Judge grants permanent injunction against Brooklyn Sleep Products
A federal judge has granted a default judgment and a permanent injunction ordering Brooklyn, N.Y.–based Brooklyn Sleep Products Inc. and company President Francisco Chavez to stop manufacturing, importing, renovating and selling mattresses until they provide evidence that the company’s mattresses comply with federal flammability laws.
Additionally, U.S. District Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf of the Eastern District of New York ordered Brooklyn Sleep Products and Chavez to recall all mattresses, mattress sets or mattress pads sold to consumers that failed federal flammability tests. If the company fails to comply with the judge’s order, it can face fines of $1,000 per day.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission filed suit against Brooklyn Sleep Products and Chavez after discovering that the company was selling mattresses that did not comply with federal flammability standards. The firm committed violations even after it had been preliminarily enjoined from selling mattresses in violation of federal standards, the CPSC said in announcing the judge’s decision on Nov. 10.
“The judgment is a victory for the safety of consumers and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,” the CPSC said in a new release. Chavez could not be reached for comment.
According to the CPSC, it conducted inspections and collected mattress samples at Brooklyn Sleep Products’ headquarters facility and at retail stores selling the company’s mattresses in Fall River, Mass., and Providence, R.I., in 2008. The CPSC also collected a noncompliant mattress made by Brooklyn Sleep Products at a Newark, N.J., store in 2010. The mattresses failed open–flame tests conducted by the CPSC, the agency said.
“Chavez admitted to CPSC inspectors that neither he nor Brooklyn Sleep Products tested their mattresses and mattress sets as required by law,” according to the news release. “Chavez failed to respond to numerous court filings against him.”
In September 2008, January 2009 and again in March 2010, the CPSC requested that Brooklyn Sleep Products stop selling and distributing mattresses that failed to comply with federal laws.
“But the firm continued to manufacture, renovate, sell, offer for sale and introduce into commerce mattresses in violation of the federal mattress flammability requirements, putting consumers at risk,” the CPSC said.
Mattresses and mattress sets sold in the United States are required to comply with federal mattress flammability requirements, 16 CFR Part 1632 (the cigarette–ignition standard) and 16 CFR Part 1633 (the open–flame standard).
Jamison consolidates manufacturing
Mattress producer Jamison Bedding will close its Albany, Ga., manufacturing facility on March 1.
The closure is part of an effort to maximize and consolidate production at its facility in Gallatin, Tenn., the company said. Jamison will transition customer deliveries, equipment and raw materials to its facility there.
“The many measures we took over the past few years to reduce expenses proved insufficient, especially in the face of the general economic downturn,” said Frank Gorrell, president of the Franklin, Tenn.–based company. “While the decision to close a factory is never an easy one, we know it’s the right move for Jamison Bedding. This change will enable us to operate more efficiently, reinvest in our business and serve our customers even better.”
Retailers in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and southeast Alabama that received product from the 90,000–square–foot Albany factory will be served by the Gallatin plant, which is in relatively close shipping proximity to the Albany facility, the company said.
“We’re very confident that retailers will experience few, if any, interruptions in the level and quality of service they’re accustomed to,” Gorrell said.
Boyd launches Gel Rest
Boyd Specialty Sleep has introduced Gel Rest, a gel–infused memory foam mattress line. The four–bed collection began shipping in mid–December.
With suggested retail prices from $799 to $1,299 in queen size, Gel Rest is aimed at giving retailers “outstanding quality and comfort, patent–pending features and great visual appeal at value price points that satisfy the middle market,” said Dennis Boyd, president of the St. Louis–based company. “It fills a gap that exists in the market between higher– and lower–priced memory foam or gel foam offerings.”
Patent–pending features differentiate the beds from competing gel foam products, according to the company. Each model uses up to 3 inches of Micro Tec Gel, the company’s exclusive open–cell memory foam. The gel layer features Stay Cool channel venting in three zones, a patent–pending design that increases air flow through the bed.
Gel Rest beds, which range from 8 inches to 13 inches high, can be shipped via overnight delivery service.
The company also is offering Gel Rest toppers in 2–, 3– and 4–inch thicknesses. They have suggested retail prices of $99 to $299 in queen size.
Denver Mattress and RV supplier partner
Denver–based mattress manufacturer and retailer Denver Mattress has signed a distribution deal with Dehco Inc., an Elkhart, Ind.–based supplier to the recreational vehicle industry.
“Denver Mattress has a long–standing tradition of providing quality sleep products at a reasonable price,” said Steve Papandrea, Dehco executive vice president of sales. “A good night’s sleep starts with a good mattress. RV owners expect to return from their vacation fully relaxed and re–energized and this can’t happen when they are sleeping on some of the inferior products currently being shipped with new RVs. With this new line of RV mattresses from Denver Mattress and Dehco,
RVers can now receive a top–quality sleep product and feel completely at home on the road.”
Denver Mattress’ collection of RV mattresses includes polyurethane foam beds with bio–based content, as well as innerspring models. They are made by the company’s hospitality division. Denver Mattress is part of the Furniture Row family of companies.
GSG quilter makes U.S. debut
Quilting equipment supplier Gribetz International, part of Leggett & Platt’s Global Systems Group in Sunrise, Fla., will debut its V16 mattress quilter at ISPA EXPO 2012, held March 14–17 in Indianapolis. It will be the machine’s first U.S. appearance.
Gribetz called the V16 “the newest, fastest quilter in the industry” and said the machine was well received by the international market when it was introduced at Interzum Cologne in Cologne, Germany, last year. The V16 can quilt continuous or tack–and–jump patterns at 1,600 rpm.
Also at EXPO, the company’s Porter International brand will introduce new systems that have been designed to improve production efficiency when creating mattress designs that include zippers, handles, specialty borders and other features.
GSG partner Merello will demonstrate its new wrapper for the first time in the United States. The ME105 can package as many as five mattress units per minute.
The V16, ME105 and other machines will be exhibited in Booth 2433 in the Indiana Convention Center.
Protect–A–Bed relocates to larger headquarters
Protect–A–Bed, a provider of bedding protection products, has moved its U.S. headquarters to a new office and warehouse facility in Wheeling, Ill.
The new facility includes 20,000 square feet of office space and a 200,000–square–foot warehouse. Since 2008, the company had occupied a 31,000–square–foot facility in Northbrook, Ill.
“Our company is quickly expanding, so we have moved to a much larger space to accommodate our growing customer needs,” said James Bell, Protect–A–Bed chief executive officer. “Protect–A–Bed is on track to grow 35% over 2010. Our new facility will help perpetuate our continual growth pattern and poise us for accelerated growth.”
In addition to the Wheeling headquarters, Protect–A–Bed maintains a sales office in Philadelphia and product showrooms in Chicago, Las Vegas and New York City.
CertiPUR–US launches consumer website
CertiPUR–US, a foam certification program, has created a new website, www.certipur.us, aimed at consumers with health and safety concerns about bedding and upholstery materials. The site also provides a list of companies that offer products containing certified flexible polyurethane foam, as well as resources for furniture and mattress industry manufacturers and suppliers.
The new site is the first step in a marketing campaign to educate consumers about the benefits of CertiPUR–US–certified flexible polyurethane foams and to drive demand for certified products.
“Mattress and furniture shoppers want to know where to find products containing certified foams and the website was designed to make that easier,” said Doug Sullivan, executive director of the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, the organization that manages the certification program. “Being able to verify that the foam in your products is certified is also a powerful selling tool for manufacturers and retailers.”
Sullivan said he has seen a surge in calls and emails from consumers looking for foam products that carry the CertiPUR–US seal and from companies in the furniture and mattress industries that want to promote their participation in the program. The seal validates that flexible polyurethanes for use in mattresses and upholstered furniture meet certain environmental, health, safety and performance guidelines.
Details of the steps required in the certification process are available in the industry sections of the website. The resource also makes it easier for manufacturers and retailers to find participating foam suppliers and to review registration documents. The program is open to domestic and foreign producers of flexible polyurethane foam.
Pure LatexBLISS redesigns website
Atlanta–based Pure LatexBLISS has revamped its website, www.latexbliss.com. The tablet– and smart phone–friendly site uses a combination of video and other online tools to educate on–the–go consumers about the company’s latex mattresses, pillows and toppers.
“Our brand strategy has evolved to preselling consumers as they canvas the Internet in their search for the perfect mattress,” said Kurt Ling, Pure LatexBLISS co–founder and chief executive officer. “The company’s vision is to make selecting a mattress and pillow simple, easy and fun. We aim to help them get answers that are easy to understand. With the new website, retailers have a place to send customers to teach them about Pure LatexBLISS mattresses and pillows in a straightforward, fun and informative way.”
The site is designed to appeal to both women and men.
“Men and women experience different thought processes when shopping,” Ling said. “Women respond to emotional cues and language while men prefer more rational information. Avoiding industry jargon, our website will feature compelling, unambiguous content demonstrating how our mattresses and pillows contributes to a better night’s sleep.” The site will be updated frequently with content for consumers and retailers.
Innovative Mattress buys retail chain
Innovative Mattress Solutions in Winfield, W. Va., the parent company of sleep shop chains Mattress Warehouse and Sleep Outfitters, has purchased Mattresses Unlimited, in Nashville, Tenn.
The acquisition includes 16 stores and two distribution centers in the Louisville, Ky., and Nashville markets. This is the retailer’s first entry into Tennessee and gives it a total of 120 stores in five states, including Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia.
“We are very pleased to expand our company’s presence in the Louisville market, my hometown, and the opportunity to enter the Nashville market is particularly exciting,” said Kim Knopf, Innovative Mattress Solutions chief executive officer.
Duxiana redresses beds for 2012
Duxiana, an ultra–premium mattress and sleep accessories producer based in Trelleborg, Sweden, and with U.S. headquarters in New York, has redesigned its DUX Bed for Life collection with coordinating store decor and point–of–sale materials.
The collection is sold internationally at exclusive DUX sleep shops, 28 of which are in North America.
The handmade four–bed line features new chocolate brown upholstery. Suggested retail prices range from $3,405 to $11,970 for a queen set.
In addition to adjustable lumbar support, the top bed in the collection now has a security compartment for storing valuables and comes equipped with a portable fire extinguisher. The top two models in the group have six zones of interchangeable, innerspring “cassettes”—the Pascal Comfort Zone System allows two sleepers to adjust their side of the bed to their liking.
Wright of Thomasville harnesses solar energy
Graphic design and marketing services provider Wright of Thomasville has completed a major solar panel installation at its headquarters in Thomasville, N.C.
The 364 panels are connected directly to the power grid at Duke Energy Corp., the power company serving central North Carolina. The panels generate about 83.72 kilowatts of energy, which Duke Energy credits back to Wright, essentially cancelling out Wright’s electric bill. The company also received state and federal tax credits for the installation.
“Our company has always been committed to environmental stewardship—be it through the inks we use or the recycling of production materials,” said Greg Wright, Wright of Thomasville president and chief executive officer. “We are now happy to add energy conservation to this list.
The decision to install solar panels seemed like a natural progression in reducing our carbon footprint and advancing our environmental mission.”
To illustrate its harnessing of solar power, the company has added a power–generating meter to its website and in the facility’s lobby.
SABA opens Dallas distribution center
Adhesives supplier SABA North America, headquartered in Kimball, Mich., has opened a new warehouse in Dallas. The facility will provide more localized service to customers in the region, the company said. SABA also has distribution centers in its Michigan headquarters and in Atlanta; Commerce, Calif.; and Toronto. “We made this decision to better serve our customers within this rapidly expanding region,” said Jim Turner, SABA North America president. “This fits perfectly within our regionalized distribution strategy and will save our customers money and reduce transit times.”
Glideaway, Jersey Shore Steel assist flood victims
Mattress industry supplier Glideaway Bed Carriage Co., headquartered in St. Louis, and rerolled steel producer Jersey Shore Steel in Jersey Shore, Pa., have supplied 96 mattresses and other products to the American Rescue Workers of Williamsport, a charitable organization aiding residents of central Pennsylvania devastated by tropical storms Lee and Irene in September. “The mattresses were intended to provide some help and relief to families who have suffered from this horrible, unprecedented flooding,” said Ron Fredman, Glideaway executive vice president.
Gold Bond expands west, south
Since August 2011, mattress manufacturer Gold Bond has opened 50 new accounts, expanding its sales territory south and west of the company’s Hartford, Conn., base. “Retailers at both the Las Vegas Market and High Point Market recognize that the Gold Bond name is synonymous with high–quality, value–priced mattresses—two things that are of the utmost importance to consumers, especially when the economy is in flux,” said Bob Naboicheck, Gold Bond president. “By expanding our sales force, we’ve been able to give Gold Bond a stronger presence in several new markets.” Retail accounts have been added in Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, South Carolina and West Virginia.
Mathis Brothers to build sleep shop in Oklahoma
Furniture retailer Mathis Brothers plans to build a new sleep studio in Edmond, Okla., a suburb of Oklahoma City. The store is expected to open in June. “We’re building something really nice,” Kerry Tramel, president of Mathis Brothers’ Lady Americana mattress division, told The Edmond Sun. When completed, the 11,800–square–foot store will showcase more than 60 models from brands, including Sealy, Serta, Detail Comfort, Lady Americana, Tempur–Pedic and Stearns & Foster.
Comfort Solutions remodels Vegas space
Willowbrook, Ill.–based licensing group Comfort Solutions has redone its showroom in the Las Vegas Market’s World Market Center to highlight its new Never Stop Dreaming brand identity. The sleek space blends new technologies, media and materials to better showcase market introductions. Also included are stations for sleep education, product training and discussion. The lobby—dedicated to the Never Stop Dreaming message—features
a giant video screen, sofa seating and other amenities.
Gold Bond earns CertiPUR–US seal
Mattress manufacturer Gold Bond, based in Hartford, Conn., is now including CertiPUR–US certified flexible polyurethane foams in its Cool Response Gel collection. The beds are part of the company’s U.S.–made EcoSense line of specialty sleep mattresses. “As more and more consumers become environmentally conscious, the materials used in the products they buy become equally as important,” said Bob Naboicheck, Gold Bond president. “The CertiPUR–US seal offers consumers looking for eco–friendly sleep products the confidence of knowing that some of the components used to make the collection are not only cooling and comfortable but have passed strict environmental, health and safety standards.”
Fabrictech expanding
Fabrictech International, a bedding protection supplier based in Cedar Grove, N.J., added more than 400 stores in the fourth quarter of 2011. The company attributed its expansion to successful merchandising and retailer incentives, along with new product offerings and improved product performance. Recent growth also has been driven by the introduction of OmniGuard Advance protectors, partnership with the National Sleep Foundation and the development of the PureCare Plush Antibacterial Silver pillow line, the company said.
