Sleep Country USA Celebrates 20 Years

April 18, 2011  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on April 19, 2011

Mattress and bedding retailer Sleep Country USA celebrated 20 years in business on Tuesday.

Founded in 1991 by Sunny Kobe Cook and Bob Cook, Sleep Country USA opened with approximately eight stores and 25 employees. Now, the Seattle-based retailer has 75 stores and 350 employees in the Pacific Northwest.

In addition to a large selection of brand name mattresses, and well-trained, friendly staff, Sleep Country USA one of the Pacific Northwest's top philanthropic programs.

"We are very proud of our history of fulfilling a need for quality sleep products in a growing market and successfully engaging the community," said Sleep Country USA CEO Dale Carlsen. "We've created a brand that has become a household name with a jingle that nearly everyone can recite."

The company implemented an Employee Stock Ownership Plan in the fall of 2010, making Sleep Country USA one of very few employee-owned companies in the region. As a show of thanks for longtime customers' support, Sleep Country USA is holding a concert ticket giveaway on its Facebook page throughout the summer for shows at the newly named Sleep Country Amphitheater just outside Portland, Ore.

Sleep Country USA's anniversary also marks 20 years of giving back to their community; starting with donations of gently used mattresses to St. Vincent DePaul in the early years to the creation of its award-winning Sleep Country Foster Kids program in 2005. To date, the company's Foster Kids program has donated more than 350,000 important material items like shoes, coats, clothing, pajamas, school supplies, and gifts during the holidays, and over $500,000 in cash to its foster care organization partners throughout the Pacific Northwest.

"Sleep Country USA has become incredibly important to the cause, creating a long-term marketing commitment to raise awareness about the needs of foster children and urge action," said Janis Avery, executive director of Treehouse for Kids, a non-profit dedicated to foster children advocacy. "The company's approach and emphasis on positive, action-oriented messages is inviting and attainable for everyone, making the general public feel they can really make a difference. For us, the Sleep County Foster Kids program has translated into growth for our organization and a powerful impact on the lives of these children and their families."

During its anniversary celebration, Sleep Country USA is hosting its annual Pajama Drive for Foster Kids April 4-May 22 to obtain donations of new pajamas in all sizes.

"We're excited for the future of Sleep Country USA as we plan to expand throughout the Pacific Northwest and other regions," Carlsen said. "As an employee-owned company, we are focused on our employees, enhancing product selection, remarkable customer service, and increasing our impact on the community through our Foster Kids program."