Spring Air closing Denver plant
Part of push to improve efficiency
David Perry -- Furniture Today, July 22, 2008
DENVER — Spring Air is closing its mattress factory here this week as part of its ongoing push to improve production efficiency, the company said.
Spring Air said it announced the closing to its workers several weeks ago. At that time, the Denver plant was producing less than 100 pieces of bedding per day, the company said.
The closing will eliminate 48 jobs. Spring Air plants in Salt Lake City and Lacey, Wash., will handle production that was done in Denver.
Denver becomes the fourth Spring Air plant to close since the company consolidated its ownership last year. The other plants that closed were in Birmingham, Ala., Phoenix and St. Louis.
“For the past six months we’ve been focused on creating a matrix whereby every customer is within a 400 mile radius of one of our production facilities,” said Bob Hellyer, Spring Air’s CEO. “This results in greater operating and logistical efficiencies, which we can translate into greater value for our customers. On a human scale, it is very difficult and we understand that. People are losing their livelihoods and some customers are accustomed to having a plant located very near to them.”
But, Hellyer continued, “On a macro scale our customers like our products and have been encouraging us to reduce cost and add value. This is a step in that direction. We can produce the same quality, provide the same service and deliver the same value with less real estate.”
With the Denver plant closing, Spring Air will operate nine company-owned bedding plants. In addition, there are three Spring Air licensees.
