Southerland Signs Licensee in South Korea

October 8, 2019  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry   

Doctor Jon Inc. will warehouse and sell U.S.-made Southerland sleep sets to retailers throughout the country, marking the first time any Southerland brand has been sold by an authorized dealer in South Korea.

“This is an important milestone for us as we focus on driving growth and expanding the reach of our brands internationally,” said Bryan Smith, president and chief executive officer of Southerland. “American brands are very desirable throughout Asia, and middle-class consumers are willing to pay a premium for them, especially when they’re actually made in America.”

The licensing agreement covers the company’s Southerland, Evolution and American Sleep brands, and the distributor will focus on upper-end products. Smith said a number of U.S. mattress brands currently are sold in Korea, but he believes Southerland’s products are one of the few U.S. brands in the market whose mattresses are produced in the U.S.

Southerland, which launched its international licensing effort in January, will make products for the Korean distributor at its Phoenix, Arizona, factory. The licensee owns a network of distribution centers and cross-docking facilities in Korea and will leverage that expertise to get the products to retailers in the most cost-efficient manner, Smith explained.

Southerland does not have domestic licensees, and the new international program, introduced earlier this year, is the first licensing effort in the company’s 126-year history. It is led by Jim Nation, a 40-year mattress industry veteran who is Southerland’s executive vice president of national accounts and international licensing.