Spring Air to show in Las Vegas this summer
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, April 10, 2005
Elk Grove Village, Ill. — Spring Air will show its 2006 bedding introductions in temporary space in Las Vegas this summer.
President Jim Nation said the producer will have a 4,000-square-foot showroom at the Sands Convention Center.
"I think there will be continued interest in Las Vegas for the first few markets," Nation said. "That gives us a good reason to be there."
He said the showroom will be the only corporate-leased showroom Spring Air has at any U.S. market. The producer doesn't show in High Point. It has an expansive showroom at its corporate headquarters here, which Nation has consistently said offers the best venue for the company to showcase its bedding lines.
With the announcement, Spring Air joins other bedding majors Serta and Simmons in Las Vegas. The only member of bedding's Big Four not committed to show in Las Vegas this summer is Sealy.
Other bedding producers who have said they will show in Las Vegas include King Koil, Tempur-Pedic, Restonic, Gold Bond and Park Place. Therapedic hopes to show its new Kathy Ireland line in the Standard showroom in July.
Nation said Spring Air is planning to introduce its 2006 bedding lines in Las Vegas, and currently intends those lines to incorporate fire-resistant protection. He said the company's FR vendor is Vita Nonwovens, but Spring Air continues to test other solutions as well.
He said Spring Air is monitoring FR developments and could back away from its plans to introduce FR lines in 2006, if competitive pressures make such a move necessary.
"We are not convinced all majors will introduce FR bedding in 2006," Nation said.
He said he agrees with the assessment of the International Sleep Products Assn. that January 2007 is a likely date for implementation of a federal mattress FR standard.
Nation said he believes the first few Las Vegas markets will be well attended, but that the long-term viability of the market is uncertain.
"Will our customers be in Las Vegas?" he asked. "For the first few markets, they certainly will be. Las Vegas is going to be an exciting place to have markets. It is going to grow to a certain size. But it won't knock High Point to its knees."
New Spring Air going back to basics
08/10/2009
