Spring Air Company

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This article is about the mattress company. For the airline, see Spring Airlines.

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 HIG 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] Merger with Consolidated Bedding

The Spring Air Company has merged with Consolidated Bedding, Inc. of Tampa, FL, Spring Air's largest licensee and simultaneously acquired six other Spring Air licensees operating eight mattress manufacturing facilities in the United States. The unified Company will employ 1,150 employees in 14 locations,including its headquarters facility that will remain in the Chicago area. The merger will solidify Spring Air's position as the leading value "S" brand on every retail floor. The acquired manufacturing facilities are in: Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Chelsea, MA (Boston); Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; St. Louis, MO; Salt Lake City, UT; and Lacey, WA (Seattle). They will join Consolidated Bedding’s existing facilities in: Columbus, OH; Carrollton, TX (Dallas); City of Industry, CA (Los Angeles); New Brunswick, NJ; and Tampa, FL.

H.I.G. Capital LLC, a leading global private equity investment firm with more than $4 billion of equity capital under management, provided the equity funding for the transaction. H.I.G. began a relationship with Spring Air in 2005 when it funded the merger of American Bedding Industries and Spring Air Partners, the two largest Spring Air licensees.

[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