China’s Airland introduced Kingsdown’s MySide line at the Shenzhen International Furniture Fair in March.
Mattress producer Kingsdown and Hong Kong-based manufacturer and retailer Airland officially unveiled their licensing partnership at the Shenzhen International Furniture Fair in March.
As part of the partnership, which was announced in fall 2012, Hong Kong-based Airland will open 34 retail locations in 2013 that showcase Kingsdown’s MySide product line and its bedMATCH sleep diagnostic technology. Product will be manufactured at Kingsdown plants in the United States and at Airland’s Shenzhen plant. Airland also will participate in joint product development with Kingsdown, and all products will be tested and certified by Kingsdown’s Sleep to Live Institute.
At the Shenzhen show, the Chinese company introduced MySide products with much fanfare and advance publicity, a news release said. Airland had 200 staff members on hand in its space after sending 1.2 million text messages and 20,000 invitations to retailers across China.
“The Chinese demand for premium products made in the U.S. remains strong, and with the accelerated growth of its middle class we know we’re entering China at the optimal time,” said Frank Hood, Kingsdown president and chief executive officer. “Our partnership with Airland has been a few years in the making and we’re confident they’re the right licensee to represent Kingsdown. They’ve been a strong player in the sleep space since 1966 and they truly understand the research and science behind our products and how it sets us apart from the competition.”
