New WellSpring Supreme from Rising Star

BEND, Ore. Rising Star Futons of Bend, a national innovator in recycled-material futons, has introduced the first foam-core futon that combines out-of-this-world comfort with an earth-friendly design. To make the new WellSpring Supreme Futon, Rising Star combines the recycled fibers with layers of a special resilient foam called "E-foam" made by a new, more environmentally friendly process.
"For a long time we've had customers telling us they'd like a recycled futon with the extra comfort you get from a foam core," said Leslie Blok, a dedicated environmentalist who, with her mother, Rosamond, founded rising Star more than a decade ago. "The trouble was, we couldn't find a synthetic foam that we considered environmentally sensitive enough to use in a Rising Star futon."
"Finally we found a manufacturer that uses carbon dioxide to blow up the foam, which is a much more environmentally benign material," Leslie said. Each WellSpring Supreme Futon contains seven layers of foam and recycled poly fibers, totaling about nine inches in thickness. the central E-Foam core is surrounded on either side by layers of CloverFill, a green-colored recycled poly fiber. Next come two layers of convoluted "egg carton" E-Foam, followed by two outer layers of WellSpring fiber.
This construction, explained Rising Star marketing director Bill Kurtz, gives the Wellspring Supreme the right combination of inner firmness, outer softness and overall flexibility. "It's a futon that's as comfortable as a piece of fine furniture," he said. "Everybody who tries it tells us, 'Wow this feels great!'"
The WellSpring Supreme is designed to retail for slightly more than the traditional WellSpring Futon and is available in all standard bed and sofa sizes.

Wolf Enters Super Premium Market With Deluxe Latex Futon

Wolf is introducing their new 8800 deluxe latex futon at High Point. This product has been developed in response to Wolf's customer's desire for an ultra plush, luxurious futon product. "The combination of a latex foam core surrounded by our exclusive Endura blend offers an unsurpassed comfort level that is both soft and durable," said Tony Wolf, company President.
"Our company's dedication to quality offers the consumer a factory tested product of superior design and careful attention to detail," added Wolf. Like all Wolf products the 8800 utilizes a 7.5 ounce twill fabric, twenty three machine tufts and full border box construction for lasting beauty. Endura Cotton batting designed, blended and produced at Wolf combined with their new Latex foam core provides the ultimate soft futon. "We are very excited about this product and look forward to writing business at market," said Wolf.

Gold Bond Adds Plushness To Super-premium 'Softouch'

HARTFORD (CT) Increased plushness, a richer feel, and added resiliency have been added to the nation's finest futon Gold Bond's "Soft-Touch" ultra plush mattress Robert J. Naboicheck, Gold Bond's president, announced.
The SofTouch is the most successful product introduction in Gold Bond's 97 year history, he said. Improvements were made to better compete with top-of-the-line conventional sofas. "We wanted it just a bit more full a little richer in its feel," Mr. Naboicheck said.
"We took this very successful product and increased its fiber content by 15%. The Soft-Touch now has the added 'bounce', feel, and resiliency that shoppers cannot find in any other futon," he said. Consumers who use the Soft-Touch as a sleeping surface each night have favorably compared it to superpremium conventional mattresses.
Gold Bond, the country's largest producer of futon mattresses, manufactures the best-selling futon mattress step-up lines in the home furnishings industry. Now based in a new state-of-the-art 115,000 square foot facility, Gold Bond is also known as one of the futon industry's leading innovators.
Retailers who changed their SofTouch floor models to newly produced SofTouch futon mattresses noticed the refinements immediately. "We put it on our floors, our sales staff loved it, and best of all consumers were outspoken in their praise of this futon mattress," one retailer said.
"SofTouch" retailers also report they are pleased with solid profit margins commanded by the SofTouch. "The dramatic feel, the plush and resilient support and the SofTouch's very silky hand are unique. Our customers don't have to discount the price to sell it," Mr. Naboicheck reported.

Gold Bond: Record '96 Sales
HARTFORD (CT) Operating from America's newest futon manufacturing facility definitely helped industry leader Gold Bond log record sales in 1996, Gold Bond President Robert J. Naboicheck reported.
Gold Bond exceeded 1995's yearly sales by over 25%.
Gold Bond is the country's largest futon producer. It presently ships 7,000 futon mattresses weekly. The company is the leading manufacturer of premium futon mattresses in the country. It is an active futon industry innovator.
Mr. Naboicheck said the company's sales growth was driven by several factors. He said Gold Bond's new 115,000 square foot factory enabled the company to gear-up production to promptly ship orders to leading American, Far and Middle Eastern and European futon mattress retailers. Gold Bond provides customers with a Quick Ship program to meet retailers' inventory requirements.
"Futon retailers have learned that we are the viable resource for futons no matter the size of the order delivered on time," he said. Also, Mr. Naboicheck said futon retailers are successfully promoting the company's three super premium futons, marketed under the trademarks "Cotton Coil", "Wool Wrap" and "SofTouch", he said.
 

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