Medical Mattress
HS Manufacturing, LLC (“Hickory Springs”), a division of Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company (“HSM”), and leading supplier of components for the furniture and bedding industries, which has produced medical mattresses for years at its “Blue Ridge” facility in Hickory, has developed a new medical mattress that can be produced quickly and efficiently at multiple facilities across the U.S. In addition, HSM has materials ready to immediately manufacture free-standing metal beds that meet specifications required for emergency assistance sites. This new medical mattress product and shift in production was initiated to meet increased demand for sleep surfaces in hospitals, overflow triage sites and medical settings across the country resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
HSM is in the process of shifting production across facilities in North Carolina and Mississippi to produce the new six-inch mattresses that utilize a nylon cover that can be wiped and disinfected for sanitation. In anticipation of the surge in demand due to accelerating contraction rates for COVID-19, the company is ramping up capacity to initially produce approximately 4,000 mattress units and 2,000 metal bed units per day, with potential to expand production further. The company has established a temporary pricing program for both products that is below market price levels in order to support nationwide U.S. relief efforts.
This initiative not only aids in our nation’s disaster relief efforts, but also transitions some of HSM’s workforce back to a level of normalcy and sustainable activity, as manufacturing demand has softened as a result of temporary retail closures across the country. The foam and spring mattresses also utilize components from HSM’s spring, metal and wire plants in Hickory, supporting demand and capacity utilization at those locations.