Eclipse Signs Record 19 New Licensing Agreements in 2018

January 15, 2019  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry   

The record-setting year resulted in the largest annual growth in the history of the company. 

“Our portfolio includes brands that are some of the oldest and most prestigious in the mattress industry,” said Stuart Carlitz, CEO. “Other licensing groups are out there with one or two brands, but we have seven that we’re licensing in the United States and overseas, and that gives us a distinct advantage.”           

In addition to the Eclipse brand, the lineup includes Eastman House, Ernest Hemingway, Van Vorst, Velika, BIA, and Pure Talalay Bliss.

Carlitz said the brands continue to gain traction in the U.S. as retailers look to premium brands with healthier margins and limited distribution. In addition, many are looking to replace imports with strong product offerings from low-cost producers not impacted by tariffs recently placed on Chinese-made mattresses or potential anti-dumping duties. Internationally, demand remains strong for American brands because of the high quality and prestige associated with them.

“Last year was an incredible year for us, and 2019 has the potential to be as good or even better than past years as our portfolio of brands continues to gain momentum,” Carlitz added. “We’re already in talks with more potential licensees, and we anticipate adding several new partners in the coming months.”

He said one of the hottest brands in the portfolio is Pure Talalay Bliss, a latex-bedding line that Eclipse produces under a partnership with Talalay-latex supplier Talalay Global. Eclipse began producing the high-end line in September, and demand is growing as interest in luxury bedding continues to increase.

A highlight of the company’s expansion overseas is its alliance with EcoSleep, an Athens, Greece, company that now has the rights to produce, market and sell the Eclipse brand in 10 European countries, including Cyprus, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia.

“The partnership with Eclipse International added an American brand to our portfolio, which we needed to help grow our footprint,” said Gerogios Bairaktaris, president and CEO of EcoSleep, “We wanted to partner with a company that has a history of success, and Eclipse has that solid track record.”

Other international licensing agreements added last year were with Dubai-based Three Stars Foam (Eastman House); Turkey-based Iskeceli Kancpe (Eclipse); Thailand-based Sleep Wealth (Eastman House); Canada-based Restwell Sleep Products (Eclipse and Eastman House); and two China-based companies, Huasheng Home Furnishings (Ernest Hemingway); and Shenzhen Meiting (Eclipse permanent agreement.)

Domestically, Salt Lake City-based Uinta Mattress signed three licensing agreements for the Eclipse, Eastman House and Pure Talalay Bliss brands. In addition to Uinta, eight other companies signed licensing agreements to produce and market the Pure Talalay Bliss brand. Those companies are: Bedding Industries of America, Paramount Sleep, Heritage Sleep, Biscayne Mattress, Sanitary Mattress/Sleep Designs, Illinois Sleep, Pleasant Mattress and Everton Mattress.