Sealy Corporation, through its subsidiaries, is the largest bedding manufacturer in North America and produces a diversified line of mattress and foundation products. Sealy's conventional bedding products (mattresses and foundations) include the Sealy, Sealy Posturepedic and Sealy Posturepedic Luxury Collection. Sealy, as distinguished from most of its competitors, also manufactures many of the important component parts that are used inside the mattress. Sealy owns and operates a component-manufacturing subsidiary, with three plants that produce virtually all of the company's proprietary and patented mattress innerspring requirements and approximately half of its foundation components.Bedding Industry
According to industry sales data compiled by the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA), a bedding industry trade group, approximately 700 manufacturers of mattresses and box springs make up the domestic conventional bedding industry, generating wholesale revenues estimated at approximately $5.8 billion during calendar year 2004. Approximately two-thirds of bedding is sold through furniture stores and specialty sleep shops. Most of the remaining bedding is sold through department stores, mass merchandisers and membership clubs.
Retailers
Sealy sells its products through more than 7,000 retail outlets, which include furniture stores, national mass merchandisers, specialty sleep shops, department stores and warehouse clubs.
Manufacturing and Facilities
Sealy manufactures most bedding to order and has adopted "just in time" production techniques in its manufacturing process to more efficiently serve its dealers' and customers' needs. Most bedding orders are scheduled, produced and shipped to retail warehouses within 72 hours of receipt. This rapid delivery capability allows Sealy to better satisfy customer demand for prompt shipments. Sealy operates 31 plants, which manufacture bedding in 20 states, three Canadian provinces, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina, France, and Italy. Sealy operates a research and development center in High Point, North Carolina, with a staff that tests new materials and machinery, trains personnel, compares the quality of Sealy's products with those of its competitors and develops new products and processes.
