Rick Anderson resigns as ISPA chairman

Vice Chair Don Wright will take over as bedding group's chairman

David Perry -- Furniture Today, August 6, 2009

ALEXANDRIA — The ISPA Board of Trustees announced today that current ISPA Chairman Rick Anderson, president of Tempur-Pedic North America, has informed the Board that he is resigning as chairman, effective immediately.

ISPA Vice Chair Don Wright of Wright of Thomasville will succeed Anderson as chairman.

The actions come after ISPA members Carpenter Co., Anatomic Global and Englander resigned from the trade group. Officials of those companies had protested Anderson remaining as ISPA chairman after Tempur-Pedic sued more than a dozen other bedding companies claiming patent infringement.

"Tempur-Pedic has participated in ISPA for nearly 10 years, and we plan to remain an active member of our industry's association. I will continue to support our association as an ISPA trustee," Anderson said in a statement.

"I am disappointed by the decisions of a few companies, who are competitors of Tempur, to withdraw from ISPA in reaction to Tempur's assertion of its intellectual property rights. However, I do not want my position within ISPA to create an ongoing distraction for the association, and I believe the greater good to be served here is for the association to continue with its important work on behalf of the full industry," Anderson added.

"After careful consideration, members of the board agree that it will be in the best interest of ISPA to transition the (chairman's) role to another member," Dick Doyle, ISPA president and CEO said. "Rick has served with distinction on the board for three years and as the chairman, and I appreciate the leadership he has provided."

"I will work hard to lead ISPA in its continuing efforts to support our industry's interests," Wright stated. "The first priority of our board during this transition will be to reach out across the entire industry - to ISPA members and non-members - to take stock of what we are doing and where we are going, and to serve the collective interests of all. Over the next several months, I encourage all industry leaders to take part in this important discussion, and to speak frankly about the issues so that we together can guide ISPA in addressing the industry's needs."