Mattress maker Southerland Inc., based in Nashville, Tennessee, has inked a deal with vertically integrated Intellibed, headquartered in Salt Lake City, to produce and distribute its proprietary Gel Matrix bedding line.
INNOVATIVE LINE Southerland Inc., headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, has signed an agreement to make and distribute Salt Lake City-based Intellibed’s Gel Matrix bedding line.
Intellibed, founded in 2000, manufactures its beds and the exclusive solid gel for the mattress comfort layer at its Utah plant. It wholesales its products and retails them at company-owned stores and through retail franchisees.
The deal with Southerland will focus Intellibed’s business model on a wholesaling strategy, a news release said.
“We’re excited about our new partnership with Intellibed and see a lot of crossover with our retail network and the growing network for the Gel Matrix line,” said Bryan Smith, president and chief executive officer of Southerland. “The innovative line is a unique complement to our Southerland collections. Our corporate culture blends nicely with their culture, and we see a prosperous partnership ahead.”
Southerland’s Oklahoma City factory currently manufactures the Intellibed line, but plans call for expanding production into other Southerland plants.
“The alliance with Southerland gives us the ability to scale and grow more efficiently,” said Colin House, CEO of Intellibed. “Southerland’s factories are highly efficient and incredibly well-operated. Our retailers will benefit from this partnership due to the exceptional quality and high manufacturing standards Southerland provides.”
The Gel Matrix mattresses retail between $2,500 and $6,000. The company said they provide the only sleep surface that is both firm and soft, offering both spinal support and pressure relief simultaneously.
Southerland sells in 43 states. Its six production and distribution facilities, totaling more than 400,000 square feet, are located in Cleveland, Nashville, Oklahoma City and Phoenix.
