Mattress USA Buys Carolina Rustica

October 16, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Acquisition on October 17, 2012

Mattress USA has acquired upper-end furniture retailer Carolina Rustica of Concord, N.C.

The combined entities will continue under the Mattress USA organization and will operate three retail stores, two in Michigan as US-Mattress.com, and one in North Carolina under the Carolina Rustica name.

"As our business continues to grow in both the mattress and furniture retail segments, bringing Carolina Rustica into the fold is perfect because of their brand name recognition in high-end furniture and lighting, as well as their similar business model, running a brick-and-mortar retail operation in tandem with a very active Web site" said Joe Nashif, president and CEO of Mattress USA Inc.

With the merger, Carolina Rustica and Mattress USA will represent more than 200 manufacturers in mattresses, furniture, lighting, bedding and accessories. The company will continue to focus on promoting its best-selling brand names like Sealy, Simmons, Serta, Lexington Furniture, Stanley Furniture, and Bernhardt, while introducing consumers to up and coming brands not normally seen on e-commerce sites of their size.

"This was a perfect opportunity for us to capitalize on the experience and resources of a dynamic multi-channel merchant who shares our values. We had reached a point where our growth and expansion plans were actually being hindered by our own infrastructure," said Richard Sexton, who will remain on as president of Carolina Rustica. "By being part of this new organization, we can draw upon their considerable expertise in all aspects of operations, marketing and fulfillment. We will also be able to expand our overall furniture business by leveraging our mutual strengths in the furniture segment."

The company plans to expand the store at Carollina Rustica's Gibson Mill location in N.C., adding 8,000 square feet of retail space by year end. It is anticipated that the merged company will continue to hire at its Brighton, Mich., headquarters as a result of this merger and its own organic growth.