
Barometer, an annual report and
semiannual industry forecasts.
The Bedding Barometer reports
wholesale U.S. sales activity for 18 U.S.
mattress manufacturers monthly and
quarterly. In 2008, those producers
accounted for 45.5% of the units and
56.3% of the wholesale revenue of the
full domestic mattress market. Participating companies are Corsicana Bedding, Comfortaire, Comfort Source,
Fraenkel Bedding, Jamison Bedding,
Kingsdown, Omaha Bedding, Park
Place Corp., Park Place (Pa.), Res-
tonic, Sealy, Select Comfort, Simmons,
Southerland, Standard Mattress Co.,
Tempur-Pedic and two companies
that wish to be unidentified. Serta
began participating in January. The
Bedding Barometer does not estimate
data. Only the actual data—aggregated for all companies in the monthly
sample—is published.
Each year, ISPA produces the
Mattress Industry Report of Sales and
Trends, which includes comprehensive current and historical data and
analysis of the U.S. mattress industry
in terms of unit shipments, sales
revenues and average unit selling
Sales, dollar values up in November
The U.S. mattress industry enjoyed double-digit growth in both unit sales and dollar values in November, according to the International Sleep Products Association’s
Bedding Barometer.
When compared to the same month in 2008, total unit sales (mattresses
and foundations) rose 11.1%. The wholesale dollar value of those shipments
increased the same 11.1%. The average unit selling price was up 0.1%. Unit
sales for 2009 (January through November) were down 7.8% when compared to the same period in 2008. Dollar values were down 10.3% and the
AUSP dipped 2.7%, according to the report.
prices, as well as import and export
trends for 25 of the largest mattress
manufacturing countries compiled by
CSIL Milano-The Centre for Industrial Studies. The ISPA report is based
on an annual survey of more than 300
companies, including nonmembers.
In an effort to put the mattress
industry’s performance in context and
examine macroeconomic factors that
affect the industry, ISPA’s statistical
reports also include data on the larger
furniture industry and the broader
U.S. economy from sources such as
the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau
of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve,
International Trade Commission,
National Association of Realtors and
Standard & Poor’s.
ISPA’s statistics program also includes industry forecasts that estimate
market conditions for the current
year and two years out. The forecasts
generally are issued in the spring and
fall of each year, though in fall 2008
ISPA issued a third forecast when the
economy began its steep decline.
Each forecast is based on an
econometric analysis using a national
economic forecast prepared by the
University of Michigan and economic
data that history has shown influence mattress sales. The forecast also
reflects the consensus of the Statistics
Committee, which is made up of leading mattress producers, suppliers and
industry experts.
How the program improves
ISPA has been providing industry
statistics since the mid-1980s. In both
1999 and 2004, the association conducted major reviews—aided by outside auditors and consultants—of the
statistics program’s methodology. The
1999 audit found that the ISPA program was well grounded in statistical
sampling theory and computational
methods and was conducted appropriately. In 2004, ISPA conducted a
special survey to validate shipment
data as reported by participants in the
monthly survey. The check confirmed
the integrity of the data submitted to
the program.
The independent research firm
that ISPA retains to compile the
industry’s statistics routinely reviews
the statistical data that individual
companies report for reasonableness and consistency. For instance,
when a company submits numbers
for the monthly Bedding Barometer,
the data is compared with historical data for that company to see if
there are any unusual patterns. In
addition, current shipments and
12-month rates of change for each
company are compared with peer
companies in the sample to understand trends. If reported data appear
to be inconsistent or unusual, the research firm calls the respondent and
asks for verification of the submitted data. The reported data also is
compared to external sources, such
as Census Bureau figures, that might
highlight inconsistencies.
As the mattress industry evolves,
Manufacturers, suppliers help ISPA grow in 2009
The International Sleep Products Association welcomed nearly 60 new members in
2009.
They are Advanced Urethane Technologies; Air Quality Sciences; Airbed
Advisors LLC; American Niagara; Apropa Machinery Ltd.; Ashoka Foam
Group; Bedding Solutions Asia Pte. Ltd.; Boyteks Tekstil AS; Candia-Strom;
CFS Ltd.; Chili Technology LLC; Clark Foam Industries LLC; CREDO O.O.O.;
Demand Foam Cutting; Deye Enterprises LLC; Domtar Inc.; Earnhardt Mfg.;
Everbright Manufactory Ltd.; Farnsworth Logistics; Foshan Ruixin Non
Woven Co. Ltd.; Global Textile Partners; Infinity Property Partners LLC/ZEES;
Jacquard Textile South America S.A.; Jiangsu AiDeFu Latex Products Co.
Ltd.; Kurt Salmon Associates; Lemoyne Sleeper Co. Inc.; Luen Tai Group
(HK) Ltd.; Mitch Javidi Consulting; Nantong Healthcare Foam Series Co.
Ltd.; NVC Logistics Group; Organic Mattresses Inc.; Piedmont Mattress
Equipment; Priotex; P.T. Quantum Tosan International; Remex AG; Response
Computer Group; Reverie/Ascion; Sanitized AG North America; Selther
Mfg. S.A. de C.V.; Shandong Helon Textile Science & Tech. Co. Ltd.; Silver
State Industries Mattress Factory/Lovelock Correctional Center; Siong Bee
Industries Pte Ltd.; Sleeper Bedding & Comforter Factory; SOBHA Developers Ltd.-Division Interiors; Steinhafels Bedding Inc.; Studio Moderna SA;
Suenolar SA; Sustainable Latex Innovations; T.J. Beall Co.; Tai Wa Hong; TANASAY Mattress; Thomson Research; Vintex; Vi-Spring Ltd.; Wenzhou Jiatai
Latex Products Co. Ltd.; and XSENSORr Technology Corp.
the Statistics Committee routinely
recommends changes to improve the
reliability and usefulness of ISPA’s
statistics program. For instance, in
response to the growth in specialty
bedding, the quarterly version of the
Bedding Barometer was adjusted to
report separate unit and sales trends
for innerspring and noninnerspring
(foam/air/hybrid flotation/other
support system) mattress categories. (The data for specialty bedding
was combined because of the small
number of major suppliers of those
products. By adding the products
together, no single company has an
overwhelming market share that
could make it easy to identify its
size. As sales and shipments of these
products increase and the number
of companies offering these types
of mattresses expands, the Statistics
Committee will revisit the issue.)
Other recent enhancements include
making historical mattress industry
data—going back to the mid-1970s—
available on the members-only part of
the ISPA Web site
(www.sleepproducts.org) and adding
foreign market data prepared by CSIL
Milano, a European research firm.
In the interest of accuracy, adjustments to historical data occasionally
must be made. The Statistics Committee’s general policy is to revise
previously published data if the data is
inaccurate by more than 1%. BT
➤ Learn more
For more information about the
International Sleep Products
Association’s statistics program
and its reports, check
www.sleepproducts.org and
click on the “Industry Statistics”
tab at the top of the home page.
You also can find a “Frequently
Asked Questions” section there.
57
Latest Technology for Bedding Scraps Recycling
What Could You Do With Your Scraps?
Thanks to MASIAS Developments You Can Reuse Them in New Mattress Panels, Felts and Cushions
We Will Help to Find Your Solution
Visit us at ISPA in our Stand 2806
For any further details feel free to contact Mr. Alan Amer / Ms. Sonia Ortiz
Major de Sta Magdalena 1
Phone 34 972 293 150 Fax 34 972 293 151
17857 SANT JOAN LES FONTS
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Girona SPAIN
masmaq@masias.com
UpClose
Bedding veteran returns to rise again
Mesner excited about reopening Colorado factory
By Dorothy Whitcomb
t’s tempting to cast Lester Mesner
as a character in a rags-to-riches
Horatio Alger story. Tempting,
but not entirely accurate.
Although Mesner knows what it
means to be poor, he’s not ready to
describe himself as rich. Lucky, maybe. Blessed, certainly. But Mesner
has too much work to do—and too
many people relying on him—to
start counting money anytime soon.
Mesner, president of newly
formed Colorado Mattress Co.,
joined the bedding industry in 1984
when he took a job as sales manager
at Spring Air Mattress of Colorado.
He was 33 years old and had been
supporting himself since he was 16.
By the time he was 18, Mesner
was working as the night shift
manager in a convenience store and
going to school during the day.
“It was hard, but I was making more money than my father at
the time and my only desire from
that point on was to make enough
money to support myself and a family,” he says.
A few years later, through sheer
persistence, Mesner parlayed a sales
clerk position at Macy’s into a job as
bedding buyer.
“It wasn’t the mode to hire
someone without a college degree
for the job,” he says. “I got it because
I didn’t give up and a guy stuck
his neck out for me.” Eventually he
landed the sales job at Spring Air.
Given Mesner’s own assessment
of his abilities, his career path may
seem counterintuitive.
“I don’t consider myself to be
a good salesperson and I’m an
absolutely terrible public speaker,”
he says.
What Mesner says he can do is
I
Around the world An avid traveler,
Lester Mesner’s dream is to take a
leisurely trip across the globe.
pay attention and work hard. Taking
his cues from a retiring Spring Air
sales manager, he determined that
the best way to be successful was to
“give customers what they wanted,
not what you wanted to sell them.”
He says he tackled his fear of
public speaking by “swallowing hard
and speaking from my heart.” Gaps
in his education were closed by
“never being afraid to work and by
putting in the time.”
His efforts paid off. In 1995,
Mesner, who had risen to vice president of sales, purchased Spring Air
Mattress of Colorado from Dallas
Yeargain, who founded the company
in 1949.
“When I bought the company,
we were doing about $9 million in
sales,” Mesner says.
Mesner ran the company until
2007, when he and other licensees
accepted a buyout offer from corporate Spring Air. At the time of the
purchase, the manufacturer’s annual
sales approached $17 million.
In August 2008, Spring Air closed
the Colorado facility, putting all of
Mesner’s former employees out of
work. In May 2009, corporate Spring
Air collapsed, shuttering other
plants and laying off thousands. (It
later re-emerged as the licensing
group Spring Air International.)
Mesner wasted little time. By July,
he and three partners had reopened
the 50,000-square-foot Denver facility. After upgrading manufacturing
equipment and hiring back most
former employees, Mesner began
producing mattresses in October.
This time, however, he has decided to bypass licensing agreements.
“When my oldest and best customer said that he would like to buy
from me again, I figured we could
grow from there without locking
ourselves into paying fees and royalties,” he says.
And grow is exactly what Mesner
intends to do.
“I want to be a bigger and better
mattress company than when I was
59
UpClose
with Spring Air,” he says. “I don’t
want to be just a supplier; I want to
be a partner.”
Holiday spirit Mesner loves dressing
up and playing Santa Claus. He has
fond memories of huge Christmas
parties he has hosted for the families
of his staff. Shopping for gifts for his
employees’ children and then presenting them with a jolly “ho-ho-ho”
brings him great satisfaction.
The nurturing type Mesner describes
himself as a provider. “I love to take
care of my kids and grandkids in the
way my own parents couldn’t take
care of me while I was growing up,”
he says. “I also like to take care of my
employees, who work very hard and
should be rewarded for their work.”
➤ Bio in brief
Name Lester Mesner
Company Colorado Mattress Co.
Title President
Location Denver
Age 59
Family Mesner and his wife,
Arlene, have been married for 20
years. Their blended family includes
five grown children and seven
grandchildren.
The joys of travel “I’ll go anywhere,”
Mesner says, ticking off the places
he’s been and listing countries he
wants to visit. He is planning a 14day river cruise through China in
July but his real dream is a leisurely
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Baron Styles, Inc
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visit our website
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trip around the world. “The world
has a lot to offer and travel gives me
perspective on the way people live,
which challenges my assumptions,”
he says.
Strengths and weaknesses “If I tell
someone I’m going to do something, I do it,” Mesner says. Groups,
however, make him nervous and
he would rather spend time with
people one-on-one.
Live and let live Mesner bases his
relationships on two simple premises: “We’re all created equal and
we all have different ways of doing
things.” He adds, “I think I get along
with most people because I try to
listen to them and don’t push my
beliefs on other people or judge
them.” BT
Pacific Spring Inc.
An American company
importing springs
from Cambodia
6.5” H 312 Bonnel units
7” H 336 Bonnel units
8” H pocket units
Pacific Spring Inc.
Victor Nguyen, VP of Marketing & Sales
6418 E. Washington Blvd.
Commerce Ca. 90040
Tel: (626) 272-8882 • Fax: (626) 226-4166
Email: pacificspring@ymail.com
LATEX SYSTEMS CO.,LTD.
100 % NATURAL LATEX FOAM
Offer your sleep a natural side
Located at the heart of the largest reserve of latex in the world. We
manufacture a unique range of high value added natural latex cores and
sheets. Our French-Thai expertise, combine with your bedding market
experience, is the answer to people concern about comfortable and
environmental friendly products
“Natural Latex provides a Healthier,
more regenerative night’s sleep”
Latex Systems Co.,Ltd. (Factory & Office)
Ladkrabang Industrial Estate, Bangkok Thailand.
Tel : + 66 2 326 0886 - 7, Fax : + 66 2 326 0292
Email : market@latexsystems.com, website : www.latexsystems.com
www.latexsystem.com
Agent for North America:
Crismor International, Inc Tel: 951-369-4971
Email: contact@crismor.com
7 zone for perfect body’s adjustement
Calendar
February
Feb. 1-5
Las Vegas Market
World Market Center
Las Vegas, Nev., USA
Phone 888-416-8600
info@lasvegasmarket.com
www.lasvegasmarket.com
Feb. 2-6
Istanbul Furniture Fair
CNR EXPO Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey
Phone 90-212-465-74-75
info@itf-imob.com
www.itf-imob.com
Feb. 3-5
Australian International
Furniture Fair
Sydney Exhibition Centre
Sydney, Australia
Phone 613-9654-7773
furniture@aec.net.au
www.aiff.net.au
March
➤ March 3-6
ISPA EXPO
Charlotte, N.C., U.S.
Phone 703-683-8371
kbellias@sleepproducts.org
joseth@sleepproducts.org
www.sleepproducts.org/ispaexpo
March 9-12
International Furniture Fair
Singapore/ASEAN Furniture Show
Singapore Expo • Singapore
Phone 65-6569-6988
enquiry@iffs.com.sg
www.iffs.com.sg
March 19-22
ZOW Shenzhen
Shenzhen Convention
& Exhibition Center
Shenzhen, China
Phone 60-3-2094-2880
bfc@zow.com.my
www.zow-shenzhen.cn
March 22-26
Movelsul Brasil
Bento Goncalves
Exhibition Center
Bento Goncalves, Brazil
Phone 55-54-2102-6800
movelsul@movelsul.com.br
www.movelsul.com.br
March 27-30
Interzum Guangzhou/
China International Furniture Fair
China Import & Export Fair
Pazhou Complex
Guangzhou, China
Phone 86-20-8755-2468
k.lee@koelnmesse.cn
www.interzum-guangzhou.com
Come see us at ISPA EXPO 2010
Booth #2423
The Nature of Safety
Multi-stage 16 CFR Part 1633 Compliance Tested
Naturally Fire Resistant & Renewable
Consistent & Reliable Open Flame Protection
Not Chemically Treated
From the design and performance of our products to the global resources
and individual attention we give every client–Vita Nonwovens is changing
the nature of business. Give us a call and discover the difference.
Phone: 336-431-7187 Fax: 336-431-0693 VitaUSA.com
Driven by Innovation.
Different by Design.
AdvertisersIndex
A. Lava & Son Co.
Steve Appelbaum
800-777-5282
(800-777-LAVA)
www.alavason.com
28
AFT Corp.
Rick Brumfield
800-631-1930
19
Atlanta Attachment Co. Inc. Hank Little
770-963-7369
www.atlatt.com
C2-1, 43
Edgewater Machine Co. Inc.
Roy Schlegel
718-539-8200
www.edgewatermachine.com
54
Masias Machinery SL Sonia Ortiz
34-972-239-150
www.masias.com
58
Enriquez Materials & Quilting Inc.
Silvia Enriquez
323-725-4955
www.enriquezquilting.com
35
New England Needles Inc.
Thomas Lees
800-243-3158
www.newenglandneedles.com
22
Pacific Spring Inc.
Victor Nguyen
626-272-8882
60
Plastic Monofil
Joe St. Martin
802-893-1543
www.plasticmonofil.com
33
P.T. RubberFoam Indonesia
Andreas Janssen
62-21-53662190
www.rubberfoam.co.id
13
Quilting Inc.
Mark Gibney
800-358-0153
www.quiltinginc.com
30
Russ Bowman
954-846-0300
24-25, C3 Baron Styles
Dave Williams
262-473-7331
www.baronstyles.com
60
Hengchang Machinery Factory
Belinda Lau
769-83307931
www.hcjixie.com
Bloomingburg Spring & Wire Form
Vickie Schwarm
740-437-7614
www.bloomingburgspring.com
53
Hickory Springs Mfg. Co.
Rick Anthony
828-328-2201
www.hickorysprings.com
BLR
Martin Leroux
819-877-2092
www.blrlumber.com
63
Jacquard Fabrics India (Pvt.) Ltd.
J. Vijaya Kumar
91-422-2625527
www.weavingworldwide.com
Boyteks Tekstil AS
M. Nebi Dogan
90-533-685-6041
www.boyteks.com
48
John Marshall & Co. Ltd.
Peter Crone
64-3-341-2004
www.joma.co.nz
BRK Group
Jeff Miller
562-949-4394
www.brk-group.com
62
Kenn Spinrad Inc.
Randy Weinstock
800-373-0944
www.spinrad.net
53
Costa International
Daniel Vazquez
305-885-9761
www.costa-international.com
67
Latex International
Kevin Stein
203-924-0700, Ext. 347
www.latexintl.com
50
Creative Ticking
Jerry Pratt
704-861-1536
26
61
Diamond Needle Corp.
Abe Silberstein
800-221-5818
www.diamondneedle.com
67
Latex Systems Kitti Charoenpornpanichkul
66-2-326-0886, Ext. 204
www.latexsystem.com
21
Dow Polyurethanes
Umberto Torresan
989-638-7832
www.dowpolyurethanes.com
23
Leggett & Platt
Mark Quinn
417-358-8131
www.leggett.com
Eclipse International/Eastman House 31
Stuart Carlitz
800-634-8434
Jerry Gershaw
561-542-4490
www.eclipsemattress.com
www.eastmanhousemattress.com
Lava USA Inc.
Ann Weaver
864-998-4892
www.lavatextiles.com
Lenzing Fibers Inc. Nina Nadash
212-944-7898
www.lenzing.com
29
2
38
8
6
11
SABA North America LLC
Jim Turner
810-824-4964
www.saba-adhesives.com
4
Simalfa
Darren Gilmore
973-423-9266
www.simalfa.com
47
Springs Creative Products Group
George Booth
803-324-6505
www.springscreative.com
34
Therapedic International Gerry Borreggine
800-314-4433
www.therapedic.com
17
Tietex International Ltd.
Wade Wallace
800-843-8390
www.tietex.com
C4
Vita Nonwovens
Dennis St. Louis
336-431-7187
www.vitausa.com
64
Wright of Thomasville
Area Account Executive
800-678-9019
www.wrightlabels.com
36
65
Classifieds
For Sale
TAPE-EDGE MACHINES, MULTINEEDLE AND SINGLENEEDLE QUILTERS, long-arm label machines, sergers, etc.
Contact Victor LeBron, American Plant and Equipment.
Phone 864-574-0404; Fax 864-576-7204; Cell 864-590-1700;
Email apesales@charterinternet.com;
Web www.americanplantandequipment.com.
REBUILT AND RECONDITIONED MULTINEEDLE
QUILTING MACHINES. Specializing in PATHE precision
parts and service. Technical consultants. SEDCO. Phone 201567-7141; Fax 201-567-5515.
TAPE-EDGE MACHINES, QUILTERS & MISCELLANEOUS
SEWING MACHINES. Contact Frank Carlino, U.S. Mattress
Machinery. Phone 815-795-6942; Fax 815-795-2178;
Email usmattmach@hotmail.com.
EMCO Compustitch Quilter with Quilt Rack
and Catwalk and Gribetz cutter; National serger
and Table 1; Union Special serger and Table 2; Porter 1000
serger and table; Porter tape-edge. Many other miscellaneous
items available. Call Troy at 815-343-9984 for more details.
For Sale
EMCO HIGH-SPEED QUILTING MACHINE, Atlanta
Attachment E.T. ruffler and other miscellaneous items.
Contact Thomas at 601-693-3875 for more details.
Employment Opportunities
Production and Operations Manager for growing
mattress plant in Philadelphia. Must have prior experience with
mattress production, supply requisition and inventory control.
Basic computer knowledge is ideal but not vital. Although
proficiency in both English and Spanish is preferred, Spanish
is not essential. Email resume to emesbedding@aol.com or
fax to 215-203-8706.
Place your classified ad today!
Reach mattress industry professionals around the world with your
advertising message through the BedTimes Classifieds. Rates: $3 per
word for the first 100 words and $2.50 thereafter; minimum charge
of $75. “Blind” box number: $50 per insertion. Ad copy and payment must be received by the first of the month preceding publication. Send ads and payment to BedTimes Classifieds, 501 Wythe St.,
Alexandria, VA 22314-1917. Contact Debbie Robbins, advertising
production manager. Phone 336-342-4217; Fax 336-342-4116;
Email drobbins@sleepproducts.org.
67
TheLastWord
Not-so-breaking news on foam
Curing poor customer service
An alert reader in The Villages, Fla., sent BedTimes a story from the
San Francisco Chronicle that was reprinted in his local paper
and headlined “Memory foam now available in mattresses.”
Writer Zahid Sardar begins the article, “Memory foam, a staple
of ergonomic office furniture padding, has found its way into
mattresses.” BedTimes was convinced the story was a blast from
the past, but it quotes sources the reporter spoke with during the
September Las Vegas Market. Hmmm... Maybe we should all
check out this newfangled component.
W
hen it comes to improving customer service,
it might help to first acknowledge that you
don’t really know your customers, says Bruce
Temkin, vice president and principal analyst at
Forrester Research, in a Dec. 29 post on
www.retailcustomerexperience.com.
“When market research teams require long lead
times and expensive projects to answer questions
about customers, too many organizations go
without this insight,” he writes. “But the path to
customer experience success requires significantly
deeper customer insight.”
Temkin suggests companies create a
“voice-of-the-customer program with a crossfunctional team that focuses on four components:
listening to customers, interpreting the feedback,
reacting to the insights and monitoring results
from actions over time.”
Quotable
“We are
rapidly
becoming
overwhelmed.”
— Paul Wenning, a member
of the board of health in
Franklin County, Ohio, talking
about bed bug infestations
Making cows more comfortable
It’s not an idea we recommend for residential use, but BedTimes likes the
creativity and resourcefulness shown by Champagne Edition Inc., a
producer of cow beds based in Alberta, Canada.
Marketed under the name Cozy Cow, the mattresses are made of
recycled tire “crumbs” encased in a durable synthetic fiber. To manufacture
the mattresses, the company shreds some 500,000 tires each month,
according to the Web site Ecogizmo.com. The beds are anti-fungal,
anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and nonabrasive. Other benefits include
increasing animal comfort, decreasing veterinary bills and improving
the quality and production of milk. Apparently, as with humans,
a well-rested cow is a happy cow.
That’s the exciting sound of the economy revving up
in 2010. Our industry may have been running under
caution in 2009, but be ready for full throttle green flag
action in 2010!
We cordially invite you to the GSG pit to view our lineup and
take a test drive with our team.
See top value mattress machinery in GSG booth 2625
Quilters
Wrappers
Sewing Systems
New innovation!
Take a lap on www. Putting You In Front .com for more about the
unique products, services and prizes you can win at Booth 2625.
800-326-4742
954-846-0300

Mattress - BedTimes

Transcription

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