Eclipse International Expands Licensing Footprint With Historic CB Van Vorst Mattress Brand
The historic CB Van Vorst Mattress Co. is making a comeback under a partnership formed between industry licensing leader Eclipse International, a division of Mattress Development Co., and Jim and Mike Malkiewicz of Blue Ocean Sleep. The brand, dating back to 1888, will be the latest addition to the Eclipse International, a division of Mattress Development Co., family, which includes Eastman House, Ernest Hemingway and Saatva, among others.
Under the partnership, beds will be marketed under the Van Vorst Mattress Co. of America since 1888 label and will have national and international distribution through Eclipse’s 61 licenses.
The Van Vorst line has a rich history dating back to its 1888 founding in Los Angeles. The company grew into a reliable source of private-label mattresses for well-known retailers including Bloomingdale’s, The Bon Marche, Meier & Frank and more.
“This exquisite line of mattresses is exactly what brick-and-mortar retailers need to remain competitive in today’s marketplace,” said Eclipse International CEO Stuart Carlitz. “Retailers are eager for unique product and compelling stories to share with consumers to draw them into their stores. We have a great story with Van Vorst.”
Designed with advanced foam technology and proprietary innersprings, the Van Vorst Collection will be marketed as a high-end, luxury brand, priced to retail from $999 to $5,000 in queen. It will only be offered to a select group of retailers with limited distribution to allow for exclusivity and strong margins. Production of the line will begin within the next two months.
The Malkiewicz brothers are well respected in the mattress industry. The duo founded Blue Ocean Sleep in 2010 after spending more than 30 years in the bedding industry with Wickline Bedding.
“This partnership represents another step in our process of continuing to build our network not only by geography and senior talent, but by offering more well-known brands that our licensees can offer to their retailers and their customers,” Carlitz added.
For more information, please visit eclipsemattress.com.
About Eclipse & Eastman House: Based in North Brunswick, N.J., Eclipse International has been making mattresses since 1905, and Eastman House was founded in 1866 and is the oldest, continuous mattress manufacturer in the U.S. A cornerstone brand of Bedding Industries of America, the company is a leader in advanced sleep systems crafted with high quality components, including latex, memory foam, gel and eco-friendly materials. Known for its design innovation, Eclipse holds a number of patents that deliver superb support throughout the product line. Today, the company has 61 licensees, 17 in the U.S., two in Canada and 42 overseas servicing 65 countries or provinces.
