Jobs boost as Derbyshire mattress manufacturer seals £10m deal

A Wirksworth manufacturer has landed a contract with one of the USA's fastest growing mattress brands which could be worth up to £10million for the Derbyshire economy.
Breasley's headquarters on Water Lane in Wirksworth.Breasley's headquarters on Water Lane in Wirksworth.
Breasley's headquarters on Water Lane in Wirksworth.

Breasley, which has its headquarters on Water Lane and another base in Ilkeston, will supply products for Nectar Sleep as it launches in the UK.

Breasley managing director Darren Crowshaw said: “Nectar is very successful in its marketing and if this product does anything like its potential, it could mean the best part of £10million for us.

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“We have already added a second shift at Wirksworth to provide extra material flow to Ilkeston where we are now looking to add a third shift at the factory. So there will be new jobs as a result, and existing ones will be more secure. It’s all positive in terms of local labour.”

The business is a specialist in the increasingly popular ‘fold, rolled, and boxed’ mattress sector which is based on foam construction.

Huge blocks of the foam are cut and processed in Wirksworth, and then moved to Ilkeston where they are turned into the finished product.

Darren said: “We won the contract on the back of a recommendation from one of our suppliers. Nectar Sleep came to tour the factory and liked what they saw.

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“It is a unique product and there are different challenges in each new design but we think this is extremely robust and very comfortable.”

Nectar launched in the USA in 2016 and is now forecasting annual revenues of $315m, based on 1,000 direct-to-consumer sales every day.

The UK mattress market is currently worth an estimated £2.3bn, and online share is predicted to grow by 23 per cent by 2021.

Nectar managing director Angela Crouch said: “The UK mattress market has seen a seismic change in recent years, as shoppers grow frustrated by traditional retailers and expect a smarter, more ‘on-demand’ process.

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“With a business model that challenges competitors in this space and through access to top talent, we see the UK as the best place to expand our international operations.”

Nectar offers a 365-night trial and lifetime warranty for its custom-made mattresses which boast additional cooling technologies and claim to be the only climate neutral product available in the UK.

For more information, see www.nectarsleep.co.uk.