Invented in the 1960's in an effort to relieve astronauts from  the immense G-Forces experienced during take-offs and landings, "visco-elastic" foam was a breakthrough in pressure relief technology. Nasa scientists worked for years to improve the material for consumer applications.  The original formulation lived for a short time in medical surfaces and seating applications and was released to the public in the 1980's.  Due to high production cost, and the need for further research and development, the material met with little success.

Scientist at Tempur-Pedic took on the Nasa formula.  After nearly a decade and millions of research dollars they perfected what we know today as TEMPUR material and introduced our first products to Sweden in 1991.  The highly responsive dense and durable material is now a proprietary formula (and process) known only by a few within Tempur-Pedic and remains a highly guarded secret.  In 1998 Tempur-Pedic was recognized by Nasa and the Space Foundation for the advances made in the formula and the unique product innovations for consumer and medical applications.  Today Tempur-Pedic remains the only mattress and pillow manufacturer recognized by NASA and the Space Foundation.

Lie on any Sealy mattress and you channel a century and a quarter of mattress ingenuity. A journey that began in 1881 in the town of Sealy, Texas, when Daniel Haynes, cotton gin builder, filled a request for a cotton-filled mattress. And then another. And then another. His business grew exponentially, which led to more innovations and several patents. Among them, a machine that compressed cotton.

Fifteen years later, Haynes sold his patents to a Texas Company that retained the Sealy handle. Soon after, ad exec Earl Edwards penned the slogan “Sleeping on a Sealy is like sleeping on a cloud.” And with that, Sealy mattresses were a national phenomenon. By 1920, Sealy had 23 licensed plants in many regions.

Even in the face of the Great Depression, they managed to not only stay afloat, but to introduce a new product–the Button-Free Innerspring.

The innovations didn’t end there. Sealy continued their quest for the world to sleep better for decades to come. Milestones include the introduction of the Sealy Posturepedic mattress. Being the first mattress company to display and advertise a king-sized bed. Creating an Orthopedic Advisory Board. Reinventing the innerspring coil and the box spring. Patenting a variety of groundbreaking technologies, including Posture Channels and Pressure Relief Inlays designed to relieve pressure points that cause tossing and turning. And the list continues to grow to this day. In late 1983, Sealy purchased the Stearns & Foster Company. True to the Sealy heritage, these mattresses redefined luxury and expressed a dedication to craftsmanship and intricate detail. Making it a perfect and sound addition to the Sealy family of beds.

Southerland, Inc. was founded in 1893. We have over a century of progress in mattress manufacturing. We are a 100% employee owned corporation, whose dedication to produce quality and service has been, and is, the basis of our longevity and success. We have paced ourselves with the times, continually updating our equipment and craftsmanship to produce quality bedding.

Our headquarters are in Nashville, TN. We also have factories in Oklahoma City, OK and Phoenix, AZ. We have distribution points in Louisville, KY and Birmingham, AL.

Southerland's purpose is to provide quality bedding, price-wise and value-wise, that is more attractive than major advertised brands.

We are certain that we can meet your bedding needs and appreciate the opportunity to supply you with the same customer satisfaction and commitment to quality bedding that has kept our business growing for over 115 years.