In this age of job hopping and professional re-invention, the mattress industry is unusual for the number of players who’ve stayed in the bedding business for decades, if not their entire careers.
That’s not to say that these veterans are immobile. It’s not uncommon for bedding industry careerists to move around, not only from company to company but among the retail, manufacturing and supplier segments.
Why is it that so many in the industry sing the same refrain—the one from that R&B classic “You Really Got a Hold on Me”? Is it the people, the product, the opportunity for advancement, the chance to travel? Or does someone just find that his skills and talents fit opportunities in the bedding business particularly well? It seems it’s all that and more.
BedTimes talked to a handful of professionals representing a variety of career trajectories and facets of the industry. We asked them what pulled them into the bedding business initially and why they’ve stuck around so long.
JoAnne Bennett
JoAnne Bennett has just retired as an account executive with Wright of Thomasville, the Thomasville, N.C.–based supplier of branding materials and solutions. It was 1969 when she first went to work for company founders Bill and Tom Wright. A music and business major in college, Bennett was hired by the fledgling company to wear many hats—secretary, bookkeeper, customer service representative.
Under the guidance of its founders, Bennett grew with the company. Bill Wright, who died in 2002, was her mentor and taught her the creative side of the business. In 1978, she was given a sales territory and her success led to more responsibility as the owners peeled off accounts and handed them over to her.
Through the years, she has worked with just about every mattress brand and was the creative spark behind a number of the company’s innovations in labeling and point–of–sale materials.
“The bedding industry has changed dramatically since I first started. When beds turned all white that was a big challenge and a great opportunity for us. You are starting with a blank canvas. The all–white bed created a real need to make every label ‘pop’ and be different. Now we can use so many colors. What a wonderful opportunity it’s been to let the label shine.
“Our design process begins with the product label. Then you move the colors along to the banners, floor graphics, POP, signage and headboard.
“When I handled Kingsdown from 1978 to 2003, we designed their original suede bolsters with embroidered crests and later the matching fabric foot streamers with points and tassels. We were the first to introduce the matching embroidered streamers. Until then, the industry was mostly using plastic foot protectors.
“My job has allowed me to make so many friends and travel all around the world. I developed and handled accounts in Russia, Central and South America and the Caribbean and attended Interzum in Cologne, Germany, to expand our global business.
“I believe it’s important to give clients more than they ask for. They’ll always have something in mind to begin, but thousands of times through the years I’ve said, ‘What if we did this?’ and have seen their eyes light up in front of me.
“One of the things I love about Wright of Thomasville is the way they turn you loose to excel at your own pace and be all that you can be. You’re never held back. I consider myself the company’s biggest cheerleader.”
Jerry Cook
Jerry Cook is the assistant plant manager at mattress maker Gold Bond in Hartford, Conn. The mechanically inclined son of a mechanically inclined dad, Cook enlisted at age 18 in the U.S. Marines and spent four years repairing jet fighters and helicopters.
He’s the type of person who can take apart and re–assemble any engine or piece of machinery. It’s an ability that has served him well on the mattress production floor. He has operated just about every machine used in the manufacturing process—from garneting to tape–edging to baling and wrapping equipment.
In 1976, Cook began work at a Sealy plant in western Connecticut. By 1994, when the plant closed, he was lead worker on the line and in charge of quality control. Cook then spent 11 years at a King Koil (now Comfort Solutions) licensee in Windsor, Conn., where he was tape–edge operator, department supervisor and, eventually, assistant plant manager. In 2005, Gold Bond hired Cook to manage mattress and box–spring production, as well as the receiving department.
“With mattress manufacturing, everything seems to come full circle. We’re about to start using eight–way, hand–tied box springs again. In the end, it’s amazing how little mattress manufacturing has changed through the years. We still use many of the same machines and processes. Of course, some machinery is more mechanized now, but we’re still doing the same operations as we did back then.
“There have been some product changes, like the use of encased coils. They’re a little more tricky to work with because they can shift, but they have more durability. And we’ve done water beds and air mattresses and learned to work with stretchy knit ticking. Today, we’re also working with a lot more foams in beds. That’s much better for allergy and asthma sufferers in the plant—unlike the days when we worked with so much cotton and even horse hair.
“At one point early on in my career, I worked the end of a wrapper. I held the record—for carrying 1,000 pieces in 10 hours. Of course I’ve got no more neck and lost a lot of hair!
“In a plant, it’s important to have a formula for your work flow and to treat people well—like human beings—so you keep morale up and production up.”
Niles Cornelius
Niles Cornelius is general manager of Hickory at Home, the consumer products division of Hickory, N.C.–based Hickory Springs Mfg. Co. In the mid–1970s, he began his mattress career in sales at a department store chain in Cincinnati.
In 1980, ready for an on–the–road sales position, Cornelius began a nine–year stint with Ernie Wuliger’s Ohio–Sealy Mattress Mfg. Co. (Wuliger was the architect of the Sealy consolidation of the 1980s.) Cornelius rose to sales manager and was named regional manager when Wuliger acquired manufacturer Stearns & Foster.
Then, from 1988 to 1997, he held a variety of vice president posts at International Bedding. At the time, IB was the largest Therapedic licensee and Cornelius ran that segment of IB’s business. In 1997, he joined Therapedic International as president. Three years later, he left to become chief operating officer and a minority owner of the Therapedic Mid–Atlantic licensee. When that business closed in 2008, he joined Hickory Springs in his current position.
“It’s a small industry and I like that. I often joke that there are only 200 of us and we just rotate around. But bedding is also the home of the brightest folks. Our guys can out–market anyone, anywhere. I’m bragging, but in tough times the bedding industry can outperform every industry. They’re the ultimate marketers.
“Retailers ‘get it’ about mattresses. They understand how important bedding is in the number of inventory turns, the sales per square feet, the margins. They’re quick to dedicate floor space to mattress sales. If you’re a mattress rep, the retailer is already on your side.
“Recycling old bedding is an important subject for the industry to address. The International Sleep Products Association has been on the forefront of that. It’s a hard thing to do and it’s going to take awhile.
“I’m excited about the growing interest in ‘power’ or adjustable bases. They’re becoming more accepted and provide the consumer with a lot of value. All of the bedding brands are getting passionate about them. I also see the way the industry is moving forward on top–of–bed, with more elegant and high–end goods. It’s good for the consumer and good for us.
“FR was an incredible expense for the industry, in terms of time and money. But on the other hand, I see the benefit to the consumer. We’ve made a safer product. So in the long term, it’s a blessing.
“The company I work for is incredibly family–oriented. They treat employees as one big family and don’t stifle creative thinking. We are all an integral part and we aren’t held back. I just thrive. This is my dream job.”
Kevin Damewood
Kevin Damewood is the senior vice president of sales for bedding producer Kingsdown in Mebane, N.C. His resume crisscrosses the country and includes several mattress manufacturing majors. During his career, he’s been witness to some historic shifts in the industry, including the consolidation of Sealy and the roll–up of the former Spring Air company.
Damewood earned a degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts in Boston and began his bedding career in 1978 as a buyer for Los Angeles department store Davidson’s. Then he accepted a territory selling beds for Ernie Wuliger’s Ohio–Sealy Mattress Mfg. Co. and has been on the manufacturing side of the business ever since. Damewood handled a succession of territories for various Sealy plants and eventually was named sales manager. Simmons was his next stop, where he rose to senior vice president of sales and marketing. Then it was on to Spring Air as executive vice president of sales. After a brief stint at Comfort Solutions, he joined Kingsdown in 2010.
“Early in my career, I fell in love with this industry—the product, the retailers. It was built by some pretty spectacular entrepreneurs like Ernie Wuliger (who was responsible for rolling Sealy licensees and Sealy owned–and–operated plants into a single corporate entity during the 1980s).
“The industry has done a wonderful job creating a strong foothold and always being the leader in the home furnishings sector in terms of sales training, advertising creation and all the traffic–generating activities retailers need. With most beds produced domestically, it’s one category of U.S. goods that will probably end up being exported to Asia.
“Looking back, I’m very proud of the effort from my Simmons team. In just four years, we increased sales by over $300 million and improved margins by 12 points. I don’t think any other ‘S’ brand has ever grown that quickly.
“I’ve been in this industry for a long time and have made a tremendous number of friends on the retail and wholesale side. I like being part of an industry that is about better health, better comfort and better sleep and am especially proud of the Kingsdown team’s eagerness, accomplishments and R&D in this area.
“Back when I was a Sealy sales rep, I fell head over heels for our plant’s controller. We dated for a few months and one day abruptly decided to get married at lunchtime. Afterward, we ate at Burger King and I took her back to the office. Cindy is still my best friend and the love of my life.”
Sheri McGuire
Sheri McGuire is director of supplier quality for Atlanta–based mattress producer Simmons Bedding Co.
She has a degree in textile engineering from North Carolina State University and spent the first 17 years of her career at Hoechst Celanese, a chemical fiber supplier, and Western Nonwovens, a now–defunct mattress industry supplier. At the former, she was a manufacturing process engineer, then manufacturing superintendent.
At Western Nonwovens, McGuire served as director of quality and built and led the research and development department. While there, she also devised and put in place structured quality systems. She joined Simmons in 2008. She’s had one patent granted and has seven pending.
“As a former industry supplier, I was familiar with the mattress market, but never did I imagine all the various components and raw materials that go into producing a mattress and the complexity involved. I really enjoy the diversity of it. It crosses from lumber to wire to fabrics to foam to fiber to hot–melt glues and adhesives.
“I was attracted to the industry because of the opportunities it presented related to new FR regulations, the opportunity to contribute new ideas and help develop new products and the industry’s drive to produce a good product efficiently in terms of materials and process. There is a lot of focus on the consumer and understanding her needs—and also on understanding and achieving continuous cost improvements and continuous quality improvements.
“My job at Simmons is to work with all raw materials suppliers on developing quality systems and programs that yield consistent quality for Simmons. For example, it was my responsibility to work with our foam suppliers and qualify them on the Transflexion production process when Simmons introduced Transflexion foam in 2010.
“One of the changes we’ve put in place over the past several years is that we rely on suppliers to conduct quality testing of goods. We need 100% assurance that they have robust lab–testing capabilities because we expect our vendors to engage in continuous quality control with respect to the raw materials they supply to us. The highest, most stringent requirements are related to FR components. Therefore, we’ve had to put a lot of systems in place to gain that assurance. It was a rather big change.
“There’s never a dull moment in my job—whether it’s regulatory requirements or consumer marketing needs or changes related to Simmons’ manufacturing processes or suppliers’ processes. There is always opportunity for improvement. That has always been my focus—continuous improvement.”
Gordon Morrison
Gordon Morrison was raised in Atlanta, earning a bachelor of arts degree from the city’s Oglethorpe University. From 1976 to 1994, he worked in sales for Conwed Corp., a former supplier of nonwovens and insulator pads to the bedding industry.
He then became an independent sales representative covering the Southeast for four components suppliers: Komar Alliance, a thread supplier in Elk Grove Village, Ill.; Herculite Products Inc., a maker of laminated and coated fabrics in Emigsville, Pa.; Trace Industries, a cotton batting supplier headquartered in Houston, Miss.; and High Point Fibers, a provider of insulator pads and fill materials based in High Point, N.C.
“There has been a tremendous amount of change in this industry since I first started out—I could write a book. In addition to globalization, consolidation, leveraged buyouts and the one–sided bed, manufacturing equipment has evolved and become more sophisticated, really impacting production. It started with high–speed quilting. I remember when chain–stitch quilting was first introduced. It increased the speed of the manufacturing process and allowed manufacturers to tack–and–jump and create entirely new looks and patterns on mattresses.
“Being a manufacturer’s rep for key suppliers gives me the opportunity to bring new ideas to the industry and work with mattress manufacturers to help them solve problems and come up with innovations. I recently helped one company devise a new material. We call it the ‘composite pad’—it’s a combo pad of all–natural cotton fiber used right over the spring unit.
“It’s been a spectacular journey for me and the ‘people’ part of my job is what I love the most. Some of my customers are my best friends. I deal with some really good, smart people who have had to be very resilient to survive some of things we’ve been through in the past 10 years.
“Something my grandfather told me has stayed with me, ‘You can always get another job, but you can’t get another reputation.’ Integrity is so important and I see a lot of it in this industry. It’s one of the reasons for my longstanding relationships with the companies I represent and the manufacturers I sell to.
“I learn something new in this job every day. A plant owner or manufacturer will call and we’ll discuss something. I’ll gain a better understanding of the processes at a particular plant and how to help improve the flow of production at that plant. My approach is that it’s very important to have a complete understanding of the product and production at every level.”
Ann Weaver
Ann Weaver is vice president of sales and marketing for knit ticking supplier Lava USA in Waterloo, S.C. Her career in textiles launched at Fryml Fabrics’ ticking division, where she worked for 10 years in production, scheduling and inside sales. Through her work at Fryml, she met Bobby Raider, who became an important mentor.
When Fryml closed, Raider, who was then director of sales at textile supplier Tietex International Ltd., hired Weaver as a production scheduler. She spent 18 years with Tietex and, during that time, was named national account coordinator. When Tietex began marketing knit ticking manufactured by Lava, based in Wielsbeke, Belgium, Weaver coordinated the business.
In 2006, she began working directly for Lava, helping establish its U.S. operations, building a sales team and managing U.S. production. Weaver married her former Tietex boss, Ron Weaver, in 2002.
“If I had to look for the perfect job in this industry, I think I have it. I enjoy my job because I love the product—the integrity, the quality and innovation. I’m proud to go out and show it. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like a job and I couldn’t ask for a better boss. Johan Vanwelden, Lava’s general manager in Belgium, is fantastic.
“The two very best parts of my job are the creativity of working with fabrics, designs and colors and the interaction with customers. I have known some of them for years and enjoy spending time with them and hearing their input. I convey their needs to Belgium, where we have very good designers. One of the key things I do is help Lava understand and interpret the American market and American tastes, which are quite different from those in Europe, designwise.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished—Lava’s presence in the U.S. market. Our production is 100% domestic. It wasn’t any one thing that I did. It’s been a team operation since the beginning. Once we started bringing people on, it was a chain reaction—and I have a good chain.
“Being an ovarian cancer survivor has shown me what a caring industry this is. Every day when I was going through my treatment five years ago, I would get cards, calls and emails from people. Everyone was so supportive. Surviving cancer changes every aspect of your life. It completely changed my outlook. My doctor told me if I had waited six months before coming in, I’d have been dead. You do learn to slow down and appreciate things more.”
Steve Willis
Steve Willis is vice president of continuous improvement and quality at Leggett & Platt in Carthage, Mo. He has close to 40 years with the company, the first 32 spent entirely in its bedding division.
Willis began work at L&P in 1972 as an innerspring production worker. After six years, he was promoted to quality control supervisor and from then on steadily ascended the quality assurance ladder. In 1998, he implemented LP 9000, L&P’s version of an ISO 9000 quality management system. At the same time, he was named director of corporate quality assurance.
Six years and two promotions later, he was appointed to his current post.
“I love working in quality assurance for a Fortune 500 company. The Bedding Group at Leggett & Platt is our core business and it’s where I got my start. Now I oversee management systems and process improvements for the entire corporation, putting project teams in place and interacting with all the regulatory issues.
“Having the opportunity to work with Leggett & Platt’s many customers in mattress manufacturing has been a pleasure. I think it’s an outstanding industry to work in and some of my best friends have been our customers. I’m active in the International Sleep Products Association and its Sleep Products Safety Council, too. The relationships we build in this industry are fantastic.
“Early in my career, then–CEO Harry Cornell said something in a speech at a manufacturing meeting that I’ve carried with me ever since: ‘We are all partners in this business.’ It sounded almost corny at the time, but it’s true on so many levels. I’ve never forgotten it.
“Always in my job there are new issues to focus on—every day, every week. I like that. Today, we are dealing with a range of regulatory issues in the bedding industry. It’s my responsibility to make sure we meet those regulations and we’re always working to make improvements. Being in compliance with regulations means working internally, working with legal counsel, working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, our customer base and, in some cases, with our suppliers.
“One thing I helped create was LP 9000. We’ve received a lot of praise for our quality management system. To date, we’ve certified over 100 of our manufacturing locations.”
