HOM Furniture announced that it is partnering with Cargill’s BiOH® polyols business in the Twin Cities to educate consumers about their mattress products made with BiOH brand polyols. BiOH polyols are soy-based ingredients designed to replace a portion of petroleum-based materials used in bedding foam and upholstered seat cushions. The HOM team will be equipped with training materials and resources to respond to customer interest in renewable and more sustainable products.
“HOM Furniture is proud to offer Serta mattresses that are made in part with renewable soy content,” said HOM President and CEO Rod Johansen. “The soy-based BiOH® ingredients used in our Serta mattresses are made from soybeans grown by American farmers and are environmentally friendly, so we can all help decrease dependence on non-renewable petroleum while leaving a smaller environmental footprint. With materials like soy-based foam, our products help our customers make a difference without sacrificing their comfort. As part of the Doing the Right Thing campaign at HOM, we’ll all feel better about improving our environment by making a more sustainable choice of mattresses.”
Cargill Biobased Polyurethanes President Yusuf Wazirzada added, “Research indicates that consumers are hungry for accurate information regarding environmental claims. They want to make fact-based purchase decisions and are skeptical of greenwashing. We want to provide retail partners with simple, understandable information to inform their customers about the benefits of soy foams with BiOH polyols.”
Renewable, soy-based BiOH polyols are purchased by foam manufacturers to replace a portion of the non-renewable petroleum polyols from which foams are traditionally made. The percentage of soy content depends on the type of foam and how it is manufactured. Over time, the goal is to replace a higher percentage of petroleum while still maintaining foam performance.
Serta mattresses sold through all HOM Furniture stores use soy-based foams with BiOH polyols. Now that the Serta mattresses with soy foam are widely available through HOM showrooms, there is a significant opportunity to educate mattress shoppers about the benefits of soy foams including energy savings, smaller carbon footprint, and reduced dependency on petroleum. HOM Furniture and Cargill’s BiOH polyols business are partnering on communications and events to promote the Serta products that are available at HOM.
About HOM Furniture: HOM ranks as one of the nation’s largest furniture retailers, serving customers in 13 showrooms throughout Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin. HOM Furniture has furniture stores in the greater Minneapolis and St. Paul area, including Plymouth, Lakeville, Roseville, Woodbury, Bloomington and Coon Rapids; with additional Minnesota showrooms in Hermantown/Duluth, Rochester and St. Cloud, as well as in Eau Claire, WI, Sioux City, IA, Fargo, ND, and Sioux Falls, SD. (www.homfurniture.com)
In 2008, HOM Furniture acquired and owns Gabberts Design Studio & Fine Furnishings. Gabberts is the region’s premier, high-end furniture retailer and one of the strongest furniture brand names in the country. Gabberts showroom also offers Serta mattresses made with environmentally-friendly soy-based BiOH brand polyols, and is located in the Galleria in Edina, MN.
About Cargill’s BiOH Polyols: Cargill’s BiOH® polyols business markets renewable-based products to manufacturers of polyurethane foam for use in home furnishings and other consumer products. Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 160,000 people in 67 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit www.cargill.com.