Mlily Picks up Domestic Mattress Production at New SC Factory

September 11, 2019  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry   

With most of the coil-making equipment and other production machinery in place, the company will continue to ramp up production ahead of the fall installation of its foam pouring equipment.

Mlily will add four production lines by the end of the year, and will hire at least 20 new workers by the end of September as production increases. The new hires will boost total employment to approximately 60.

The foam pouring equipment, scheduled to be in operation by late November, is the last major piece of machinery needed for the factory to be fully vertical and operational. At that point, the factory will produce all of the proprietary memory foam and other foams used in its mattresses.

“Our vertical set up will give us a distinct competitive advantage and allow us to react quickly to changes in the marketplace,” said James Ni, chairman and chief executive officer of Healthcare Co., the parent company of Mlily USA. “The first products coming out of the factory already have been well received by our dealers, and the excitement is building among our team members as we get closer to the point where we start pouring our own foam.”

Mlily’s plant in Serbia currently supplies the South Carolina facility with its proprietary foam, while mattress covers and some other components are being purchased from a variety of domestic and offshore suppliers.

The 650,000-square-foot factory is expected to employ about 250 people on two shifts once it is fully operational.

All of the mattresses from the new factory are roll-packed, including the new Ego, a luxury hybrid model retailing for about $3,999 that was successfully launched in July at the Las Vegas Market. The Ego features bamboo charcoal memory foam to regulate moisture, odor and temperature for a cooler, more comfortable sleep, and also employs Mlily’s AirCell foam to help facilitate air flow throughout the mattress.