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McKay's new King Koil

Producer set to debut revamped lineup

By David Perry -- Furniture Today, February 3, 2002

HINSDALE, Ill. — Bedding veteran Larry McKay and his high-powered management team are ready to introduce a "new" bedding company to the industry — King Koil.

True, the King Koil name itself is not new; it's been around for more than 100 years.

But just about everything else is new, including the company's new headquarters in this Chicago suburb, a new executive team, a stable of new brands, and a renewed emphasis on growing the King Koil business.

McKay, chief executive officer and president, is a 30-year veteran with high-level experience at Sealy, Spring Air and Serta. He's the chief architect of the sweeping revamp of King Koil.

This month the producer debuts its new lineup. "Contour" is the key word for the lines, which utilize exclusive new "Contour Coil" innerspring units from Leggett & Platt. They offer new levels of contouring and support, the company says.

The lines include:

Spinal Contour, which retails from $349 to $699 in queen, and features a 520-coil unit with two different gauges of wire to increase support.
Perfect Contour, which retails from $499 to $699, and features a foam-encased, 572-coil unit with two different gauges of wire, zoned to provide optimal support.
Perfect Contour Extraordinaire, which features a 650-coil, foam-encased, zoned unit, plus foams from Foamex that match up with the innerspring zones to provide additional comfort and support. This line retails from $799 to $1,499.

The Perfect Contour lines will be offered in both one- and two-sided versions. The one-sided beds are included, McKay said, "because it's a benefit the consumer wants. They don't want to turn the mattress. In many cases, they can't turn the mattress. And they don't want to feel guilty that they don't have to turn it."

To tell the story of the new brands, King Koil has developed new point-of-sale materials, including a plexiglass holder to be placed at the foot of the bed that contains a notebook explaining the features of the beds.

"We want to stand out in this industry as being different and special," McKay said. "We are going to make it much easier to communicate with the consumer."

Also new is an endorsement from the Foundation of Chiropractic Education and Research, a group affiliated with more than 30,000 chiropractors.

The new King Koil will not be emphasizing the King Koil brands that have been in the marketplace: Spinal Guard and Posture Bond. McKay said those brands "are just not that strong," and asserted that a fresh start with new brands will give the producer a better chance to grow its business.

His team includes Dave Roberts, executive vice president of sales, a 29-year veteran who most recently was senior vice president of national accounts at Spring Air; Maury Knowlton, senior vice president of finance and manufacturing and chief operating officer, who most recently was senior vice president and chief financial officer for Serta; and Mark Bumby, vice president of marketing, who spent five years in marketing for Spring Air.

King Koil's management team of Maury Knowlton, left, Larry McKay, Dave Roberts and Mark Bumby with marketing materials for the new Perfect Contour Extraordinaire line.

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