Look Who it Was Random video

Made In Cleveland: Murmaid Mattress Factory

3,752 views · Published 24 July 2012 · 3:06 · Indexed 1 November 2026

Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2012 · News & Politics

Watch on YouTube

by Calvin Sneed  There's a good chance that the mattress you may be sleeping on tonight, has a Cleveland connection.  The Murmaid Mattress factory began in Chattanooga in 1979, and moved to Cleveland 12 years ago.  Its 50 employees embody the American spirit of local people making local products, that can be slept on, all across the Southeast.  The Murmaid Mattress factory helps many people get a good night's sleep.  "60 to 80 mattresses per day is the average that we produce," says Murmaid Factory President Roger Pickett, "but we can put out about a hundred a day."Raw materials come in on a regular basis, including government-mandated, flame-resistant, or F-R material built into every bed.  "It won't stop a fire," says operations manager Billy Knight, "but it will slow the flames down and when you have a heat ratio, federal regulations require fire ignition to be less than a certain point. Even if it saves one life, it's worth it."Every mattress starts out with a pre-assembled coil system.  The mattress we're watching being made is called a Gel-Euro top.. Tiny, scattered gels infused into the material have a purpose.  "The gels trap heat, and make the bed sleep cooler," says Knight.That mat goes on top of the frame, then the F-R non-skid fabric is attached.  An inch and 3-4's of firm foam follows that, then a pad, and even then a spring, foam-encased edges.  Still another pad is put on top of that, and finally 2 half-inch pieces of a 1.5 pound foam, round out the base of the mattress.First, the foam is pulled tight and stapled to the springs.  On this particular mattress, two more layers of a high grade foam keep the bed from compressing.  An adhesive is sprayed to hold the foam together.. it keeps the foam from shifting and bunching up.Special care is given to the mattress corners.  "You really want those corners tailored well," Knight says.  The excess is trimmed off to be recycled. While all this is going on, this a knitting machine is stitching the panel, the top of the mattress.  "The pattern stitch is being tacked, then the needles jump, and then the stitch is tacked again." The panel then goes to Julie, who sits in front of, and operates a huge sewing machine.  "Once the panel is quilted and cut to size by the machine," Knight says, "she surges the edges closed."A border measured earlier is put on, then a double stretch-knit top fabric that is smaller than the bed.  "The reason it is smaller, is because when it is stretched, we want the surface to be flat."  The panel is then stitched onto the mattress, slowing down for the corners.  "That's the hardest job in the mattress industry," Knight says, "is turning those corners."After inspection, this particular mattress is now ready for packing and shipping.By the way, ever see those tags on mattresses, that say "do not remove this tag under penalty of federal law?" Have you ever wondered what they're for?  Every single mattress made in the U-S has what's known in the industry as a "social security number."  If there is ever a recall, the only way to know if your mattress is involved, is by that number.

More from this channel