ISPA Announces Prestigious Bedding Industry Award Recipients

Furniture World Magazine

Joseph Carman, president of Spring Air West, and the late Andrea Herman, former vice president of communications for the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) and former director of the Better Sleep Council (BSC), were honored with awards for outstanding service today at the ISPA EXPO 2004 Industry Breakfast Meeting in Indianapolis, IN. The Russell L. Abolt Exceptional Service Award was presented to Carman, who had been nominated by his peers for having exemplified the highest level of career devotion to the well-being and betterment of the bedding industry. His extraordinary leadership within the industry included two consecutive terms as ISPA’s board chairman and seven years as an ISPA Board member. Carman held virtually every committee chairmanship available through the association during the span of his career and most recently served as chairman of ISPA’s Strategic Planning Committee. Richard Diamonstein, executive vice president of King Koil Mid-Atlantic and past chairman of ISPA’s board of Trustees, said that Carman embodies all the attributes associated with the award, including personal integrity, dedication to service and devotion to duty, and perseverance within the community, industry, trade association, and business. “The direction, guidance and leadership Joe provided in roles such as Strategic Planning Committee chairman have been invaluable to the association and, ultimately, to all ISPA members,” Diamonstein noted. The Robert MacMorran Memorial Award was presented posthumously to Herman, who spearheaded the BSC consumer awareness program, managed many of the industry’s consumer outreach efforts, and facilitated the launch of Sleep Savvy magazine prior to her death in September 2002 of leukemia. The award, given by the ISPA Suppliers Council to recognize outstanding service to the mattress industry and presented in memory of industry leader Robert MacMorran, recognized Herman’s unwavering regard for others and untiring dedication and was accepted by her family. “Andrea embodied ISPA’s mission and had extraordinarily high standards in working to accomplish it,” said Gerry Borreggine of Therapedic International, who is BSC chairman and immediate past recipient of the same award. “She approached her plans strategically, and she made all of her decisions for the good of the organization. Andrea took pride in her profession, and most importantly, she enjoyed what she did.” Established in 1915, the International Sleep Products Association, www.sleepproducts.org, is the trade organization for mattress manufacturers and their component suppliers around the world. ISPA hosts the biennial ISPA EXPO trade show, ISPA’s annual Industry Conference, and publishes BedTimes and Sleep Savvy magazines.