Mattress licensing group Spring Air International, headquartered in Chelsea, Massachusetts, has named C.M. Bedding Group Inc. as its new licensee for the northeastern United States. E&E Bedding, the manufacturing plant owned by Spring Air principal Ed Bates, formerly serviced the six-state region comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Bates, who also is chief executive officer of the licensing group, is moving out of manufacturing to focus on the group’s licensing, branding and marketing strategies, in partnership with his nephew Nick Bates, Spring Air International president.
Ed Bates was a longtime Spring Air licensee, beginning in the mid-1970s. He sold his plant during the 2007 rollup of the Spring Air brand into a single corporate entity. When that effort failed in 2009, he repurchased his plant, as well as the Spring Air brand’s intellectual property, and soon thereafter established Spring Air International.
C.M. Bedding, in Fall River, Massachusetts, was founded in 2002 by David Nguyen. His 300,000-square-foot plant produces mattresses, box springs and pillows for retail, e-commerce and hospitality.
The new licensee purchased E&E’s production equipment and inventory, and is hiring some of its key plant personnel, as it gradually shifts production of Spring Air and Chattam & Wells products from E&E to C.M. during the first quarter of this year.
“Like the other domestic licensing partners that have joined us, David and his team represent the best in independent manufacturing in its region, and we are thrilled to have them on our team,” Nick Bates said. “While Ed has always loved the manufacturing end of the business, we both realized that his experience, insight and commitment was more critical at the corporate level as we continue our fast-paced growth.”
Nguyen added: “Spring Air is a great company with great name recognition among consumers, and we’re excited to be a partner with Nick Bates and his management team. We think they can take the company to another level and help our business grow, as well.”
