Eclipse International Recalls All 155 Employees & Resumes Full Production
Furniture World News Desk on
6/4/2020
Bedding manufacturer Eclipse International announced that it has recalled all its 155 employees at its flagship factory Bedding Industries of America and is operating at full tilt seven days a week to accommodate increased demand following retail shutdowns due to COVID-19. The company’s current focus is on producing a full line of roll-pack mattresses to accommodate an increase in orders being sold by its retailers through e-commerce sites.
“We spent the last several weeks working with our retailers to help them ramp up their omnichannel business. The strategy is hugely successful and actually puts us in a position where we have a backlog of orders,” said Stuart Carlitz, president and chief executive officer of Eclipse International. “Our employees are really excited to be back at work. We have taken extraordinary steps to not only assure them a safe work environment, but we are also focused on taking increased steps to assure the safety of the products we are sending out the door.”
Carlitz said retailers that have embraced the internet are better equipped to weather the economic turmoil caused by the required closures through their online platforms.
“As much of the country had moved toward staying at home, the uptick in online orders for new mattresses has been very apparent, and our customers that have developed an omnichannel approach are reaping the rewards,” he said.
“Today’s environment requires an online component, and the pandemic has expedited the move to online for retailers that had not yet added online shopping carts. During the last couple of months, consumers have flocked online to buy everything from common household goods to big ticket items like consumer electronics and mattresses. This shift is here to stay and will continue to grow,” he added.
The company, which furloughed 20 percent of its employees when its home state of New Jersey issued a stay-at-home order in March, has been ramping back up over the last month. The New Jersey plant was able to remain open, and with its slightly smaller staff, was one of the first companies in the nation to convert production over to make medical masks. Eclipse International was able to produce 45,000 masks in the first few weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic and donated to local hospitals and first responders. The company is still manufacturing masks.
Carlitz encouraged brick and mortar retailers to look for other innovative ways to keep their businesses open and to drive traffic, even going as far as selling masks, uniforms and other personal protective equipment for consumers, first responders and healthcare professionals.
“The extraordinary times we are living in require extraordinary innovation to keep your businesses open, your staff employed and to be a local business with purpose. In some communities, this may mean you need a formal waiver from government authorities to sell these types of goods, but it is certainly worth it today,” he added.
About Eclipse International: North Brunswick, New Jersey-based Eclipse International has been making mattresses since 1866. Known for its design innovation in creating advanced sleep products, the company has an extensive global licensing network that distributes mattresses under six brands – Eclipse, Eastman House, Ernest Hemingway, Pure Talalay Bliss, Velika and BIA. A well-established leader in the bedding industry, Eclipse designs products crafted with high quality components, including latex, memory foam, gel and eco-friendly materials. The company holds several patents that deliver superb support throughout the product line. Today, the company has 77 licensees worldwide. For additional information, visit www.EclipseMattress.com.