Manufacturing and Energy

Impact of Current U.S. Energy Policies on Mattress Industry

May 23, 2006
The House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill, which included provisions to permit natural gas exploration in parts of the Outer Continental Shelf that have been off limits to development for 24 years.  This is a tremendous achievement for ISPA and our allies in other industries that depend on stable and affordable natural gas supplies and that have supported this objective through the Consumers Alliance for Energy Security (CAES).   Read the CAES press release.


The cushioning and support systems used in most mattresses made in the United States use various types of flexible foams.  Most of these foams are made from petroleum-based chemicals.  Mattress manufacturers and their component suppliers also consume large amounts of energy in producing and assembling their products.

Existing U.S. energy policies inhibit mattress producers’ access to needed energy and petrochemicals, expose them to potential supply disruptions and harm their global competitiveness.  As a result, U.S. manufacturers for example pay several times more for natural gas than do their foreign competitors.  The same is true for petrochemicals that are the building blocks for many products manufactured here.

For the mattress industry, these high prices not only raise manufacturing costs across the board, but also lower the incentive for chemical companies to build and modernize U.S. plants that make raw materials needed to produce polyurethane foam and other mattress components.  This reduces the U.S. capacity to produce these materials. 

Our foreign competitors do not face the same high costs and resulting constraints in manufacturing capacity, allowing them a substantial cost advantage over manufacturers in America.  In other words, outdated and misguided U.S. energy policies are in effect “outsourcing” U.S. mattress industry jobs and long-term business to foreign markets. 

ISPA is working to create stable and affordable energy supplies through the Consumer Alliance for Energy Security (CAES).  CAES is a coalition of other industry groups that, like the mattress industry, depend on affordable energy.  Our coalition is working diligently to pass natural gas legislation in 2006.

See examples of how energy prices and policies have impacted the mattress industry.

ISPA has adopted a new energy policy that supports government action to create a stable and affordable supply of energy.  In helping to make energy more affordable, ISPA suggests that members view the following resources that may help to improve energy efficiency and reduce their energy costs:

Heating: http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/industry/20ways.html

Industrial Assessment Centers.  Engineering students and mentors evaluate energy usage at small and medium-sized manufacturing sites and make energy recommendations.  (no cost) http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/iacs.html

Typical energy costs that can be saved:  http://iac.rutgers.edu/technicaldocs/Useful_Stuff/rulesofthumb.pdf