Protect-A-Bed's new Illinois headquarters leaves room for growth
Company opens 220,000-square-foot warehouse, offices in Wheeling
David Perry -- Furniture Today, December 5, 2011
 James Bell, left, and Clive Goldin stand in front of a mural in the company’s new headquarters that features pictures of all of Protect-A-Bed’s employees. |
 Protect-A-Bed says its new, larger headquarters in Wheeling, Ill., will help the company handle its growing business. |
 Clive Goldin, left, and James Bell, right, both of Protect-A-Bed, accept a glass sculpture presented to the company by Mattress Firm CEO Steve Stagner and his wife, Kelly. Protect-A-Bed is a supplier to Houston-based Mattress Firm. |
WHEELING, Ill. — Fast-growing Protect-A-Bed continues to expand its operations with the opening of a 220,000-square-foot U.S. headquarters and warehouse here. It is the sixth headquarters facility, each larger than the previous, in the company's decade-old growth story.
A crowd of almost 300 well-wishers, including retailers, producers and suppliers, attended a gala celebration at the facility in this Chicago suburb.
Addressing the attendees, CEO James Bell said the mattress and pillow protection supplier aims to educate consumers around the world that "every mattress needs protection." That is the company's tag line.
The state-of-the-art facility includes 20,000 square feet of office space and 200,000 square feet of warehouse, which features high-tech inventory tracking and shipping technology.
It was just three years ago that Protect-A-Bed celebrated the opening of a 31,000-square-foot headquarters and warehouse in nearby Northbrook, Ill. The new facility gives the company the space to service its growing dealer base for years to come, Bell said.
"Our company is quickly expanding so we are moving to a much larger space to accommodate our growing customer needs," he said. "Protect-A-Bed is on track to grow 35% over last year. Our new facility will help perpetuate our continual growth pattern and poise us for accelerated growth."
He said the new headquarters will enable a quicker turnaround time for processing orders and will help the privately held company grow to four or five times its current size. The company does not disclose it sales.
Protect-A-Bed will be able to ship to retailers in most of the country in two days, with shipments going out the same day for orders received by 2 p.m., Bell said. The goal, he said, is to ship everything the same day the order is received. Computer-controlled systems ensure rapid processing of orders and quick shipments of products, officials said.
Business partners from Australia, the United Kingdom, Spain and China were among those in attendance at the grand opening festivities. Protect-A-Bed distributes its products in 30 countries.
 Roger Magowitz, center, of Houston-based Mattress Firm tries on a pest control helmet at the Protect-A-Bed event. He was joined by Steve and Kelly Stagner of Mattress Firm. |
 Glenn Haneberg, center, of Back to Bed, Itasca, Ill., was joined at the opening of the new Protect-A-Bed headquarters by Protect-A-Bed executives Larry McKay, left, Alan Eisenberg and Kyle Borreggine, and by Therapedic President Gerry Borreggine. |
 Racks hold boxes of Protect-A-Bed mattress and pillow protectors ready for shipment to retailers across the country. |
Protect-A-Bed was founded more than 30 years ago in South Africa by entrepreneur David Kaplan, who is non-executive chairman of the board. He attended the event, saying that his early dreams for the company have become a reality and thanking the attendees for helping make that happen.
Also in attendance was company President Clive Goldin, the former South African businessman who launched Protect-A-Bed in the U.S. and has more than 30 years of experience in sales and distribution work.
The company touts a better sleep message with its various product lines, designed to create a dry, hygienic, bed bug free and anti-allergy "Healthy Sleep Zone" that also protects the mattress warranty. Protect-A-Bed products are listed as Class 1 medical devices with the Food and Drug Administration and have received the Good Housekeeping Seal.
Protect-A-Bed maintains a sales office in Philadelphia, where the brand was launched in the U.S., and product showrooms in Las Vegas and New York in addition to a showroom at the new Wheeling headquarters.
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