Jay Stolfi Elected to Board of National Sleep Safety Organization

Furniture World Magazine

Jay Stolfi, President of Rose Mill Co. in East Hartford, CT, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Cotton Batting Institute (NCBI). The NCBI and its members have successfully worked with government agencies in California and Washington, D.C., to establish new standards regarding the manufacturing of sleep products to better withstand exposure to direct flames. The NCBI represents U.S. companies that manufacture and sell batting for use in mattresses, futons, home furnishings, sleep products, and upholstered products. Stolfi, a resident of Burlington, CT, and graduate of the University of Connecticut, has been working with the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), The California Consumer Product Safety Commission (CaCPSC) and other state and federal agencies to establish a national mattress flammability standard. “It is important for manufacturers to continually improve the safety of their products,” states Stolfi, adding that “nothing can be more important than safety inside your own home.” Current federal standards use a lighted cigarette as the ignition source when testing products for flammability. These standards were established in the 1970’s in response to the death and injuries caused by bedroom fires ignited by smoldering cigarettes. Recent research by sleep industry and government sources suggests that increased resistance to open flames (such as candles, matches, etc.) would greatly improve the safety of today’s sleep products. California initiated a flammability standard (TB 603) earlier this year that requires all mattresses, box springs, futons, and similar mattress-like sleep products sold in the State of California to pass an open flame test standard. “Sleep product manufacturers have invested a tremendous amount of resources to produce a safer product” according to Stolfi, “and I’m proud to be a part of this effort.” “NCBI officers and board members are active in working for these new standards,” said Fred Middleton, NCBI executive director. “As a supplier to manufacturers of cotton batting, Jay Stolfi represents an important element of the membership and his input on the new federal mattress flammability standard will be important to the industry and to consumers.” In addition to his work with Rose Mill and the NCBI, Mr. Stolfi coaches youth football and baseball, is a member of the New England Chemical Association, and promotes the need for manufacturing in Connecticut and the United States. The Rose Mill Company manufactures environmentally responsible flame-retardants, such as boric acid powder, used in the sleep and furniture industries and in other manufacturing products. Rose Mill is the largest independent producer of borate powders in North America, and also manufactures BemolTM specialty lubricants and ThermaRoseTM steel treating compounds.