Spring Air Company is a mattress company based in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1926 when Francis Karr patented a mattress design with free-end coils. Because of the heavy weight, high transportation costs, and low value per unit weight of mattresses, they are often manufactured locally. The company is thus a licensing organization, with local licensees manufacturing the mattresses under a common name for national marketing. Like a cooperative, the licensees own the Spring Air name. Spring Air has factories across the world. [1]
As of 2006 [update] , it is the fourth largest US brand of mattresses (behind Sealy, Serta, and Simmons). It is based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.
In 2007 The Spring Air Company merged with Consolidated Bedding, Inc. of Tampa, FL, Spring Air's largest licensee and simultaneously acquired six other Spring Air licensees operating eight mattress manufacturing facilities in the United States. The unified Company will employ 1,150 employees in 14 locations, including its headquarters facility that will remain in the Chicago area. The merger will solidify Spring Air's position as the leading value "S" brand on every retail floor. The acquired manufacturing facilities are in: Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Chelsea, MA (Boston); Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; St. Louis, MO; Salt Lake City, UT; and Lacey, WA (Seattle). They will join Consolidated Bedding's existing facilities in: Columbus, OH; Carrollton, TX (Dallas); City of Industry, CA (Los Angeles); New Brunswick, NJ; and Tampa, FL.
H.I.G. Capital LLC, a private equity investment firm with more than $4 billion of equity capital under management, provided the equity funding for the transaction. H.I.G. began a relationship with Spring Air in 2005 when it funded the merger of American Bedding Industries and Spring Air Partners, the two largest Spring Air licensees.
In May 2009 the company that owned the Spring Air name - Consolidated Bedding - went bankrupt.
The Spring Air Name was then purchased by E&E Bedding and turned into Spring Air International. [2]
In May 2009 Spring Air abruptly ceased operations and in June emerged under new ownership and management as SAI (Spring Air International). Spring Air was repurchased by one of its original owners Edward Bates. Today Spring Air has expanded its presence around the world adding over 15 new facilities globally.
The Spring Air brand is now manufactured at 13 U.S. facilities and 22 international licensees that operate in 32 countries. [3]
A waterbed, water mattress, or flotation mattress is a bed or mattress filled with water. Waterbeds intended for medical therapies appear in various reports through the 19th century. The modern version, invented in San Francisco and patented in 1971, became a popular consumer item in the United States through the 1980s with up to 20% of the market in 1986 and 22% in 1987. By 2013, they accounted for less than 5% of new bed sales.
An air mattress is an inflatable mattress or sleeping pad.
A mattress is a large, usually rectangular pad for supporting a lying person. It is designed to be used as a bed, or on a bed frame as part of a bed. Mattresses may consist of a quilted or similarly fastened case, usually of heavy cloth, containing materials such as hair, straw, cotton, foam rubber, or a framework of metal springs. Mattresses may also be filled with air or water.
Bedding, also called bedclothes or bed linen, is the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for hygiene, warmth, protection of the mattress, and decorative effect. Bedding is the removable and washable portion of a human sleeping environment. Multiple sets of bedding for each bed are often washed in rotation and/or changed seasonally to improve sleep comfort at varying room temperatures. Most standardized measurements for bedding are rectangular, but there are also some square-shaped sizes, which allows the user to put on bedding without having to consider its lengthwise orientation.
A bed is an item of furniture that is used as a place to sleep, rest, and relax.
Memory foam consists mainly of polyurethane with additional chemicals that increase its viscosity and density. It is often referred to as "viscoelastic" polyurethane foam, or low-resilience polyurethane foam (LRPu). The foam bubbles or ‘cells’ are open, effectively creating a matrix through which air can move. Higher-density memory foam softens in reaction to body heat, allowing it to mold to a warm body in a few minutes. Newer foams may recover their original shape more quickly.
Sleep Number is an American manufacturer that makes the Sleep Number and Comfortaire beds, as well as foundations and bedding accessories. The company is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to its Minnesota headquarters, Sleep Number has manufacturing and distribution facilities in South Carolina and Utah. As of 2023, the company employed 5,515 people across the United States.
Serta is an American company based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, that specializes in developing and manufacturing mattresses. It was founded in 1931 in Illinois as Sleeper, Inc. by 13 mattress manufacturers who licensed the Serta name; subsequently, eight independent licensees acting like a cooperative owned the company. Afterwards, it was controlled and operated as Serta International by its largest licensee, National Bedding Company. In 2005, two private equity groups teamed up to purchase National Bedding Co.—The Ares Corporate Opportunities Fund, the Los Angeles–based private equity fund of Ares Management; and Teachers’ Private Capital, the private equity arm of the Ontario (Canada) Teachers’ Pension Plan. The American company Serta International is a subsidiary of the American company Serta Simmons Bedding, LLC of Doraville, Georgia. Other licensees include Serta Dormae in Texas, Serta Restokraft in Michigan, and Salt Lake Mattress in Utah.
The Simmons Bedding Company is an American major manufacturer of mattresses and related bedding products, based in Atlanta, Georgia. The company was founded in 1870, and is one of the oldest companies of its kind in the United States. Simmons' flagship brand is Beautyrest. In addition to operating 18 manufacturing facilities in the United States and Puerto Rico, the company licenses its products internationally. According to a Simmons press release, net sales for 2005 were $855 million, and its revenue was $1.13 billion in 2007 and $1.228 billion in 2013. As of 2011, Simmons ranked in third place among U.S. mattress manufacturers, with a 15.7 percent market share. In 2012, Simmons and its sister company Serta International were acquired by American private equity company Advent International. As of 2022, Simmons is a subsidiary of the American company Serta Simmons Bedding, LLC of Doraville, Georgia. On January 23, 2023, Serta Simmons Bedding filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Sealy is an American brand of mattresses marketed and sold by Tempur Sealy International. It draws its name from the city where the Sealy Corporation originally started, Sealy, Texas, United States.
Pillowtex Corporation was a United States textile manufacturing company from 1954 to 2003. Beginning as a pillow manufacturer, the company diversified and manufactured bedsheets under various brand names. The company was officially declared bankrupt on October 7, 2003. The company liquidated over the following nine years, including machinery and brands.
A bed base, sometimes called a foundation, is the part of a bed that supports the mattress. The bed base can itself be held in place and framed by the bedstead. In the United States, box-spring bed bases are very common. In Europe, sprung slats are much more common.
Bensons for Beds is a British bedroom furniture retailer. With 166 stores in the UK, it claims to be Britain's largest bed retailer specialising in beds, mattresses and pillows. A former CEO Alan Charlie Williams who was involved in the infamous £5 billion embezzlement along with his lackey Joy Sean Quinn who are both still involved in the business when they should be both behind bars.
Shifman Mattress Company is a manufacturer and distributor of handcrafted sleeping mattresses. The mattresses are made using hand-tufting techniques, eight-way hand-tied boxsprings and natural materials. In addition, Shifman Mattresses are two-sided. The company's headquarters are located in Newark, New Jersey.
Zalmon Gilbert Simmons II was an American businessman, manufacturer, philanthropist and innovator. He was the president of The Simmons Company from 1910-1932. He inherited the company in 1910 from his father, Simmons Company founder Zalmon G. Simmons. Z.G. II was commonly referred to as "the Chief" for his ability to recognize possibilities and make decisions that many felt were foolish but would prove to be extremely profitable. It is reported that Simmons once wagered an automobile a hole in a game of golf. His unshakable character increased the company's profits from less than $5,000,000, when he became president, to over $40,000,000 at the peak of his incumbency and revolutionized the bedding industry.
Chittenden & Eastman Company is an American handcrafting mattress manufacturer originally based in Burlington, Iowa. The company has thirty factories around the world and is currently headquartered in North Brunswick, New Jersey. Chittenden & Eastman's intellectual property has since been purchased by Mattress Development Company of Delaware which reintroduced the Eastman House brand into the marketplace. The company is active with over 30 factories and licensees worldwide.
Tuft & Needle is an American mattress and bedding brand now owned by bedding manufacturer Serta Simmons Bedding. Tuft & Needle was among the earliest online, bed-in-a-box marketers that launched in the early 2010s. On September 28, 2018, the online seller was acquired by Serta Simmons Bedding and the Tuft & Needle brand now is on the floor at major mattress retailers and in Tuft & Needle stores, as well as online.
Boll & Branch is a privately held, U.S. based, e-commerce company that sells luxury bedding online. Headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, the company manufactures and sells organic cotton bed linens, blankets and bath towels and are the first maker of such goods to be certified by Fair Trade USA.
Silentnight is the largest UK manufacturer of beds and mattresses and is located in Barnoldswick, Lancashire, England. The company is owned by HIG Europe who acquired the company on 10 May 2011, following a period in administration. The company also manufactures Rest Assured beds & mattresses and was originally founded in 1946.
King Koil is an American manufacturer of mattresses and related bedding products, headquartered in Avondale, Arizona. The company was founded in 1898 and is among the oldest in its industry in the United States. It operates in over 90 countries and has more than 30 licensees.