Retail Re-Opening Leading Southerland to Add 10% to Workforce

Furniture World News Desk on 6/24/2020

As sleep shops and furniture retailers around the country re-open, independent sleep products manufacturer Southerland reports it is looking to add 10 percent to its workforce at all its facilities to keep up with demand.

The manufacturer is looking to expand its customer service, shipping and quality control departments, as well as increase production staffing, supervisory positions and truck drivers for Southerland Transport, its wholly owned trucking division.

“The bedding industry is on the rebound as the country re-opens from the standstill brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re experiencing that activity firsthand across all of our factories, and we need more staff to keep up with demand,” said Bryan Smith, president and chief executive officer of Southerland.

Smith attributes much of the jump in business to an increased appetite for domestic-made products bolstered by supply chain disruption both in part to COVID and because of the ongoing anti-dumping investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce concerning imports of mattress from seven countries, including China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.

“Our retail partners are making a conscious decision to pivot toward American-made sleep products in concert with demand from their consumers who are increasingly concerned with where mattresses and other household goods are manufactured,” Smith said. “There’s a sense of security and patriotism in knowing that a major purchase is crafted by American workers in an American factory.”

About Southerland: Southerland has been making quality mattresses in the U.S. since 1893. Using only best-in-class materials and components, Southerland currently sells its line of mattresses and adjustable bases throughout 43 states. By implementing its stringent quality assurance program, Southerland manufactures mattresses that are backed by the company’s “making it right” philosophy that stands behind every product delivered. Each of its products is delivered to retailers via its wholly-owned transportation company. The company’s six production and distribution facilities in Nashville, Tennessee; Phoenix, Arizona; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Tualatin, Oregon, total more than 470,000 square feet.