News
Kluft buys Pennsylvania factory
L
uxury mattress maker E.S. Kluft & Co. has purchased an 86,000-squarefoot manufacturing and distribution center in Denver, Pa., from Park Place Corp., a mattress producer based in Greenville, S.C. The purchase price was not disclosed. E.S. Kluft & Co., which produces Aireloom and Kluft brand mattresses, has headquarters and production facilities in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. It plans to use the facility to service dealers in the eastern and central regions of the United States. “Kluft and Aireloom brands are so unique in the industry that there has been growing interest by high-quality retailers who have wanted to carry the brands but were hesitant to make a commitment because we were only producing in California,” said Earl Kluft, E.S. Kluft & Co. president and
chief executive officer. “This new facility changes all that as we can very efficiently and effectively service these accounts. It will open many new retail doors for us.” The Pennsylvania facility, built in the 1970s, is being retrofitted for Kluft’s production processes. The company expects to retain the plant’s work force of about 40 employees. Park Place sold the facility as part of a realignment of its manufacturing and distribution processes necessitated by a licensing deal it signed with Comfort Solutions in August 2010. “We are very pleased that our Pennsylvania associates will continue in the mattressmaking profession,” said Jimmy Orders, Park Place president. “Earl Kluft is a quality and design leader with a long-term commitment to the industry.”
L&P donating $1 million to aid tornado victims
I
ndustry supplier Leggett & Platt has pledged $1 million toward tornado relief for residents of Joplin, Mo. An unprecedented storm devastated a large section of the town in May. L&P, headquartered in nearby Carthage, is one of the largest employers in the area and has many employees who ‘We are lost homes, loved ones and suffered injuries in the tornado. grieving with our One L&P worker was killed. fellow partners “We are grieving with our fellow partners who lost loved who lost loved ones and homes in this horrific storm,” said David Haffner, L&P ones and homes president and chief executive in this officer. “We are still gathering information on the losses horrific storm.’ sustained by those employees who were in the path of the storm. At this point, we know of at least 35 families who lost everything and we mourn the death of one employee partner.” The company will direct the donation to local agencies that aid Joplin residents. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, the company offered assistance to storm shelters and its employees are volunteering with various relief efforts. “Leggett & Platt has been a part of this community for more than 128 years,” Haffner said. “Our roots include multigeneration employees, customers and business colleagues. We want to help.”
Gommagomma marks 15 years
F
oam products supplier Gommagomma is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a move into new headquarters in Caronno Pertusella, Italy. The building includes a 150,000-square-foot automated warehouse that can hold as many as 25,000 mattresses and new manufacturing and processing lines for flexible elastic materials. A vast integrated photovoltaic system is expected to significantly reduce the company’s energy costs, as well as its environmental impact. Construction of those phases is finished. Offices are expected to be completed later
www.bedtimesmagazine.com
this year. The family-owned company was founded in 1996 and initially produced a line of latex mattresses before adding pillows marketed under the Latexcel brand. It later expanded into memory foam mattresses, pillows, blocks and toppers that are offered under the ExtraPur label. Most recently, the company added WaterGel products. Gommagomma calls the technology a “revolutionary high-density gel foam” that’s both breathable and elastic but that won’t lose its shape. “Over the years, a few simple rules have distinguished how
More spacious space Gommagomma’s new facility in Caronno Pertusella, Italy, includes a warehouse, manufacturing lines and administrative offices.
Gommagomma approaches products and the market: a sophisticated manufacturing plant that uses advanced technology, carefully selected and constantly monitored raw materials, detailed checks during the various manufacturing stages, real flexibility in terms of distribution and
manufacturing, no compromises on product quality and a genuine relationship of trust with customers,” the company said. Gommagomma employs approximately 100 people and projects annual sales of roughly $26.6 million in 2011—about 60% in Italy and 40% abroad. July 2011 BedTimes
47 |