Sleepyhead Celebrates 75th Anniversary

14 October 2010
News release

Iconic Kiwi Bed Manufacturer Sleepyhead Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Today, (Thursday 14 October), New Zealand’s bed maker, Sleepyhead, will celebrate its 75th anniversary. To honour this rare milestone the Prime Minister John Key will join Sleepyhead’s owners, Craig and Graeme Turner, along with their families and staff at an event at the company’s Otahuhu headquarters in Auckland at 3:00pm this afternoon.
Over the last 75 years Sleepyhead has made millions of beds and in doing so provided a great night's sleep for New Zealanders of all ages, shapes and sizes.

Sleepyhead Director, Craig Tuner said “It’s unique for a New Zealand business to achieve 75 years, even more so to still be 100% New Zealand owned and operated by the same family. Sleepyhead has shown how New Zealand firms must make use of R&D to take greater advantage of market opportunities. We are passionate about manufacturing in New Zealand and are an example of a great kiwi company that’s dedicated to continually innovating to create world-leading products in New Zealand. By doing that Sleepyhead is providing much-needed manufacturing jobs for New Zealand.”

Craig Turner attributes Sleepyhead’s success to the continuity of family ownership, accumulation of knowledge and expertise, along with the company’s dedication to innovation.

The company’s constant research and development has produced several ‘world firsts’ such as Sensorzone and the environmentally friendlier foam product, DreamFoam® for which it recently won the government Green Ribbon Award for improving New Zealand’s air quality through its multi-million investment in leading edge technology.

“We like to think we’re celebrating being 75 years young. We have the fourth generation of Turner family now working in the business and at the heart of everything we do is our pride in being an innovative company that is relentless in the pursuit of a fantastic night sleep. The jokes often made that if you cut open our hearts you’ll find a spring inside”, says Turner.

Brothers Craig and Graeme Turner are the third generation of Turners to run Sleepyhead – following on from father Bert, Uncle Roy and Grandfather Sidney, who saw the potential of a business run out of a small factory shed in Auckland 75 years ago.

Sidney Turner was an electrician by trade but saw an opportunity when Arthur Mudd, who had a business making natural seed fibre (kapok) mattresses, was unable to pay his bills. Sidney took a half share in the business, and Sidney’s sons Roy and Bert also joined the business and later bought the remaining 50 per cent from Arthur Mudd.

In 1979 Graeme and Craig bought out their Uncle Roy’s share and have jointly owned and managed the business since.

Today, the company is widely regarded as the world’s most innovative bedding manufacturer with over 500 staff producing over 300,000 pieces of bedding each year.

While many New Zealand companies have chosen to move their manufacturing off shore, Sleepyhead says it’s committed to manufacturing in New Zealand and having every component of its beds being 100% New Zealand-made.

The company is also focussed on sustainability and recycling throughout the manufacturing process with all foam off cuts created through the manufacturing of foam and bedding products being 100% recycled on site into carpet underlay. The company is also currently investigating how to recycle mattresses so that the steel can be extracted, melted down and reused instead of going to landfills.

Sleepyhead expanded into Australia in 1995 and is the largest privately owned mattress, foam and carpet manufacturer in Australasia.
Sleepyhead Key Facts:
Largest privately owned mattress, foam and carpet underlay manufacturer in Australasia
Owned by the Turner family since 1935
Five manufacturing and support facilities across New Zealand and Australia - Auckland, Christchurch (which is the only latex manufacturing plant in Australasia), Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.
Sleepyhead New Zealand made approximately 300,000 pieces in the past year. 160,000 were made by Sleepyhead Australia.
Sleepyhead has a 98% brand recall amongst New Zealanders.
ENDS

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