MATTRESS KING CELEBRATES 25YEARS IN BUSINESS
PARAM Joseph, the big-hearted boss of Mattress King, has soared from being a hard-working salesman on the showroom floor to owning a string of stores in major centres in South Africa – making this quantum leap within just a quarter of a century.
One of the highlights of his 25 years in business came in the past five years when Joseph landed an exclusive franchise to become the only independent retailer and distributor of American brand, Sealy Posturepedic’s range of mattress products and bedding accessories.
That’s not all: his homegrown and family-owned legacy company is on a major expansion trail, having opened two new branches in Richards Bay and for the first time in Johannesburg. This weekend will see Mattress King flying its black and yellow flag prominently in Craighall, a busy cosmopolitan inner-city CBD neighbouring Linden.
With 32 years of experience in retail sales, Joseph, known as a “smart, streetwise salesman”, grossed top figures in mattress set sales at the companies he had worked for since the 1970s. With a wealth of experience and management skills, he took the plunge and opened his first store in Stanger in 1992. By then, he was already a famous personality as the hands-on publicist and chief executive officer at Manning Rangers. He scored big time when the Durban-based club shocked the giants to win the inaugural PSL league title right at the start of the new, unified all-race organisation.
As a nightclub owner, he resuscitated the city’s once vibrant social nightlife beat and earned a reputation as a charming socialite, thereby building a contact base that would benefit his new business venture.
With social and political change on the horizon, Joseph took the gap afforded by the new economic and business environment and tested his entrepreneurial skills in Stanger, Kwa Dukuza. He became one of the first entrepreneurs of colour to enter this highly traded sector and has since, almost single-handedly, grown Mattress King from a single store to a portfolio of eight showrooms and stores.
“Although we opened our first store in the early 1990s, we only acquired the Sealy Posturepedic franchise four years ago,’ explains Joseph. “We had to work tirelessly and prove our credentials and credibility as a leader in the independent sector.
“Mattress King is Sealy Posturepedic’s number one and biggest retailer in the country, and we achieved this distinction – as well as a coveted prize – in just the first two years of our franchise.
“In celebrating our historic milestone, we are embarking on an expansion trail. We have traded at the Rand Easter Show for 20 years and are chuffed to have opened our first store in Gauteng.
“With consistency, perseverance, team work, the grace of God and the backing of a big global brand like Sealy Posturepedic, we have the potential of spreading nationally. Our expansion trajectory may result in a port of call in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London.
“We are at the Midlands Mall in Pietermaritzburg and are looking at going big in the capital city. We are always at the Royal Show.”
Mattress King is also a show-stopper at the country’s top business fairs, including Decorex and the ECR House and Garden Show. The company also hires showroom space at major shopping malls like The Pavilion – and pop-up shops will be an added feature during the anniversary year, with all the trimmings of giveaways as well.
“At Mattress King, the customer is king and queen. Our teams of sales people, administration staff, brand ambassadors and packaging and delivery crews are au fait with our cardinal company rule, which is: we do not compromise our customers at all – cost and service excellence is integral to our customer-care culture.”
The year-long anniversary celebration also brings into focus the company’s corporate social responsibility programme of giving back to the community. Each month, Mattress King will be offering special offers and discounts leading up to the year-end holiday and festive season.
On each occasion, the management will ensure that its loyal customers benefit handsomely from its package of value-added services and sales bonanzas.
In addition, as part of the company’s 25th anniversary celebration, Mattress King and its leading brand, Sealy Posturepedic, are giving away two brand new Volkswagen Vivo motor cars to two lucky customers.