Spring Air Company

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spring Air Company is a mattress company based in the United States. It was founded in 1926 when Francis Karr patented a mattress design with free-end coils. Because of the heavy weight, high transportation costs, and low value per unit weight of mattresses, they are often manufactured locally. The company is thus a licensing organization, with local licensees manufacturing the mattresses under a common name for national marketing. Like a cooperative, the licensees own the Spring Air name.

As of 2006, it is the fourth largest US brand of mattresses (behind Sealy, Serta, and Simmons). It is based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

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[edit] Licensees

Many of its licensees were acquired by Spring Air Partners - North America (SAPNA) (formed by Kenmare Capital and Pouschine Cook), which acquired licensees based in North Arlington, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1999. Later licensees were acquired in Los Angeles, California, Eastern Canada, and Dallas, Texas, and the business was consolidated. SAPNA entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2004, and exited in September 2004. In bankruptcy, it was acquired by H.I.G Capital, which merged Spring Air Partners - North America with ABI Enterprises, another licensee to form Consolidated Bedding, Inc. Based in Tampa, Florida, the company also makes Chattam and Wells and Nature's Rest brand mattresses.

[edit] Current lines

  • Back Supporter
  • ComfortFlex
  • Four Seasons
  • Posture Comfort
  • Sleep Fitness

[edit] External links

[edit] References

Major North American mattress manufacturers

Comfortaire - Dorel - King Koil - Restonic - Sealy - Select Comfort - Serta - Simmons - Spring Air - Tempur-Pedic - Therm-a-Rest - Leggett & Platt