Select Comfort

Infobox Company
company_name = Select Comfort Corporation
company_
company_type = Corporation
foundation = 1987
location = United States
key_people = Bill McLaughlin, Pete Bils
industry = Mattresses
products = Sleep Number bed air mattresses and Bedding
revenue =
num_employees =
homepage = http://www.selectcomfort.com/

Select Comfort (nasdaq|SCSS) is a U.S.-based manufacturer that bills itself as "the leading U.S. manufacturer of adjustable firmness air mattresses and the creator of the Sleep Number bed." The company is based in Plymouth, Minnesota.

Select Comfort recently announced they are selling a new type of mattress which includes memory foam for extra comfort. [http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1875647/]

The company's frequent TV commercials feature actress Lindsay Wagner. Other endorsers include conservative radio talk show hosts Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Laura Ingraham and country artists SheDaisy.

Select Comfort was founded in 1987 by Robert "Bob" Walker and his wife JoAnn Walker. As of 2006, Select Comfort holds 32 issued or pending patents for its products, and has over 442 retail stores nationwide. The current CEO is Bill McLaughlin.

Select Comfort also has an exclusive partnership with Radisson Hotels & Resorts, which was announced in May 2004. The Radisson Sleep Number bed can now be found at Radisson properties in locations throughout the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. [http://www.selectcomfort.com/corporation/index.cfm] Select Comfort has been the "Official Bed Provider" for Ronald McDonald House Charities since January 2001. The company has donated more than 3,700 Sleep Number beds to the 156 Ronald McDonald Houses in the U.S. to date. In addition to the beds, Select Comfort, along with its employees and vendor partners, has donated more than 5,500 employee volunteer hours and $640,000 in contributions from employee payroll deductions, retail promotions and other fundraising activities. The total value of these goods, services and cash contributions exceeds $3.2 million. [http://www.selectcomfort.com/corporation/index.cfm] In October 2006, Select Comfort sponsored a "Sleep Like a Star" celebrity bed auction on eBay which raised over $35,000.

There have been critics of the bed as well [http://www.consumeraffairs.com/furniture/select.html Customer complaints about the Sleep Number Bed] . Some of the criticisms are regarding an uneven sleeping platform, difficultly in finding the perfect 'sleep number', and poor customer service.

The most recent quarterly earnings report shows a solid profit for the company, [http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=scss] however the value of Select Comfort stock has lost of value over the past 2 years. [http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=SCSS#chart1:symbol=scss;range=2y;indicator=volume;charttype=line;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=off;source=undefined] The drop in stock value seems to be the result of a drop in overall mattress sales for all companies. [http://online.barrons.com/article/SB122057153791101537.html?mod=googlenews_barrons]

Negative Press

Consumerist has reported 1 negative review about a Select Comfort bed who's owner complained about mold growing in the mattress. [http://consumerist.com/5009326/the-sleep-number-difference-is-mold]

There has also been a class action lawsuit filed because of health related problems because of mold growing in mattresses made from 1987 - 2005. [http://www.selectcomfortclassaction.com/]

Shareholders have had to watch their investments in Select Comfort perform poorly [http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/09/02/4-stocks-you-love-to-hate.aspx]

Select Comfort refuses to honor warranty to U.S. service members stationed overseas.

Comfortaire Corporation Invented the modern air bed [http://www.comfortairdirect.com]

External links

* [http://www.selectcomfort.com Select Comfort website]
* [http://www.consumeraffairs.com/furniture/select.html Customer Comments on Consumer Affair

References