Specialty Sleep Association Elects New Leadership Team

The Specialty Sleep Association (SSA) elected a new leadership team following the 2008 Furniture Market in Las Vegas. Dale Read, the editor-in-chief and publisher of Bedroom Magazine was elected President and Treasurer, retailer Michael Nermon of Ergo Customized Comfort as Vice President, and Mark Miller of Innomax and Denny Boyd of Boyd Specialty Sleep were elected board members. Boyd is also the immediate past president of the group.

“The specialty sleep category today represents 23-percent of bedding sales and is expected to rise to 40-percent or more by 2010. There has never been a more exciting time for our industry segment,” said Read. “We are committed to educating the consumer and retailer about the benefits and values of specialty sleep products, and we will work closely with suppliers, manufacturers and retailers alike to get our message out.”

The new board approved a full marketing program, and public awareness initiative will begin the first quarter of 2008. The group is actively recruiting retailer and manufacturer participation in their activities.

Read was first elected to the board of the association in 2000, and has been vice president since 2002. In 1995, Read began Bedroom Magazine, one of the industry’s leading trade publications.

Nermon is the founder and president of Ergo Customized Comfort, a specialty retailer in Southern California. He has an extensive 20-year career in the bedding industry.

He was first elected to the Specialty Sleep Association board in 2000. He is also a member of the board of the Western Home Furnishing Association.

Miller is president of InnoMax Corp., an active promoter of advanced sleep technology since 1975. He has extensive experience as a pioneer and long-time advocate of the waterbed category. He was first elected to the SSA board in 2006.

Boyd currently heads Boyd Specialty Sleep, a manufacturer of innovative mattresses and bedding accessories, Accent Furniture, a leading importer of bedroom furniture, and The Bedroom Store, a seven-store retail chain based in St. Louis.

Denny Boyd has been a board member since 1995. “It has been a privilege to lead the SSA for these past few years and help support the growth of our category,” said Boyd. “Together, we will continue to be strong advocates for the specialty sleep category.”

Founded in 1995, the Specialty Sleep Association (SSA) is a national not-for-profit organization created to facilitate the growth and positive awareness of the specialty sleep category. SSA membership is comprised of more than 100 manufacturers and retailers ranging from small, family-owned businesses to large corporations.