An Inside Look at American-Made Furniture

Not a day goes by that I don’t hear someone say “Is there ANY furniture still being made in America?”  There was a time –not too long ago – when I would have probably answered “Yes, but probably not for long.”

I’d have been wrong (a not-infrequent occurrence, according to my wife) if I had said that.  There IS furniture being made in America… and the amount being built here is going UP instead of down.  Let’s take a look at why the trend has reversed…

• Labor costs in China have risen drastically over the last few years.  The average Chinese worker is no longer willing to work for pennies a day, and he or she prefers to work in a nice clean electronics plant with air conditioning and heat.  Higher wages, better working conditions, a drastically reduced chance of losing fingers – or worse – to a lathe or saw… who wouldn’t want to make that change?

• Transportation costs have skyrocketed with the price of fuel.  A few years ago it cost roughly $2,200 to send a 40-foot shipping container across the Pacific… I’m told that figure has risen to $5,000 or more today.

• Environmental issues have come into play as well.  The Chinese government has finally realized that they must take steps to clean up their air and water.  Remember when they had to close all the factories around Beijing months before the Olympics to clear the air?  Did you know that 7 of the 9 most polluted rivers in the world are in China?  The cleanup will cost billions – and those billions will come from increased prices on Chinese products.

While all this was going on, many American furniture companies – especially upholstery companies and smaller wood furniture companies – stuck to their knitting and did what they do best – produce a high-quality product that consumers can trust and use for years.  These companies hung on through thick and thin – tightening belts to survive – and they’re with us today.

Visit us at Bowen Town & Country Furniture in Winston-Salem, NC. We are located at 1910 Mooney Street, right off Stratdford Road…near Hanes Mall.

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New Mattress Linked to Improved Sleep

Study: Subjective Rating of Perceived Back Pain, Stiffness and Sleep Quality Following Introduction of Medium-Firm Bedding System  

The groundbreaking study “Subjective Rating of Perceived Back Pain, Stiffness and Sleep Quality Following Introduction of Medium-Firm Bedding System,” published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine (Winter 2006), confirms the link between a new mattress and improved sleep. The first – and only – research of its kind, the study provides firm scientific evidence of the critical link between mattress quality and sleep quality, as well as the importance of regular mattress replacement.The study, authored by Bert Jacobson, EdD, Tia Wallace, MS, and Hugh Gemmell, DC, EdD of Oklahoma State University, studied a control group of 59 healthy participants (30 women and 29 men) contrasting the participants’ sleep on their own mattresses (at least five years or older) to their sleep on a new bedding system.

The researchers noted that sleep deficiency interferes with daytime activity, social interactions, mood and loss of work productivity, further making the case that sleeping on a new mattress can improve overall quality of life. The following key findings show a new mattress to be a significant factor in improved sleep:

– When sleeping on a new mattress, respondents reported significant reductions in lower back discomfort and spine stiffness together with significant improvements in sleep quality and sleep comfort. The improvements were significant regardless of participants’ age and weight. What’s more, even those who originally reported they did not have back or sleep problems showed significant improvements on a new mattress.   

Percent Improvement After Four Weeks on New Bedding
(vs. Four Weeks on Old Beds – Baseline)

High-pain group Low-pain group Average:

Low back pain: +63.3% +47.3% +55.3%

Spine stiffness: +63.3% +38.0% +50.7%

Poor sleepers Good sleepers:

Sleep quality +65.8% +58.1% +62.0%

Sleep comfort +77.3% +64.2% +70.8%

– The study showed the age of participants’ original mattresses contributed significantly to back stiffness.
(Note: participants’ beds were 5 years and older, with a mean age of 9.7 years).

– New bedding systems provided both immediate and sustained benefits in sleep. Participants noted an increased improvement in sleep quality each week, all attributed to the new mattresses.

A good night’s sleep can lead to a happier, healthier, more productive life, and when the quality of sleep improves, the quality of your life improves. To Start Every Day with a Good Night’s Sleep™, the Better Sleep Council recommends evaluating mattresses for replacement every 5-7 years.

For more information on the link between sleep and the mattress, as well as tips on how to get a better night’s sleep, please visit www.bettersleep.org.

Visit us at Bowen Town & Country Furniture in Winston-Salem, NC where we carry the finest mattresses in the area, including Sealy, Sealy Posturepedic, Tempur-Pedic, and Carolina Mattress Guild.  We are located at 1910 Mooney Street, right off Stratdford Road…near Hanes Mall.

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Free Leather Upgrade With Purchase Of Stressless

You can mix business with pleasure! Free leather upgrade with purchase of Stressless Office!

We are located at 1910 Mooney Street, right off Stratdford Road…near Hanes Mall.

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Free Tempur-Pedic Foundation

Buy a Tempur-Pedic mattress now through December 2nd and get a FREE foundation!

We are located at 1910 Mooney Street, right off Stratdford Road…near Hanes Mall.

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Thank You To Our Veterans!

Veteran’s Day is coming up! We’ve teamed up with Chick-fil-a on Hanes Mall Blvd to say THANK YOU to ALL our veterans!

Now through Veteran’s Day, come in for a free gift!

We are located at 1910 Mooney Street, right off Stratdford Road…near Hanes Mall.

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