Verlo Mattress Factory Stores Re-open After Tornado Hits

Furniture World Magazine

On the evening of March 12, a tornado swept through the Verlo Mattress Factory Stores (VMFS) of Springfield leaving shattered windows and headboards that looked like they were sandblasted. Water damage and other interior damage were left in the wake of this tornado, whose ground action was a mere five minutes. Amazingly, a stack of paper invoices left by the computer was left unscathed. Some of the worst hit buildings were commercial structures on Springfield’s southwest side, and Verlo was one of them. For the past 11 years, VMFS owners Rich and Diana Keitzman and their children, Anna Phillips and Caleb Keitzman, have brought the business of comfort to the Springfield community, but for the past four weeks the Keitzmans have sought comfort on their own. The tornado’s arrival coincided with Verlo’s biggest promotion of the year, March’s Mismatch Sale. “March’s Mismatch promotion is our biggest annual sale for customers to take advantage of our need to make room for new spring models,” Rich said. “Our customers look forward to Mismatch all year. And so do we!” Despite the setback, the Keitzmans have found the silver lining. The fruits of their labor have blossomed … the brand-new showroom opened for business Saturday, April 8 at 9 a.m. And … the Mismatch promotion will resume and continue throughout April. “Damage from the tornado triggered us to update our store according to 2010 standards,” Rich said. “As long as we had to repaint and rebuild, we thought we might as well prep it for the upcoming standard change.” Customers can expect the same high-quality custom-crafted sleep products situated in a beautiful new showroom. Rich said he is very aware of how fortunate he is to be able to reopen. Although the death toll in the Springfield area was zero, property damage from the storm cell was estimated at $100 million. From the March 16 audit, the city had logged 1,741 damaged buildings, including homes, churches, and commercial and industrial buildings. A significant subset of these buildings were total losses. “We know we’re not the only ones in the community who have suffered from the tornado,” Rich said. “We’re grateful no one was hurt. We’re also indebted to this community for all of the support provided to us over the past month.” For more information about VMFS of Springfield, please call 217.787.2125 or stop by 3308 Robbins Road, Springfield. About Verlo Mattress Factory Stores Headquartered in Whitewater, Wisconsin, Verlo Mattress Factory Stores is the nation’s largest Craftsman-Direct® mattress retailer, providing specialty sleep products directly to customers. The Verlo Mattress Factory Stores Craftsman-Direct philosophy is a unique concept in the industry. Mattresses are handcrafted to customer’s specifications. In addition to mattresses, Verlo Mattress Factory Stores also sell a wide range of futon sofa sleepers and futon sofa sleeper mattresses. Customers will also find quality ornamental headboards, pillows and mattress pads. Founded in 1958, Verlo Mattress Factory Stores currently has nearly 70 locations throughout the United States. The Company opened its first franchise organization in 1981. For more information, visit www.verlo.com.