Serta shows leadership with move to FR bedding
David Perry, Executive editor -- Furniture Today, September 8, 2003
Serta took bold, courageous action last week with its announcement that all its 2004 product lines will incorporate open-flame resistance. The company will market a proprietary fire-resistant system called FireBlocker, which it says meets or exceeds existing and proposed open-flame standards.
Serta officials said they believe they have a responsibility to make safer mattresses as soon as possible and don't want to wait until January 2005, when stringent new open-flame mattress standards become mandatory in California.
We applaud Serta's move. This is how market leaders act. Serta has made a powerful — and wise — leadership statement with its actions.
"We can begin saving lives now with safer products," said Serta President Ed Lilly. He's right. There are a number of reasons why producers want more time to come out with FR lines, but Serta is reducing the issue to its most fundamental level: The sooner safer beds are introduced, the sooner the industry begins saving lives.
Several months ago, we said in a column that making bedding safer is the right thing to do. While few producers would publicly disagree, the fact is that many have favored a delay in implementation of California's FR standards. The industry did win a one-year delay, a development that was widely hailed in the industry.
We don't know how Serta's actions will be received, but we hope other producers aren't far behind with their own FR programs. Serta is the first national producer to embrace the new standards, but other producers could quickly add their own support. To repeat: Marketing safer mattresses is the right thing to do. Retailers will appreciate that. So will consumers.
We think Serta's approach provides a textbook example of how to market bedding with improved FR protection. Its messages to the trade and to consumers are well thought out and compelling.
Serta makes a strong case for action now. In the trade, it is emphasizing two numbers: Each year there are 20,000 fires in the bedroom, and every day someone in the United States dies in a bedroom fire. Those numbers drive home the serious nature of this issue.
But Serta presents its solution to the bedroom fire problem in a straightforward, calm manner. It talks about the "opportunity" that retailers have to sell a top mattress brand with improved fire-resistant qualities. It says that retailers "can help save lives" by telling consumers about the new FR lines.
At some point in the next year or two, all bedding sold in the United States will be required to meet stricter FR standards. Let's all get to work on this issue now. Serta isn't the only company that will benefit by making safer beds.
