The Mattress Works Story
My history in the mattress industry extends back to my dad’s days at the Lion Store in Toledo, Ohio. He worked his way up from the warehouse to being a corporate mattress buyer. Those days forged a lot of the values and principles that shape our business today.
Where My Love for Mattresses Started
Trips with my dad took me to mattress factories, meeting the people that built mattresses by hand. Gnarled fingers and salty characters, albeit amazing people are just one of those great memories. That time spent in the mattress industry planted a seed that brought me back to the one product that has always made the most sense to me.
George’s Furniture in Napoleon
In 1993, my dad left his position at the Lion Store to start his own business, which was purchasing George’s Furniture from Donna Higbea, the late wife of George. She and her husband had founded George’s. The values of both our families meshed so well that Donna even stayed and worked at George’s through the first formative years.
My dad brought the knowledge and expertise of his Lion Store experience. I was his muscle and non-official painter as we renovated the building and set up a new mattress department. The community welcomed us with open arms and became the lifeblood of our family’s work over the next 32 years.
Starting A Business of My Own
After high school I went off to college and started my career as a sports information director and coach. But the pull of owning my own business one day brought my new family back to Napoleon. I worked with Dad at George’s, helping build that business until Dad retired. From there I continued on the family legacy.
Those 32 years with Dad owning a business took me through a lot of change and lessons learned. While at George’s I developed the idea for Sofa Express with the help of Brian, a new business partner. We saw the next wave of change affecting how a retail store would operate in the future.
With our traditional values and principles guiding us, we opened Sofa Express. Not long after, I closed George’s Furniture. It wasn’t an easy decision to close a business that was still doing well. But my gut told me we needed to be proactive. We love being part of the community and being entrepreneurs, and this was one piece in the puzzle to maintaining those elements of our life.
The Call of Mattresses
One nagging idea would not go away. I loved mattresses. I also couldn’t stand the transactional, sales nature of the mattress industry. There had to be a better way to serve and grow a mattress business sustainably while having a lot of fun along the way.
Enter, Mattress Works. The word, “WORKS,” has been an important one in our family’s life. It extends to our vocation, how products work, our faith, and the fact that we like to work and serve outside of our business. Our Mattress WORKS needed to build mattresses that work to give you the best sleep! Little by little, all the details began to align with what I felt was our mattress nerd purpose. Plus, I was excited to start the business I had always dreamed of, right here in little, Ol’ Napoleon.
Embracing My Mattress Nerd Identity
While developing the name was fun and intuitive, the next step required me to channel my, “inner nerd.” I say inner, but my friends would all tell you otherwise. I have always been a nerd about any activity or job I have had. I figured the best place to start my research was from the ground up, literally! I slept on the floor for around 2 weeks, looking for the best way for me to support my body and to see if I was doing it right. I learned a lot!
I also hit the road, visiting a family in Michigan that I knew made an amazing quality product. I showed up at their front door, uninvited, and was told they couldn’t help me. After a little cajoling and a little sympathetic whimpering, I sat down with the family and shared my vision. Over the next 2 months, we started planning and building products for Mattress Works.
A Mattress That Fits Your Story
At Mattress Works, we wanted to deliver a mattress that met the needs of your story. We knew that having more mattresses was not beneficial. It actually makes it harder to find the right mattress. You actually end up duplicating mattresses. That made Ohio’s Smallest Mattress Store the perfect store to get the best mattress for you.
We chose 12 mattresses, all with different stories, construction, materials and feel to fit the very people we had come to know and serve over the past 30 some years of mattress service. Our mattress selection process starts with listening to what you want and your story. It’s intuitive, educational, and of course experiential. You can’t find the right mattress just by sitting or poking. You have to lie down, for 15 minutes or so.
The Miraculous Mattress Promise
But we wanted to give you more than a one-time process. We want to make sure you get the best mattress for you. Maybe you weren’t having your best day. Some people can’t fully relax outside their home. It usually takes your body 30 days to fully acclimate to the feel of a new mattress. But We wanted to ensure actual, long term satisfaction in your mattress. So we developed the One Year Miraculous Mattress Promise to ensure that every person finds and loves their Mattress Works mattress.
Way Out Here in Little Ol’ Napoleon
One of the things we love most about Napoleon is knowing so many people in town. Reputation matters. Serving people matters. Your mattress needs to work for you, or our reputation will be in tatters.
Yes, if you’re in Toledo, Napoleon is a little bit of a drive. Think of it as a journey to a slower pace, a better, more relaxing way to choose a mattress. After all, shouldn’t choosing the mattress that gives you rest be a rest giving delight?
Seriously, if there’s ever a way we can help you get better sleep, please let us know. Or if you just need some time to lie down on a great mattress and take a nap, maybe read a book, we’re here for you. We can’t wait to help you get a mattress that WORKS.
Chris Chamberlin, Owner
All Our Mattresses Miraculous Mattress Process Miraculous Mattress Promise