New FR regs will shake up industry, Ebaugh says
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, May 7, 2007
Grapevine, Texas — The new federal mattress flammability standard will reduce the number of bedding producers and bring new responsibilities to bedding retailers, according to consultant Susan Ebaugh.
Ebaugh, managing partner of the Lilly Management Group, gave an overview at the Furniture/Today Bedding Conference here on the impact of the standard, which takes effect July 1.
"The mattress industry will be very different in five years," she predicted, saying the market will belong "to those players who adapt and move forward."
Lilly Management Group provides FR consulting services to bedding producers and has extensive experience working with producers and suppliers on issues stemming from the new federal FR standard.
"In a few months, the mattress industry will have its own new reality to deal with," Ebaugh said. The new standard — which includes a stringent burn test and quality assurance and record-keeping requirements — may represent "the toughest challenge" in the history of the bedding industry, she said.
She predicted the stiff new requirements will prune the ranks of bedding producers. Smaller producers may face extinction because they have limited capital, few internal resources, lack FR-knowledgeable employees, and don't have everyday quality assurance programs.
"The industry won't shrink, but the number of producers will," she said.
Ebaugh said some producers already are saying they will close their doors, while others plan to take their chances with the new standard.
She also predicted that mattress renovators "will be hard-hit." She said those companies, which recondition used mattresses for sale, also will have to make them FR-compliant starting July 1.
U.S. bedding makers also will face rising production costs and potential production slowdowns because of record-keeping demands, worker mistakes, and equipment and inspection issues, she added.
Importers of mattresses made offshore are responsible for the same standards of compliance as U.S.-made producers, Ebaugh said. Record-keeping must be in English and the records must be maintained on U.S. soil. Language and cultural differences will complicate compliance for importers, she said.
The standard brings increased competitive and performance pressures to suppliers of FR materials, who must be able to maintain effective, consistent quality control procedures, Ebaugh said.
What's more, she said, the standard makes retailers accountable. They cannot sell non-compliant products manufactured after June 30. Retailers face fines for selling sleep sets that don't meet the standard, and will not be exempt from inspections. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission is developing a document to help retailers understand their responsibilities.
Ebaugh noted that retailers are on the front line in communicating to consumers on the FR issue. She said they should be careful not to tell consumers that the new FR beds are "fireproof."
