Mattress Firm Founder Returns to Bedding Retailer

January 28, 2010  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on January 29, 2010 Houston-based Mattress Firm has brought back its founder and one of the original owners to spearhead the retailer's new franchise program.

Harry Roberts, the founder, and his brother Charlie Roberts, who joined the company shortly after it was founded, left the company about 10 years ago. Now they are back and, in addition to managing the company's franchise program, plan to open a Mattress Firm franchise operation together.

€œWe are extremely excited to welcome Harry and Charlie back into the Mattress Firm fold,€ said Gary Fazio, CEO of Mattress Firm. €œThe Roberts brothers are well known in the industry and have a tremendous amount of experience in driving growth through franchising. I am confident that their experience, combined with a unique understanding of the Mattress Firm brand, will make them extremely valuable assets to our franchise development team.€

The franchise development team at Mattress Firm also includes another early Mattress Firm partner who has recently returned. Philip Busker was one of Mattress Firm€™s first franchisees. Later, Busker formed Mattress Pro, a 36-location mattress retailer that was acquired by Mattress Firm in 2007. After rejoining Mattress Firm following the acquisition, Busker was named national director of franchise development, and he joined Jason Goodman, manager of franchising for Mattress Firm, to begin a revival of the company€™s franchise model.

The result is a complete turnkey package offering assistance with everything from operations to sales to store design to assist franchisees as they work to build market leadership. The franchise package also includes systems, distribution and marketing strategies to support partners. While the opportunity to return to the company they helped create was appealing, the Robertses said it was the chance to help spearhead the accelerated re-launch of the franchise program that was truly exciting.

€œWhen Charlie and I sat down to discuss what we wanted to do next, we had plenty of opportunities to consider,€ Harry Roberts said. €œBut Mattress Firm offered us something unique, the opportunity to help others become entrepreneurs through the franchise program, which is something that is a great passion for both of us, while also helping grow a company which is near and dear to our hearts; it was an opportunity that we just couldn€™t pass up.€ 

€œFranchisees are typically pretty much left to their own devices, with only minimal support from the corporate office, but with the Mattress Firm model, nothing could be further from the truth,€ added Charlie Roberts. €œIn fact, Mattress Firm€™s franchising program is one of the most comprehensive programs I have seen, offering an incredible amount of support for franchises. I am especially excited about the new satellite franchise model which offers potential franchisees an affordable option and even greater level of support as they set out to build their own business.€

Since renewing its focus on franchising as a growth opportunity and introducing a new franchise model, Mattress Firm has signed three new franchisees. The first, based in Hilton Head, SC, has recently announced plans to expand into the Savannah, Ga., market. The second started in Chattanooga, Tenn., and has expanded into Knoxville, Tenn., and is exploring additional territories for future growth. The newest franchisee, Chuck Dawson, a former senior executive at Sealy, signed a deal to develop the Milwaukee and Madison, Wis. markets with plans to open multiple stores this year.  Dawson€™s first store is scheduled to open Feb. 1. 

The satellite franchise program is a new concept from Mattress Firm. Satellite franchisees will have the opportunity to open new stores within a close proximity of the current corporate-owned markets.   These locations will be within 100 miles of a Mattress Firm core market, too far to be effectively managed by the corporate office, but still close enough to receive significant support from corporate marketing efforts and distribution.

Mattress Firm, founded in 1986, has more than 500 stores in 38 markets.