Carlitz buys Eastman House
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, February 18, 2008
North Brunswick, N.J. — Bedding veteran Stuart Carlitz has acquired the Eastman House mattress brand from a private equity firm and says he plans to build the brand across the country.
In addition to owning bedding brand Eclipse International, Carlitz, who is based here, also is a Therapedic licensee.
Carlitz's acquisition of Eastman House changes the business model that the brand had been pursuing. Last fall, Eastman House said it planned to produce its line domestically from components imported from China. But under Carlitz's ownership, the brand will focus on U.S.-made materials.
"We have made a special deal with Leggett & Platt on some unique constructions and components," he said. "We also hired a marketing and advertising firm, which was given directions to focus on tradition, quality and lifestyle."
The Eastman House brand, which dates back to the 1860s, still resonates with consumers, according to Carlitz. He relaunched the brand at the recent Las Vegas Market.
"Eastman House offers an ultra-premium mattress brand with a continuation of the company's longstanding tradition of quality and value," he said. "The brand will be sold to select dealers on a limited distribution basis."
He said the line features coil-on-coil construction using the heaviest spring unit in the industry. The box spring features a 20-slat frame with each row of offset coils supported by an individual slat of lumber.
In addition, he said, the line offers a green story with soy-based foams and pure latex. Many of the quilts feature pure cashmere, silk and Joma wool. Several of the fabrics feature organic cotton or high-cotton contents. The fire-resistant materials have naturally inherent FR properties. The line retails from $799 to $5,000.
There are currently three Eastman House licensees — Carlitz's Eastman of New Jersey company, Eastman of Ohio, headed by Ken Wilschek and Nathan Pollock, and Eastman House of Michigan, headed by bedding veteran Don Balsavich.
Wilschek and Pollock also market the Eclipse brand. Balsavich's factory, Clare Bedding of Escanaba, Mich., also produces Restonic bedding.
Carlitz is CEO of Eastman House. Wilschek is president and will run the day-to-day operations of the company. Balsavich also will take an executive position with the company. Matt Connolly has been named national vice president of sales.
Carlitz said interest in the Eastman House brand is strong.
"We have many interested factories, including plants in Texas, northern and southern California, Idaho, Iowa and Tennessee," he said. Two other Eclipse factories in the United States, and several overseas, also are considering producing the Eastman House brand, he said.
