The Sleep Train
Encyclopedia
Sleep Train is one of the top three mattress retailers in the United States and the largest on the West Coast
. It was founded by Dale Carlsen
in June 1985. Sleep Train stores carry mattresses manufactured by Sealy
, Stearns & Foster
, Simmons
, Vera Wang by Serta
, and Tempur-Pedic
. Sleep Train also carries headboards by Fashion Bed Group
and Modus International, as well as a variety of bedding accessories. It is based in Rocklin, California
. Since 2006, owner The Sleep Train Inc. has also owned the Sleep Country USA chain, in the Pacific Northwest
, and Sleep Country USA, Inc., is a subsidiary
of Sleep Train.
, a New York private-investment firm which had acquired Sleep Country USA, a competing chain established in 1991, three months earlier. At the time, Sleep Train had 44 stores (of which 18 were in Washington) and Sleep Country USA 28.
In 2002, Sleep Train Inc. announced plans to purchase 54 of Mattress Discounters' stores in California during that company's bankruptcy—which would more than double Sleep Train's size.
In 2003, Fenway Partners sold Sleep Country USA to the Atlanta-based Simmons Company
, and in August 2006, Sleep Train Inc. purchased the then-55-store Sleep Country USA chain from Simmons.
In August 2007, Sleep Train was awarded the title of "Best Mattress/Bed Store" by a reader's poll conducted by the San Diego Union Tribune.
Sleep Train is the corporate sponsor of the Sleep Train Pavilion
and Sleep Train Amphitheater.
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. It was founded by Dale Carlsen
Dale Carlsen
Dale R. Carlsen founded The Sleep Train Mattress Center in 1985, and has guided the company to become the largest retailer of mattresses on the West Coast, and one of the top three in the United States. In 2002, Dale purchased 54 of Mattress Discounters' stores in California during that company's...
in June 1985. Sleep Train stores carry mattresses manufactured by Sealy
Sealy Corporation
Sealy Corporation is an American owned major manufacturer of mattresses, based in Trinity, North Carolina, in the United States. The company draws its name from the city where it started, Sealy, Texas.- History :...
, Stearns & Foster
Sealy Corporation
Sealy Corporation is an American owned major manufacturer of mattresses, based in Trinity, North Carolina, in the United States. The company draws its name from the city where it started, Sealy, Texas.- History :...
, Simmons
Simmons Bedding Company
Simmons Bedding Company is a major manufacturer of mattresses and related bedding products. The company is founded in 1870. Simmons' flagship brand is Beautyrest, and it is one of the oldest companies of this type in the USA. According to a Simmons press release, net sales for 2005 were $855...
, Vera Wang by Serta
Serta (company)
Serta is a company based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois that specializes in making mattresses. It was founded in 1931 by 13 mattress manufacturers who licensed the Serta name, and now eight independent licensees acting like a cooperative own the company...
, and Tempur-Pedic
Tempur-Pedic
Tempur-Pedic International, Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of mattresses and pillows made from viscoelastic memory foam. The company's headquarters is located in Lexington, Kentucky.- History :...
. Sleep Train also carries headboards by Fashion Bed Group
Leggett & Platt
Leggett & Platt , based in Carthage, Missouri, is a diversified manufacturer that conceives, designs and produces a broad variety of engineered components and products that can be found in most homes, offices, and automobiles. The company serves a broad suite of customers that comprise a "Who's...
and Modus International, as well as a variety of bedding accessories. It is based in Rocklin, California
Rocklin, California
Rocklin is a city in Placer County, California located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. It shares borders with Roseville, Loomis, and Lincoln...
. Since 2006, owner The Sleep Train Inc. has also owned the Sleep Country USA chain, in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, and Sleep Country USA, Inc., is a subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Sleep Train.
History
In June 2000, Sleep Train sold 24 of its stores (mainly in Seattle and Portland), or about 30 percent of its business, to Fenway PartnersFenway Partners
Fenway Partners is a private equity firm that makes leveraged buyout and growth capital investments in transportation, logistics, consumer products and manufacturing companies in the middle market....
, a New York private-investment firm which had acquired Sleep Country USA, a competing chain established in 1991, three months earlier. At the time, Sleep Train had 44 stores (of which 18 were in Washington) and Sleep Country USA 28.
In 2002, Sleep Train Inc. announced plans to purchase 54 of Mattress Discounters' stores in California during that company's bankruptcy—which would more than double Sleep Train's size.
In 2003, Fenway Partners sold Sleep Country USA to the Atlanta-based Simmons Company
Simmons Bedding Company
Simmons Bedding Company is a major manufacturer of mattresses and related bedding products. The company is founded in 1870. Simmons' flagship brand is Beautyrest, and it is one of the oldest companies of this type in the USA. According to a Simmons press release, net sales for 2005 were $855...
, and in August 2006, Sleep Train Inc. purchased the then-55-store Sleep Country USA chain from Simmons.
In August 2007, Sleep Train was awarded the title of "Best Mattress/Bed Store" by a reader's poll conducted by the San Diego Union Tribune.
Sleep Train is the corporate sponsor of the Sleep Train Pavilion
Sleep Train Pavilion
The Sleep Train Pavilion is an outdoor venue located in Concord, California. It is owned by the City of Concord and operated by Live Nation. . The Pavilion has a capacity of 12,500 people and opened in 1975 as the Concord Pavilion...
and Sleep Train Amphitheater.
Additional references
- Nancy J. Kim, Sleep Train rumbles full steam into the heart of Sleep Country, Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle), May 16, 1997
- Kelly Johnson, Sleep Train zips into Bay Area, Sacramento Business Journal - February 20, 1998
- Kelly Johnson, Sleep Train chugs along with multi-city expansion, Sacramento Business Journal - August 21, 1998
- Shannon McMahon and David Washburn, Rain casts pall on trips to the mall, San Diego Union Tribune, February 22, 2005
- Mattress chain vaults the Sierra Nevada with latest expansion, Sacramento Business Journal, January 12, 2007
- Sacramento mattress mogul marks 25 years of Sleep Train, Darrell Smith, The Sacramento Bee, June 23, 2010