Specialty sleep manufacturer Durable Products Company (DPC) announced that the unique flat-seal packaging technology it has been perfecting over the past decade has resulted in a 99.9% recovery rate for 2009.
A study of the company’s 2009 sales of EcoSleep products showed a near-zero return rate which DPC attributed to a heavily researched combination of packaging quality and domestically sourced materials. The company developed the EcoSleep line in conjunction with the technology, aiming to eliminate a number of issues commonly found with traditional packaging methods.
“We took a decade long, logistics-backward approach to developing our EcoSleep line and found we could reinvent the traditional torque-compressed approach used by the majority of our competitors to eliminate strain on the product, damages, returns and unhappy customers,” said DPC vice president of sales, Mike Schweiger. “We searched the globe for our compression system and engineered the comfort and support layers to work with it.”
Working with “solution first, product second,” DPC addressed two common issues associated with torque-compressed and rolled systems that are widely used in the industry – breaks and “soft spots” in the softer layers foam and products not recovering fully.
DPC’s flat-seal technology requires special equipment to compress the mattress to a uniform density before sealing and rolling. When compared to traditional torque compression and vacuum-sealing systems, this system consistently preserved the structural integrity of the whole mattress without creating undue stress on the mattress components. Mattresses completely recovered to their original shape and size quickly and without defect.
Each EcoSleep component was designed to work with the technology. For example, its Acella-Flex support foam has thicker cell walls than conventional foams to give it the
appropriate resilience. Tickings included durable fabrics such as TENCEL, a fiber made from the pulp of sustainable eucalyptus trees, which resists wrinkling and creasing.
“As an OEM provider, this is all about meeting our customers’ needs to deliver unsurpassed quality, durability and comfort on a consistent basis. Our retailers can expect a product that recovers faster and more fully, fewer customer returns and fewer damages caused by the packaging process,” said Schweiger.
He added, “Because we make all of our products to order in Wisconsin, customers get their mattresses within three to five days versus waiting three to five months for a container to arrive from overseas. That’s a huge benefit to a retailer who doesn’t have to stock inventory or run the risk of having product sit in vacuum-packed film for too long.”
Unlike other vacuum seal methods, which cause air to rush through the foam in its weakest point, straining the less dense areas of the foam core, DPC’s flat-seal system shrinks the foam evenly resulting in a uniform density for the whole surface. This minimizes the stress which would often result in breaks or “soft spots” in the less dense foam layers.
Comprised of castor oil and recycled foam polymers, EcoSleep’s odorless patented foams emit no scent during the mattress’ recovery process in the consumer’s home. In manufacturing the foams, EcoSleep goes beyond meeting the strict guidelines enforced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by using a carbon-activated air filtration system to further protect the environment.
EcoSleep will present its full collection at the High Point Market from April 17-22, 2010 in the IHFC building, space M-610 including their latest model, the Cool-Contour Deluxe with TENCEL ticking. The line carries a retail price range of $799 to $1,499 in queen.
Founded in 2002, by industry veteran and industry entrepreneur, Dave R. Young, DPC LLC, offers a complete line up of visco, latex, air and spring mattresses for OEM and private label, and also develops and markets its own brands including EcoSleep environmentally-friendly mattresses and the luxurious Everloft pillows.