Paramount’s Richard Diamonstein, a long-time member of the International Sleep Products Association, discusses the importance of ISPA’s work on advocacy programs, mattress recycling, and industry statistics.
Transcript
Dave Perry
Take one. Dave, take two. Take three. Hey, it’s Dave Perry. I’m in the Paramount showroom at the High Point Market with Richard Diamonstein, managing director of Paramount Sleep. We’re talking ISPA. Richard, you’ve been an ISPA member for decades.
Richard Diamonstein
I’ve been in the business since 1985, and we were members way back when. As a matter of fact, I have a picture of my grandfather attending an ISPA, NABM conference in Chicago back in the 1950s. So we’ve been around a long time.
Dave Perry
Now, how did we do at our last expo? What would be your evaluation?
Richard Diamonstein
It was refreshing. It was fun to get out, to see people. The show was excellent. There was a lot of great equipment that we looked at, supplies. And we had a really good show. We had four people there. We bought equipment. It was just really good to get out and see, you know, that the industry was alive and people were coming back and getting together again.
Dave Perry
I was just really impressed with the vibe of the show. There was excitement; there was a positive energy there that I thought was impressive.
Richard Diamonstein
I think so too. I think that the quality of the suppliers that were there, the quality of the machinery, we saw a lot of new things, and we enjoyed being there. Our team enjoyed being there, and it was good to get out and see other things and alternatives to what we were doing daily.
Dave Perry
Yeah. Richard, you’ve been working with ISPA for a long time. What are some things ISPA is doing now that are particularly notable in your view?
Richard Diamonstein
Well, I think one of the most important things that ISPA does, other than the trade show, the trade show is huge. And that brings us together. That gives us a forum. It allows us to see what our opportunities are and the options that are out there. But I think advocacy is very important. The mattress recycling program has been an incredible benefit to this industry.
I think it allowed us, as an industry, to work closely with government regulators just to make sure that we were coming up with solutions that made sense for the industry. And we work closely with the different states and regulators, and I think we have come up with excellent solutions. The same thing happened way back when we were getting regulated and had flammability coming on, and we were required to meet new flammability standards.
Richard Diamonstein
So either we were going to participate in the process, or the federal government would come up with the standards.
Dave Perry
Richard, one thing that I think is important and ISPA’s service to the industry is statistics. That’s one of the pillars of what ISPA provides. What’s your thought on the importance of the ISPA stats program?
Richard Diamonstein
I think the ISPA cost survey is beneficial to us because we can submit our numbers anonymously. It goes to I think it’s ARE research that compiles all the numbers for the industry to look at trends, to give you an analysis by your region and analysis to similar, similar-sized companies, and analysis to what companies are doing nationally and looking at it from a lot of different angles.
Richard Diamonstein
And for us, that allows us to evaluate our business and see if we are doing things and if there are things we can do to run our business better.
Dave Perry
Well, on behalf of ISPA, I should thank you for all your decades of service. And it’s always great working with you, and thanks for everything.
Richard Diamonstein
Thank you, Dave.
Dave Perry
Thank. Appreciate it. Thank you.
