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* Voted "Best Beds & Mattresses" - Bay Area A-List, 2012
* Voted "Best Beds & Mattresses" - Bay Area A-List, 2012


'''Philanthropic'''
'''Philanthropy'''
* "Casey Excellence for Children Award"- Casey Family Programs, 2013
* "Casey Excellence for Children Award"- Casey Family Programs, 2013
* "Partners in Philanthropy" Honoree in the large company category - Sacramento Business Journal, 2012
* "Partners in Philanthropy" Honoree in the large company category - Sacramento Business Journal, 2012

Revision as of 23:52, 12 February 2014

The Sleep Train
Company typeESOP
IndustryMattress Retailer
Founded1985
FounderDale Carlsen
Headquarters
Rocklin, California
Area served
California
Key people
Founder/CEO: Dale Carlsen; COO: Rob Killgore; CFO: Pete DiCorti
ProductsBrand name mattress sets from Beautyrest, Sealy Mattress Company, Posturepedic, Tempur-Pedic, Stearns & Foster, and Serta (company) iComfort; Foundations, moveable beds, daybeds and convertibles; Mattress accessories
Number of employees
800+
SubsidiariesMattress Discounters, Sleep Country USA, Got Sleep
Websitewww.sleeptrain.com

Sleep Train is a mattress retailer with locations throughout the state of California. It was founded by Dale Carlsen in June 1985. The company is based in Rocklin, California.

Company History

Sleep Train was founded by Dale Carlsen in 1985, shortly after graduating from California State University at Sacramento. He opened the first Sleep Train store on Folsom Boulevard in Sacramento, California.[1] Within eight months, he added a second store in Citrus Heights, California. Prior to starting Sleep Train, Carlsen worked as a salesperson for local mattress manufacturer, Lady Americana.[1]

In June 2000, Sleep Train sold 24 of its stores (mainly in Seattle and Portland), or about 30 percent of its business, to Fenway Partners,[2] a New York private-investment firm which had acquired Sleep Country USA, a competing chain established in 1991, three months earlier.[3][4] At the time, Sleep Train had 44 stores (of which 18 were in Washington) and Sleep Country USA 28.[3]

In 2002, Sleep Train Inc. announced plans to purchase 54 of Mattress Discounters' stores in California during that company's bankruptcy—which would more than double Sleep Train's size.[5]

In 2003, Fenway Partners sold Sleep Country USA to the Atlanta-based Simmons Company,[4] and in August 2006, Sleep Train Inc. purchased the then-55-store Sleep Country USA chain from Simmons.[6]

In September 2011, Sleep Train acquired Christian’s Mattress Xpress, converting three stores into new Sleep Train stores in Visalia, Fresno and Fowler.[7] The following month, October 2011, Sleep Train purchased Mattress Outlet, a 14-store company with 13 stores in eastern Washington and one in Idaho, and America’s Mattress, a seven-store company in western Washington.[8] In October 2012, Sleep Train acquired Sleep City, an 8-store chain in Eastern Washington and Idaho.[9]

Store Locations

Sleep Train has about 300 store locations in California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Idaho under the brand names Sleep Train, Mattress Discounters, Got Sleep and Sleep Country USA.

Philanthropy

For over 20 years, Sleep Train‘s company philosophy has included a commitment to give back to the community.[10] In 2008, Sleep Train created its Sleep Train Foster Kids program to join forces with specific and targeted foster charity organizations and the community to help California’s more than 60,000 foster children.[11] Through advertising and public relations awareness, the collection and distribution of important material items like clothing, shoes, pajamas, school supplies, gifts, and cash donations, Sleep Train’s Foster Kids Program has successfully delivered hundreds of thousands of items and thousands of dollars in cash to these organizations.

The company also hosts its annual Sleep Train Charity Golf Classic. The private event brings together industry professionals for one day to raise money for a variety of nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to at-risk youth. In 2012, the event raised a record breaking $600,000, which puts total donations at over $2 million since the event began six years ago.[12] Major event sponsors have included Beautyrest, Sealy Mattress Company (Sealy Corporation), Tempur-Pedic, Leggett & Platt, Pure LatexBLISS, Serta (company), Progressive Finance and DSI Delivery.[10]

In addition, Sleep Train has supported Junior Achievement of Sacramento for more than a decade, and Boys & Girls Club.[10] Sleep Train employees are encouraged to volunteer for and participate in fundraising events sponsored by local charities.

Sponsorships

Sleep Train is committed to its community and ensuring music and the arts are accessible in California. The company sponsors five concert venues in California. Sleep Train currently holds naming rights to the Sleep Train Pavilion, an amphitheater in Concord, California. Additionally, the company sponsors Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California and Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, California.[13] On October 15, 2012, it purchased the naming rights for the Sleep Train Arena (Formerly ARCO Arena/Power Balance Pavilion) in Sacramento, California.[14] Sleep Train Arena is the home of the NBA's Sacramento Kings.

In 2011, Sleep Train’s founder, Dale Carlsen, was one of 25 executives who pledged financial support to keep the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento.[15] The company utilized its sponsorship to further promote and capture support for its Foster Kids Program, organizing drives called “Donation Days” at the games to collect important material items for foster children.[16]

Sleep Train's advertising campaign incorporates the use of more than 100 of the top DJ talent in the state of California to endorse their brand. They also advertised for many years on The Rush Limbaugh Show. The owner of Sleep Train has known host Rush Limbaugh for many years and has sponsored the show since its 1988 launch into national syndication. Sleep Train suspended advertising on the show on March 4, 2012 in the wake of the Rush Limbaugh–Sandra Fluke controversy; the company was in discussions regarding future advertising on the show when on March 8 Rush Limbaugh personally terminated the relationship.[17]

Recognition and Awards

Sleep Train has been recognized by its industry and community with the following awards[1]:

Company

  • Voted “Best Mattresses” - KCRA A-List, 2013
  • Voted "Best Mattress Store" - San Diego Union Tribune, 2013
  • Voted Top "Best Beds & Mattress" Store - Bay Area A-List, 2013
  • Voted “Best Mattresses” - KCRA A-List, 2012
  • Voted "Best Beds & Mattresses" - Bay Area A-List, 2012

Philanthropy

  • "Casey Excellence for Children Award"- Casey Family Programs, 2013
  • "Partners in Philanthropy" Honoree in the large company category - Sacramento Business Journal, 2012
  • Daily Point of Light Award - Points of Light Institute, Mar 23, 2011

References

  1. ^ a b Celebrating 25 Years Sleep Train website. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  2. ^ Johnson, Kelly (June 11, 2000). "Sleep Train sells off 24 stores for cash in Seattle, Portland". Sacramento Business Journal. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Lee, Thomas (March 3, 2000). "N.Y. firm acquires Sleep Country". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 10, 2011. Cite error: The named reference "sea-times-2000" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Levesque, John (August 9, 2009). "Sleep Country jingle has been waking up the Northwest for 18 years". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  5. ^ Johnson, Kelly (October 23, 2002). "Sleep Train agrees to buy 54 stores". Sacramento Business Journal. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  6. ^ "Sleep Train purchases Sleep Country USA". Sacramento Business Journal. August 30, 2006. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  7. ^ Sleep Train announces acquisition, expansion. The Business Journal. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  8. ^ Sleep Train buys two mattress companies. Sacramento Business Journal, October 28, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  9. ^ Sleep Train acquires more stores, expanding Got Sleep format. Sacramento Business Journal, October 26, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  10. ^ a b c Charitable Programs Sleep Train website. Retrieved May 6, 2012
  11. ^ Daily Point of Light #4370 Sleep Train Foster Kids Program. Points of Light Blog, November 5, 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
  12. ^ Sleep Train Charity Golf Classic Raises a Record Breaking $600,000 for Foster Kids. Furniture World, Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  13. ^ Live Nation Concerts Sleep Train website. Retrieved May 8, 2012
  14. ^ Sosenko, Ben (October 15, 2012). "Kings Now Call 'Sleep Train Arena' Home". KOVR. Archived from the original on January 7, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ Businesses step up to help save the Sacramento Kings. KXTV, April 26, 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
  16. ^ "Sleep Train promotes foster program through Kings sponsorship". Sacramento Business Journal. January 18, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
  17. ^ Seidl, Jonathan. Limbaugh drops company that suspended ads from show over Fluke remarks. The Blaze. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
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