by Former Corsicana regional director Riley named Compass CEO
WOBURN, Mass. — Top 20 U.S. bedding maker Spring Air International has signed a licensing deal with Compass Bedding Products for the state of Florida, closing an important gap in Spring Air’s nationwide footprint, it said.
Three states — Colorado, New Mexico and Kansas — now remain, with one dozen licensees serving the country from coast to coast.
“To achieve the incredible sales goals that we’ve set for ourselves, there has never been any question that we must achieve 100 percent national visibility,” Spring Air President Nick Bates said in a release. “Florida has long been a critical piece of the puzzle for us, with its huge population and premier retail chains. It is a market where we have not had an in-state licensee for almost five years. With this agreement, we are positioned exactly where we need to be with a brand-new facility outfitted with top-notch equipment and an all-new, high-powered sales team.”
Located in Tallahassee, Florida, Compass Bedding Products is an arm of Twin Oaks Facilities International, a group of synergistic manufacturing businesses led by John McEachern, president. This is the company’s first licensing deal.
“The partnership between Compass Bedding and Spring Air is a natural fit for our business model which includes our own trucking company and warehousing in addition to state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities,” McEachern said.
McEachern said bedding industry veteran Ricky Riley will lead Compass as CEO. Riley formerly was as a regional director for Corsicana, managing five plants on the East Coast, and as a vice president of operations for Capital Bedding based in Tupelo, Mississippi, in addition to his most recent post at MD Mattress in Ennis, Texas. Production at the new company is expected to begin on Aug. 1. Spring Air will be Compass Bedding’s sole brand.
“With the Spring Air label behind them, this new team will be able to create the go-to-market strategy necessary to get in front of all of the State’s retailers,” Bates said. “This is a group of executives that is hungry and looking to grow, and that is exactly what we look for in awarding any license.”
