As part of the formation of a strategic capital enterprise between Malouf® and Sinomax® USA, Eric Rhea has joined the organization as head of business development.
“By partnering with Malouf and adding Eric to our organization, we are more integrated than ever before, from manufacturing to a full brand experience,” says Frank Chen, CEO of Sinomax USA. “We have a decade of capital investment in U.S. manufacturing, and our long-term goal is to be the premier American manufacturing partner for all things sleep,” including a new comprehensive base program.
“I’m thrilled to join this team. They’re making strategic and meaningful investments in U.S. manufacturing,” Rhea says. “By blending the branding and marketing expertise of Malouf with the manufacturing strength of Sinomax USA, this will be an incredibly dynamic organization. We will be a very robust partner in a market where retailers are dealing with large-scale mergers and searching for options.”
Rhea is a longtime veteran of the sleep industry, with experience in componentry, global manufacturing, development, and leadership. He served as president of Leggett & Platt’s bedding group from 2011 to 2020 and as CEO of Corsicana Mattress from 2022 through its recent acquisition in 2025. He was also president of the CRH North American infrastructure group from 2020 to 2022.
“Eric is already adding so much value to our work,” says Sam Malouf, CEO of Malouf. “Recent years have been challenging, but we’re stepping into 2026 with 95% of key SKUs stocked. Eric’s experience, combined with Sinomax USA’s manufacturing expertise and Malouf’s brand power, makes me so excited for the next stage of our company and what we can bring to our retail partners.”
