A complete copy of a printed magazine
MPT Group did not let the challenges of the global pandemic hinder its plans for continued growth. In the past five years, the mattress machinery manufacturer's products have steadily increased in demand in the United States and neighboring Mexico, Central and South American markets, and this trend has accelerated in 2020. Therefore, MPT Group will soon be based in England, Bacup managing director Andrew Trickett (Andrew Trickett) said that the first dedicated field office opened in the United States to provide services to the region.
“We now have more than 150 different machines operating in the US and Mexican markets, including Infinity Sleep Support System, Autotufter and other machines from our sewing automation production line,” Tripckett said. "In order to support this activity and growth, we must invest to provide a field service response."
Bacup, England, where a 25,000 square foot facility is operated
Machinery supplier in the mattress industry. Line includes a variety of mattress manufacturing machinery, including machines for tufting, quilting, edging, hemming, flanging and label sewing, as well as machines for manufacturing continuous wire spring coil units.
Founded in 1986 by David Trickett and Paul Rodgers, it was called Dimegrove Engineering, a dealer of second-hand mattress machinery. Started manufacturing new machinery in 1989. In 1999 the company was reorganized into MPT Group.
Privately held by managing director Andrew Trickett, co-founder David Trickett (now retired) and MatParts.co.uk principal Paul Rodgers.
MPT Group, unlimited sleep support system
Trickett added that as customers around the world gain more experience in the quality of MPT Group's equipment and after-sales service support, they are more confident in making additional investments in the company's machinery.
Facts have proved that the Covid-19 pandemic is a busy sales period for MPT Group-as it is for the industry as a whole-because home consumers have upgraded their household products, including new beds. "Just like in the United States, sleep spending in the United Kingdom has increased significantly, which has led to new investments in mattress machinery," Trickett said.
He said business during the pandemic was “excellent, but not without challenges,” such as travel restrictions. Such restrictions have spawned new business operations, such as video conferencing. "As we grow, these methods have inspired the way we work with customers," Trickett said.
Trickett said that MPT Group's book sales into 2021 will be $5.6 million-more than twice the typical order. Orders come from all over the world, and Trickett expects strong demand to continue until 2022, thanks to its planned new initiatives.
While MPT Group seeks to expand its influence in the United States, it is also expanding its influence in other markets. The company operates in 96 countries/regions, from Asia, Africa and the Americas to all European countries and almost every other region of the world.
"70% of the machines we produce are exported," Trickett said, adding that MPT Group has more than 100 Infinity sleep support systems in operation worldwide. This is an increase from about 30 systems five years ago.
Trickett said that the Infinity machinery used for spring production uses patented technology and is particularly popular due to its combination of high productivity and low operating and labor costs. (See the ad on page 4.) The machine also enables manufacturers to make lightweight plush mattresses. A typical 7 ¾ inch large Infinity spring unit with 640 coils weighs just over 24 pounds.
"The Infinity system sets a new standard for the production of high-quality open coil spring units," Trickett said. "Our unique micrometer technology produces a continuous spring unit with excellent durability and body fit."
He said the system has reduced unit manufacturing costs by as much as 32% for manufacturers of open coil devices, or by as much as 60% for bedding manufacturers who purchase spring devices from outside. He added that these data are based on customer feedback on the actual results they have achieved.
Trickett said that another key selling point of Infinity is the new ultra-high loft system, which enables spring unit manufacturers to create units with coils up to 7 ¾ inches and a total of more than 800 coils. This allows manufacturers to provide mattresses with a higher profile and a greater number of coils, avoids the need to add expensive padding to achieve unit height, and "provides a further reason for potential buyers to consider the system," he said.
Customer-centric innovative product development has always been the hallmark of MPT Group. The company's history can be traced back to 1986, when Andrew Trickett's father, David Trickett, was a fiber salesman, and he took the risk of selling second-hand machines. Andrew Trickett said that the old Trickett quickly worked with the successful sewing machine repair expert and "visionary product development engineer" Paul Rogers.
Old Trickett and Rogers saw the opportunity to serve the bedding market with new equipment and founded Dimegrove Engineering in 1989 and began designing and manufacturing bedding machinery. Over time, the business was merged back into the MPT Group. (MPT is short for mattress production technology.)
In the early to mid-1990s, MPT Group launched two machines, laying a solid foundation for stable growth. The first is Matramax, a high-speed tape edge banding machine introduced in 1993. The second is BordaTac, which simulates the intricate hand-stitched mattress frame type associated with high-end British mattresses, Trickett said.
Since its launch, more than 1,800 Matramax edge banding machines have been put into use worldwide. "BordaTac has become a must-have machine for any company that wants to produce mattresses with typical British influence," Trickett said. He added that the company's other long-term flagship product is Autotufter, which is a fully automatic mattress and futon tufting machine.
Within 10 years of its establishment, MPT Group also achieved growth through the acquisition of two other British bedding machinery manufacturers-P. Fanghanel & Co. Ltd. and Matramatic Co. Ltd.. These acquisitions expanded the range of machines in the MPT Group product line and brought new capabilities in product development and engineering expertise.
Today, MPT Group sells nearly 40 different mattress production machines. The company's product range includes machines for wire forming, frame and mattress quilting, tufting, edging, hemming, flanging and label sewing, as well as materials processing and spring unit roll packaging machines. MPT Group also provides machines for sewing composite materials for the production of the world's largest wind turbine blades.
"Our focus is always on innovation," Trickett said. "For every machine we develop, we try to come up with something new and unique to give our customers an advantage in the market."
MPT Group's customers include various bedding manufacturers, from small start-ups to large, mature international companies and authorized groups such as Restonic, Spring Air International and Therapedic International. "We can customize solutions for any plant size or budget that meets their needs, whether it's cutting costs, expanding their design capabilities, or increasing productivity," Trickett said.
In the field of tufting, the flagship machine of the MPT Group is the Autotufter. Autotufter updated the newly patented multi-lace length system in 2020, and can now automatically select and load the required lace length, tufting configuration and tufting pattern for any mattress on the assembly line without operator intervention. It is suitable for mattresses and futons, including high-end beds.
Trickett said that Autotufter can tuft more than 200 mattresses in a typical 8-hour shift, doubling the capacity of manual tufting operations, while also reducing production bottlenecks and personnel requirements. Trickett said that the system has more than a dozen machines in operation in the United States, which "obviously resonated with customers." "This latest innovation eliminates the downtime for changing laces, thereby reducing material handling, shortening cycle times and increasing productivity."
Also helping bedding manufacturers increase productivity is Smart-Hem, a fully automatic hemming station for micro-quilting panels. The design of Smart-Hem allows it to be paired with any manufacturer's multi-needle quilting machine, and there is no need to flange the mattress panel after quilting.
"This is a huge labor-saving solution and introduces a single process alternative to the current quilting method, which further reduces the labor requirements when producing quilted panels," Trickett said.
In the field of multi-needle quilting, MPT Group recently launched the iQuilt2 machine. Following the successful launch of the first multi-needle machine to the market in 2009, iQuilt2 is a chain stitch quilting machine with full take-off capability and a speed of 1,200 rpm. iQuilt2 can be integrated with an optional fully automatic panel cutting machine for multi-slit frames or integrated with Smart-Hem for the production of finished panels.
Trickett said that the Windows-based system comes with more than 180 designs pre-installed, but with its integrated CAD capabilities, the design options are limitless. "IQuilt2 is extremely competitive, priced at $125,000 and can be shipped to any website in the United States," he said. "It provides an unparalleled quilting solution that has attracted the attention of many companies around the world."
With all its machines, MPT Group is looking for new ways to help its customers increase productivity and quality. For this reason, a key area is product traceability.
"We use an'active system' with radio frequency chip technology that allows the manufacturer to track the bed at every step of the manufacturing process," Trickett said. "These data provide new insights into production bottlenecks and help identify processes that need to be adjusted."
RF chip technology also allows tracking of products from the warehouse to delivery to retailers and final consumers. "This data can help load vehicles and also help determine which mode of transportation is the fastest and most cost-effective," Trickett said. If the product is returned, the chip will provide valuable information about the production time of the bed and the staff.
Since its establishment, the MPT Group has been producing machines in a factory in Lancashire, northwest England. The 25,000-square-foot facility also houses the company’s corporate offices. The company is vertically integrated and includes a research and development team, as well as production, service and installation engineers. Most of the 35 employees have been with the company for more than 10 years, and Trickett is very proud of it. "They are the core of our company's DNA and success," he said.
"In 2020, we launched a new cross-training program so that each of our employees can work on any of our machines," Trickett said. He added that this approach allows companies to respond more quickly to surges in demand for their products, because team members can move outside of their areas of expertise when needed.
Faced with increasing demand, MPT Group has also begun to outsource some components in order to improve efficiency. "By bringing in parts from trusted suppliers, we have increased productivity by 30%," Trickett said.
MPT Group prides itself on the quality of its machines and high customer satisfaction. "If someone buys a machine from us, they tend to become lifelong customers," Trickett said. "Over time, the sale of one machine will lead to the sale of many other equipment."
He attributed this success to "the reliability of our machines and the responsive and effective after-sales support we provide."
MPT Group's service and technical engineer team provides customers with on-site support, remote diagnosis and video conference support. In addition, the company has signed contracts with Siemens and Schneider Electric to provide on-site support for its machines in the global market, including the United States. The new machine was installed on site by MPT Group engineers. Every machine sold by MPT Group comes with a two-year warranty.
"In normal (pre-pandemic) times, one of our engineers will support the delivery of new machines in the United States, Mexico or Europe almost every month," Trickett said. "We use this opportunity. If another customer in the area has a problem, the engineer will point out to visit the location."
To support its product line, MPT Group provides services to customers who need spare parts through MatParts.co.uk. The business is owned by Paul Rodgers, co-founder of MPT Group, and provides complete replacement parts for MPT Group and mechanical parts made by other manufacturers.
"Mattress manufacturers need to be able to quickly source quality parts to minimize production downtime," Trickett said. "The MatParts website makes ordering easy and ensures that our customers can get the parts they need quickly and economically."
In order to maintain business growth, MPT Group strives to enhance or expand the capabilities of its machines. This year, a key area is the further development of its Infinity continuous wire spring system.
"We are developing an ultra-low height micro-coil system that will become a new member of the Infinity series," Trickett said. "The low-cost spring system will have up to 2,400 springs with a coil height of approximately 2 inches, which can provide an open design and a pocket coil variant at a later stage."
The new system, called Infinity Ultra, will use the company's trace metal wires with a diameter of 0.9 mm to 1.2 mm instead of fillers as a comfort layer. "But at the same time, the machine enables manufacturers to create coil counting marketing opportunities that retailers seek at competitive prices," he said.
Trickett stated that Infinity Ultra does not "want to compete with today's low-profile pocket coils", "because this is a fairly saturated market. On the contrary, Infinity Ultra will provide a low-cost, ultra-high coil count continuous line unit solution. , Can be combined with any existing coil system, and the cost is only a small part of the pocket unit."
According to Trickett, “the lack of innovation at the low end of the mattress market is actually where manufacturers and retailers need an advantage. Infinity Ultra has the ability to inject this market through concepts usually associated with high-end pocket unit systems. New vitality."
A full roll version of the Infinity spring system is also under development, designed to meet the needs of the growing boxed bed market. "Currently, there is no continuous wire spring system suitable for boxed beds, but we hope to change this," Trickett said.
This year, as Covid-19 continues to pose a threat to large-scale live events such as trade shows, MPT Group is using its website and other digital channels to update customers with the latest developments in its product line.
Trickett said: "The pandemic has made all of us think outside the box and think about how we communicate and share information with customers." "I look forward to the day when we can travel more freely and visit our customers because this is an expansion. The key to our customer base. But at the same time, we are using all available digital tools to keep in touch."
As part of this work, MPT Group is updating its website with new tools to help customers view the features of its products from any location. The company already has a strong online presence, with professionally produced machine videos available on its website and YouTube. In the next few months, its website will be enhanced and redesigned to include more language options and other features, including log-in access to a private area where customers can view information about new machines before delivery Real-time video of the test.
In order to keep customers up to date, MPT Group will continue to send monthly emails and quarterly newsletters. "If we do something worth noting, we will let customers know the situation through quick notes or video links," Trickett said.
Trickett (Trickett) is a former General Electric executive who worked as a trading server on the London Stock Exchange. He returned to the family company 20 years ago at the age of 28. However, his experience in the bedding industry can be traced back to his teenage years. Work for my father during school holidays.
Although Trickett has worked outside the industry to gain business experience, he has always focused on the sleep industry.
"I think any son wants to make his father proud, or follow in his footsteps for it, no matter how big their steps are," he said. "When I was very young, I knew exactly what my destiny was. This is an industry that is difficult to leave once I enter. Personally, I like to think that we are a big family in the bedding industry because of this The degree of mutual respect and cooperation is rare in other industries today.
"Working in the bedding industry is a pleasure and a sense of pride, and I intend to participate in this industry for many years to come."
Subscribe to print magazines Business magazines in the sleep products industry Linkedin Instagram Twitter Facebook Youtube Rss Subscribe to email newsletter IPA website BedTimes Supplies Guide Better Bed Quizzz Better Sleep Council Bye Bye Mattress ISPA Mattress Recycling Committee Sleep Savvy Editorial Department Editorial Calendar News Deadline Writer's Guide About Overview Contributors Copyright Statement Privacy Policy Subscription Advertising Media Toolkit Reader Category Special Price Contact Advertising Circulation Editorial Full copy of BedTimes Digital Printed Magazine Read more 2021 BedTimes Supplies Guide Machinery, Equipment, Components Read more BedTimes Newsletter Subscribe now Read more Multiple Bedtimesmagazine.com © 2001-2021 International Sleep Products Association Privacy Policy
Sleep Products Industry Business Magazine
A complete copy of a printed magazine
Bedtimesmagazine.com © 2001-2021 International Sleep Products Association
This website uses cookies. By continuing to browse this website, you agree to our use of cookies.
We may require cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our website, how you interact with us, enrich your user experience, and customize your relationship with our website.
Click on the different category headings to learn more. You can also change some preferences. Please note that blocking certain types of cookies may affect your experience on our website and the services we can provide.
These cookies are necessary to provide you with the services provided through our website and to use some of its functions.
Since these cookies are necessary to provide the website, you cannot refuse them without affecting the functionality of our website. You can block or delete all cookies on this website by changing your browser settings and forcibly blocking them.
We also use different external services such as Google Webfonts, Google Maps and external video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data such as your IP address, we allow you to block them here. Please note that this may severely reduce the functionality and appearance of our website. After reloading the page, the changes will take effect.
Google web font settings: Click to enable/disable Google web fonts.
Google Map Settings: Click to enable/disable Google Maps.
Vimeo and Youtube video embedding: Click to enable/disable video embedding.
You can learn more about our cookies and privacy settings on our privacy policy page.