British manufacturer Millbrook Beds has partnered with US bedding giant Eclipse International to deliver new brands here and across the pond. Furniture News asked Millbrook’s marketing and operations director, Ross Thurston, to explain how new mattress range Chittenden and Eastman (C&E) complements Millbrook’s existing offer, and what will follow it …
Designed in the US and made in Southampton, C&E debuted with three mattresses – from 1000-3000 pocket springs, incorporating Ocean Blue Gel-infused cooling latex, alongside Millbrook’s Hampshire Wool.
But what does the new brand mean for Millbrook’s existing stockists, and what further developments can they expect to see as a result of this tie-up? Ross Thurston explains …
Why bring a new bed brand to the UK marketplace?
By bringing the C&E brand to the UK we are able to offer a completely different type of mattress compared to the traditional Millbrook mattress, incorporating different production techniques, new components and an extremely fresh and new look compared to what people expect from us.
How does C&E fit into Millbrook’s existing handcrafted portfolio?
The C&E product and brand is built on over 150 years of mattressmaking experience and complements the Millbrook Beds brand perfectly. It does not replace anything we already offer, it instead enhances our offering and enables us to introduce new fillings such as Ocean Blue cool latex.
Apart from access to a broader product range, how might existing UK stockists benefit from the partnership?
C&E is just the start of our journey with Bedding Industries of America – we will be collaborating on a number of joint product ranges both in the UK and USA, and we are already working on future product ranges that we are looking forward to announcing in the coming months.
How do you plan to take C&E to market this year?
Like everyone, we are waiting to see how the coming months unfold as the country returns to normality. We are hopeful that in the not-too-distant future we can begin to welcome retailers back to our showroom to present the new ranges and product developments, along with seeing them at some of the trade exhibitions later in the year.
Are there any updates you can provide around the wider Millbrook business?
We have an awful lot of new product developments and innovation that we will be announcing in the coming months …
