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BUSINESS
27 years later, Mattress Warehouse still growing
Herbie Holstein, store manager of the new Mattress Warehouse, poses for a portrait on Friday, Feb. 26, 2010, in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON -- People seem to know the value of a good mattress, Kim Knopf says. They seem to understand the importance of a good night's sleep, and to appreciate back health.
And so Mattress Warehouse has been plugging away and opening new stores, even in the recession. Its latest opened last week at 3505 U.S. 60 in Huntington. It's one of 85 stores throughout the region, including West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.
Mattress Warehouse was founded in 1983 in South Charleston, and it's had a store in Barboursville probably 25 years, said Knopf, president of Innovative Mattress Solutions, the service provider for Mattress Warehouse and Sleep Outfitters. It also has a store in South Point, Ohio, and Ashland.
But the Tri-State market seems to be strong enough for another store, she said.
"The drive-by traffic count was very desirable," she said. And "visually, it's very noticeable. I think it's 50,000 cars on that road per day.
"I think the second location gives us an opportunity to serve customers better. It's easy to pull in and out of that location. We'll have a good presence (in that area)."
She added that, as a company, Innovative Mattress Solutions has several employees from the Cabell County area, including three administrators who graduated from Marshall University: George Popping, vice president of merchandising; Andrew Bloomfield, vice president of operations; and Shawn Kaplan, vice president of human relations. It has about 300 employees overall, Knopf said.
The aim of the company is to carry the best brand names and most innovative products and give customers best selection while guaranteeing the lowest price, she said.
Brand names it offers include Sealy, Tempur-Pedic, Simmons and Serta.
"Trends would be in the memory foam, on an interspring mattress or memory foam totally," Knopf said. Putting mattress on an adjustable base foundation is another.
"We've broadened our assortment to carry different accessory items -- pillows, mattress pads," Knopf said. "We carry a broad assortment of the foundations as well.
"With our 85-store buying power, we can negotiate great values that we carry over to the consumer," she said. "We've always made a commitment to having a low overhead structure and giving best service to our customers."
It also has made a commitment to community service, she said, with a heavy focus on Habitat for Humanity, the YWCA and the breast cancer support organization Susan B. Komen for the Cure.
It's been a good 27 years for the company.
What has gotten it through this recession is a loyal customer base and customers' awareness of the health benefits of a good mattress, Knopf said.
"We grew quite bit during the recession. When you need a new mattress, you can put it off a little bit but it has an effect on your overall health and well being," she said.
