The Freeport News (May 22, 2003)

Bedding Manufacturers Target Freeport Sleepers

By PATRICK MCGREGOR, Senior Freeport News Reporter

A local company is taking advantage of a government incentive as it aims to give everyone in Grand Bahama, a very comfortable night's sleep.

The Chee-a-Tows, a husband and wife team, embarked on a new business venture in Grand Bahama earlier this year, launching their fully Bahamian owned bed manufacturing company in the bonded warehouse area.

Proprietor Bruce Chee-a-Tow said with the Light Industries Encouragement Act, government duties on manufacturing materials is waived, and a cost effective product is available.

"So we're able to make a duty free bed, then sell it directly to the customer," he said. "It's basically a factory direct concept. We cut out the middle man and sell directly to the customer, so the customer saves."

Chee-a-Tow added that "not only does the consumer get an inexpensive bed, but a quality, inexpensive bed."

"We found the best components we can find to put in these beds," he said, "and it's been my philosophy that with best components in, you're going to get the best products out."

Mora Chee-a-Tow, co-owner, reported that the company is going into it sixth week of business, and is proud of the beds and the customer's response to the top quality products.

"The concept was to manufacture here and to sell to the customer at factory direct prices so that you can get not only good prices, but good quality," she said. "We wanted to provide good quality at a good cost, made here."

Mrs. Chee-a-Tow explained that the company's top of the line mattresses, called TriZone, all come with a 12 year guarantee and boast of having 660 coils - the bulk of which are in the centre of the mattress to support the most body weight.

The mattresses also feature coils running clockwise and anti-clockwise to allow for a more even depression when weight is applied.

"If they were to all be going in the same direction, it will start to roll off to one side when the weight hits it," she explained. "That's why you have people complaining that they have a big split in their mattress and they all roll into the centre."

She added that the mattresses also feature smaller coils that run from head to toe on the mattress and tie into each coil individually to prevent the spring from unfastening and protruding and to support stability of the bed from side to side.

The mattresses also come with steel edge guards along the edge of the spring to prevent sagging which usually results from sitting along the sides of the bed.

She noted that the factory also makes high quality box springs which accommodate every bed, despite the price of the bed.

"It's a steel power grill," she explained. "A lot of the beds on the island have wood foundations, where the box spring was just totally made of wood and they tend to crack very easily.

"This enables us to put the excellent guarantee and it's a shock absorber so it really works with your mattress."

A feature of the top of the line bedding is that, almost all of them have latex in the padding.

She also has a particular bed that is made with eight inches of latex. The soft latex material is said to be resilient and is expected to lose only two per cent of its resiliency over a 20-year period.

"It will always bounce back," she explained. "It conforms to your body without forming pressure points, so you get a good strong support, even up to the small of your back, unlike some beds that are very, very hard and can form pressure points in your shoulders and your hips."

She added that the latex material makes it the bed of choice for people plagued with allergies, since the rubber material keeps it free from dust mites, mould and mildew.

Chee-a-Tow said the company also has mid range mattresses, and entry level mattresses, the latter of which has 312 coils. She noted that although there are fewer coils, it is still a good count.

"(With) a lot of the furniture stores on the island, the coil count is 300 or less," she said. "We're 312, and that's our lowest count.

"Our mid range is 522."

Chee-a-Tow said the springs are bought from the top manufacturer in the United States - the same company from which all of the popular name brand mattresses buy their springs.

Originally published in the The Freeport News, May 22, 2003.