W.S. Badcock closing Fla. bedding factory
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, May 21, 2007
Mulberry, Fla. — Top 100 store chain W.S. Badcock will close its 42,000-square-foot bedding factory here rather than make a "major expansion" that would be required to meet new federal flammability regulations.
Badcock said it will begin outsourcing all mattress manufacturing to International Bedding Corp., a Top 10 bedding producer based in Florida.
The facility here is set to close June 29. Most of the plant's 39 employees will move to other jobs in the company, and those who don't will receive severance packages and job placement assistance, the retailer said.
The new federal open-flame standards for mattresses take effect July 1.
President and CEO Don Marks said that, in deciding to drop mattress making, Badcock evaluated such factors as the globalization of bedding manufacturing and the flammability safety standard.
Badcock has been making its own line of bedding for about 70 years. The current line is called Legends Collection by Badcock, with four sub brands — Euro Comfort, Pillow Top, Plush and Foam. Legends accounted for 44% of its $68.6 million in total bedding sales last year, the company said. The IBC bedding will have the same private brand names.
"This is an extremely difficult decision, but a necessary one to allow the corporation to focus its resources on the retail business," said Marks.
"We were at a point where we felt that if we were going to continue to manufacture the mattresses at our current location, we would need to undergo a major expansion effort," he said.
"By outsourcing the product to IBC, we will ensure that Badcock can continue to uphold the same standard of quality mattresses that our customers have come to rely on and expect."
The federal fire-safety standard will apply to all producers of mattresses and foundations. Marks said the new standard carries a high degree of responsibility and liability risk factors for manufacturers.
The company said its bedding factory was bulging at the seams and was a two-story facility, further complicating operations.
