It’s a new year. A time when people focus on getting healthy again. For many, that means re-joining the gym or cooking healthy recipes. But one key ingredient to good health that we ALL tend to neglect is SLEEP!! And the foundation (literally!) for good sleep is the very mattress under your back. I know firsthand how a great mattress can improve your sleep, and I’m proud to say that I purchased mine at a local family-run business that has been making mattresses in the USA for more than 30 years. 

Shovlin Mattress Factory (formerly The Mattress Factory) of Fanwood has been owned by the Shovlin family since 1987. The original factory was located in Garwood and later moved to its current home in Fanwood. Ron Shovlin started working at the factory even before his parents bought it, when he was just 13 years old! In 2008 Ron took over as primary owner of the family business, and he has brought it to new heights.  

Both Ron and his wife, Kara, grew up in Westfield and are raising their children there today. Kara is heavily involved in the family business as well, managing the marketing and social media for Shovlin Mattress Factory. Recently they opened a pop-up store in downtown Westfield on Quimby Street to introduce their business to the local community and reveal how very different Shovlin is from every big-box mattress store.  

 

I bet many of you didn’t know that every single mattress sold by Shovlin is built in-house, right in their Fanwood factory! That’s right, they don’t sell any mattress brands other than their own. They use top quality materials that outperform and outlast the big-box competitors. One of the things that distinguishes Shovlin is that they utilize 2-sided inner spring construction in their mattresses, which means their mattresses can be FLIPPED for longevity. (Go ahead and ask a big-box store how many of their mattresses can be flipped–the answer will be few to none!) 

The signature “Nirvana” is one of the top-selling mattresses at Shovlin. It is similar to the Tempurpedic, but the Nirvana is crafted with the highest quality latex materials in the industry, which makes it second to none. 

And get this–Shovlin mattresses can be CUSTOMIZED to your preference! Ron says: “We can tweak any mattress in our showroom to make it firmer, softer, etc. We can modify it to suit your needs. It really is a custom mattress.” For our master bedroom, we purchased a California king trip-zone pillow top (the pillow top is on BOTH sides!) with extra lumbar support, and we couldn’t be happier with it. 

The customer experience at Shovlin is also markedly different from that at other mattress stores. You’ll notice as soon as you walk into their showroom that you’re not accosted by a used-car type of salesperson. According to Ron: “We don’t pay our employees on commission. Our team builds relationships with customers. We have a genuine conversation with you to learn about your specific needs and how you sleep. It’s not a one-mattress-fits-all mentality.” Clearly the Shovlin style of low-pressure sales works: A whopping 80 percent of their business is either repeat customers or referrals!  

And speaking of customers–you’ll never guess who have been some of the top customers of Shovlin Mattress Factory. FIREMEN! Ron has carved a niche in the firefighting industry and is currently the #1 provider of mattresses to firehouses in NJ, with more than 200,000 of NJ’s Bravest getting the best night’s sleep courtesy of Shovlin mattresses. 

Besides superior mattressess, Shovlin also sells a wide range of bed frames, from traditional to day beds, trundle beds, bunk beds, platform beds, and more. They also carry mattress protectors, pillows, sheets, and some furniture. They deliver fast and will take away your old mattress/box spring at no cost. 

Here’s an interesting tidbit about Shovlin Mattress Factory–they’ve never had a sale. Never! They simply don’t need to have sales because their customers are literally getting factory-direct mattresses, so there’s no inflation of prices like you’ll find at chain stores. I appreciate that kind of directness and fairness in a business. They currently offer financing packages as well. 

If you notice a camaraderie among the employees at Shovlin, it’s because many of them have been working with Ron and family for 10, 20, even 30+ years! Ron says, “We really are like a family here, and we celebrate one another’s birthdays, milestones, and achievements.” That kindness extends outside of the factory walls, as the Shovlin family is heavily involved in the community with charitable sponsorships of townwide events and partnerships with such organizations as Furniture Assist and Habitat for Humanity. 

Shovlin Mattress Factory is located at 35 South Ave in Fanwood and is conveniently open seven days a week. Visit them on Facebook or on their website: http://shovlinmattress.com, and tell them I said hello (and good night!).