The mattress industry is an innovative space with manufacturers that do much more than just make mattresses — even if it’s behind the scenes. Sandman Bedding Co., a new player that launched in 2021 and is experiencing rapid growth, is an example.
The company was founded by Brandon Jamison, who has worked in the bedding industry on the foam pouring and production side for nearly 20 years. When Jamison had the idea to go out on his own, he enlisted the help of several investor friends and launched Sandman with the idea of creating concepts, products, branding, websites, digital assets and training certifications for other manufacturers in the industry.
After picking up steam, Jamison enlisted Travis Thigpen — an old friend and industry expert who previously worked at Molecule — to lead as executive vice president. In the next few years, the company is projected to grow in a unique way, according to Thigpen.
“We don’t just make mattresses, but we have foam-pouring capabilities in-house that are a major part of the difference between us and companies our size,” Thigpen explains. “A big part of Brandon’s background is foam and foam operations, and he wanted to have at least some level of control in foam and foam innovation with Sandman.”
The first product Sandman launched was a DTC brand called Nest and Wild, and Thigpen says that product line is growing quickly. But after launching the line, the team at Sandman realized that they wanted to be creative and build products for whoever needed them under the Sandman brand or by white labeling.
“The company has done a good job of going from survival mode to selective mode, and part of my joining was to help that last kind of transition,” he says. “We have the business, we’ve bought this equipment and we’ve worked out the kinks. We’ve established relationships with suppliers and retailers and logistics agencies, and now things are really rolling and we are ready for growth.”
He explains that the business is broken down into three main areas. First, the DTC business has seen steady triple-digit growth, month after month since June of last year. Part of the reason for that, according to Thigpen, is because the company took the time to learn from its mistakes and make corrections. The past two months were the best sales months for Nest and Wild in the company’s history.
After DTC, the company primarily manufactures under the Sandman Bedding umbrella, which it advertises as “Next Level Private Label Bedding.”
“We’re going through a new product launch right now, and we are about three weeks away from launching our new Sandman collection,” he explains. “The first grouping was a six-bed collection that includes foam and hybrid models that sell for between $599 and $1,599 at retail. Another big differentiator for us is that our mattresses and foam are completely American-made, which gives our products a stronger value.”
The last part of the business is contract manufacturing, where Thigpen says the company is making great headway with partnerships with several big brands. From building product for them specifically under their brand names to helping supplement some of their demand and overage needs, this has grown into the largest part of Sandman’s business right now.
A rough breakdown would show that about 50% of the overall business is contract manufacturing, 30% is the Nest and Wild brand, and 20% is the Sandman collection and white-label products.
“We’re in the process of truly creating a merchandise line with various sizes and feels,” Thigpen says. “So we see our retail customer base growing to probably 30% while contract stays at 50% Every new opportunity is growth for us, and there is no trying to back-fill and replace lost business and things like that. It’s a very opportunistic time for us. But at the same time, we’re trying to be very strategic and intentional with every decision we make. We’re trying to be different with a purpose.”
On the foam front, the company is exploring new opportunities when it comes to creating new foams. Thigpen shares that one foam project Sandman is working on now presents “the single largest growth opportunity.”
It’s foam infusion technology that you can use to infuse nearly anything into foam,” Thigpen says. “But what is going to make this different is there is a celebrity partnership aspect to this. And they’re not an ambassador; they are an equal owner stakeholder and shareholder invested in this business. We’re at the goal line getting all this buttoned up, and we’re excited to announce it soon.”
Overall, Thigpen says Sandman brings something unique by focusing not just on the product, but also on technology, story and experience. “The industry is starved for something new and different and unique, and we have something cool here,” he adds.
