Luis Barragan dies at 35
Accident claims retail innovator
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, July 31, 2006
Long Island City, N.Y. — Luis Barragan, the president of retailer 1-800-Mattress who died in a swimming accident July 7 at age 35, is remembered as a visionary who was always looking for new opportunities.
Among the opportunities that he tapped for 1-800-Mattress, based here, was the company's expansion several years ago into e-commerce. He helped make www.mattress.com the world's most trafficked bedding site, the company said.
More recently, he led the expansion of the company's retail store division.
"Luis was a visionary for how mattress retailing would evolve," said his father, Napoleon Barragan, the founder and CEO of 1-800-Mattress. "He was able to see the growth of the Internet as a credible retailing channel, and he encouraged us to expand our showroom division. Through his energy, intelligence and commitment to our brand, he made a tremendous contribution to our company and our employees. He was a loving, caring father, brother and son who will be sorely missed."
Added Phil Sherman, national sales manager for Boyd Specialty Sleep: "He was always able to find the opportunities for what his company could offer. He never closed any ideas out. He always listened to new ideas to see how they could be used to better his company."
Sherman, who met with Luis Barragan weekly and knew him for more than a dozen years, remembered him as a jovial, easygoing executive with "a sly little smile" who also was a strong leader. "He would take a leadership role," Sherman recalled. "He would say, 'We need to get this done. Let's get it done now.'"
He said Barragan "had a bright future at 1-800-Mattress. He was the heir apparent."
Luis Barragan joined his father in the business in 1992 after studying business at St. John's University. He began as a purchasing agent, and in two years was promoted to assistant general manager. In 1996 he was named director of operations, and two years later added the title of vice president. In 2002 he was promoted to president and chief operating officer of the company.
Barragan, who resided in Douglaston, N.Y., drowned while on vacation with his family in Connecticut. He was swimming in South Pond in Salisbury, Conn., news reports said.
Barragan was responsible for day-to-day operations of the bedding retailer, which ranked 64th on Furniture/Today's Top 100 U.S. furniture stores ranking based on estimated 2005 sales of $110 million. He is credited with the development of the company's growing retail division, and with opening warehouse and distribution centers in California and Chicago. Those warehouse and distribution centers enabled the company to provide faster and better service in those regions.
Barragan is survived by his wife, three children, two sisters and a brother, and his parents.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Udalls Cove Preservation Committee, 251-31 42nd Ave., Little Neck, N.Y., 11363, attention Walter Mugdon.
