Latex Foam Products’ And Louisville Bedding Company’s Strategic Alliance Focuses On Creating A Latex Category

Furniture World Magazine

Latex Foam Products (LFP), the world’s largest manufacturer of Talalay Latex Foam Pillows, today announced that its recently formed strategic alliance with Louisville Bedding Company, a leading manufacturer and reputable distributor of pillows and mattress pads, will result in significant collaborations in research, marketing and product development. Specifically it will enable the two companies to achieve three common goals, including: x Providing superior service to retailers x Increasing awareness and demand for Talalay Latex Foam Pillows at the consumer level. x Developing an improved category of exceptional latex foam pillow and mattress pad product With its respected reputation and distinctive record for superior customer service, Louisville Bedding Company devotes considerable attention to the service needs of its retail partners. The alliance with LFP will allow Louisville Bedding Company to increase the level of supply and service to retail customers by developing specific business plans and strategies, along with LFP, for each retailer. New Advertising, Marketing And Product Development The two companies have already developed new packaging for their existing Beautyrest™ and non-branded products, which will start shipping June 1 from LFP’s Shelton facility. The two companies are currently conducting extensive market research on a variety of market segments, and plan to develop a whole new category of latex foam products based on the findings. The new introductions are slated to be announced at October Market. Plans are also in the works for an educational marketing campaign focused on the benefits of sleeping on latex. Additional Alliance Background The alliance, effective this April, came about at a time when both companies were taking new approaches to growing in the latex foam pillow business, providing better service to retailers and creating a superior product category. "The fire that destroyed our production facility last May actually translated into a ‘clean slate’ opportunity for LFP the year that our facility was down. Once we made plans to rebuild our state-of-the-art new facility, we still had to rethink the way we marketed and distributed our pillow products. We were able to discover different distribution channels for our world class product, and found Louisville Bedding to be the best match," said Stephen Russo, President and CEO, Latex Foam Products. "We know that we will manufacture the finest quality Latex Foam Pillows in the world from our new facility. Joining our products with Louisville Bedding Company’s exceptional service reputation, industry expertise and commitment to the latex category represented a natural fit," he added. "Forming a strategic alliance with LFP fit perfectly with Louisville Bedding’s recently developed strategy of partnering exclusively with high-tech, high performance, high-end manufacturers. We were very impressed with LFP’s superior quality and the manufacturing capabilities their new facility will allow," said Lewis Rudy, President, Louisville Bedding Company. ABOUT LOUISVILLE BEDDING COMPANY For over one hundred years, Louisville Bedding Company has been a leader in the manufacture and distribution of coordinated home furnishings such as quilted mattress pads, pillows, table linens, chair pads and more. The company operates out of several facilities, located in Kentucky, California, Canada and showcases offerings at an exclusive product showroom in New York City. For information call 1-800-626-2594 or visit www.louisvillebedding.com. ABOUT LATEX FOAM PRODUCTS Founded over 25 years ago in Ansonia, CT, Latex Foam Products is North America’s only manufacturer of latex foam pillows, mattresses and cosmetic applicators. The company, now based in Shelton, CT, is a worldwide industry leader which develops products that are featured components in many key retail brands.For more information call 1-800-LATEX US or visit the company’s Web site at www.latexfoam.com.