Anatomic Global said today that Tempur-Pedic CEO Rick Anderson’s resignation as chairman of the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) shows “a chink in the armor” of the company’s recent lawsuit, and that the suit is backfiring against the retailer in the “court of public opinion.”
“The industry has spoken loudly and clearly in saying we have had enough of Temper-Pedic’s antics, and as a result, the pressure for Anderson to remain ISPA chairman was too great. He saw he couldn’t lead the industry because over the last several weeks the court of public opinion in the mattress industry found the company ‘guilty’ and said enough is enough,” said Anatomic CEO David Farley.
He said that over the last several weeks between numerous blogs posts on trade publication websites and three ISPA member companies resigning their support of the organization --two of whom were large supporters—that the industry was finally beginning to coalesce against Temper-Pedic and its ill-founded “market clearing” effort.
But Farley cautioned that even though Anderson’s removal as chairman was a step in the right direction, it was still unconscionable to keep him on the ISPA board and even to allow Temper-Pedic to remain a member of the organization when they were in violation of at least three points in the group’s ethics code.
“If you have an ethics code you have to enforce it. Allowing Anderson to have a voice in industry decisions and the company to still benefit from industry programs and services when it is considered a rogue, still shows a tremendous lack of leadership within ISPA,” said Farley.
“I would strongly urge the incoming chairman to look into this matter and the enforcement of the ethics code in general, as a first priority of his new administration. Until that is done, we will not be reinstating our membership,” he added. “Rectifying this breach will still require Tempur-Pedic leaving ISPA or the withdrawal of their lawsuit.”
Anatomic Global maintains that ISPA officers and staffers have violated three main points of the organization’s Code of Ethics:
Point Two of the Code says that member companies will cooperate in every reasonable and lawful manner with the other members of our industry for the betterment of the mattress industry;
Point Three maintains that member companies won’t do anything that might cause the industry adverse notoriety or bring it into disrepute; and
Point Five says that member companies will compete with other mattress manufacturers on an honorable and fair basis.
Founded in 1989, Anatomic Global, Inc. manufactures and supplies “proudly made in the USA” environmentally-friendly mattresses and bedding. The company upholds a 360-degree green manufacturing commitment in three ways – by developing applications for its innovative and sustainable plant-based formulas; by leading the industry with its zero-air emissions manufacturing process; and by applying the most efficient direct-to-store and consumer-direct delivery methods for a reduced carbon footprint.
In 2008, the company launched the Ecomfort Mattress brand of mattresses featuring its signature, patented EcoMemoryFoam™ extreme open-cell plant-based memory foam. For more information, visit www.ecomfortmattress.com.