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February 12, 2009 - The Specialty Sleep Association
(SSA) has joined the American
Home Furnishings and Building
Products Coalition it was
announced at this week’s World
Market Center in Las Vegas.
According to Dale Read,
president, SSA, “Housing and
related home furnishing
improvement are the center of
the stimulus that we need. Our
goal is to have the consumer
feel confident again in order to
encourage the investment and
improvement of homes to
ultimately help the home
furnishings industry. The
mattress industry alone
currently accounts for in excess
of 50,000 jobs in the U.S.”
The coalition of home
furnishings trade associations
have recommended new tax
incentives that would boost
sales of mattresses and other
products as part of President
Obama's Economic Stimulus
package.
This proposal would directly
affect the Specialty Sleep
Association members by
incentivizing consumers to
purchase mattresses and other
home furnishing products with
the goal of jumpstarting the
industry. The plan proposes
temporary refundable consumer
tax credits and
retailer/distributor/contractor
tax credits.
The coalition has met with key
legislative staffs and incoming
Administration officials to
promote the proposal.
The coalition represents
industries including furniture,
carpet, hard-surface flooring,
paint, and bedding – a market
that by 2009 will lose $141
billion in value (35%) and
570,000 U.S. jobs without needed
assistance. The coalition
recommends providing tax
incentives to low- and
middle-income homeowners and
renters, contractors, and
commercial building owners to
undertake needed home and
building maintenance and
improvement jobs.
These proposals will
significantly help struggling
families, stimulate $128 billion
in direct consumer spending,
increase home valuations by
$58-76 billion and create
352,000 U.S. jobs.
Memory foam, latex, air, gel,
water, adjustable, new spring
technology, natural and organic
bedding products continue to
fuel the growth of the specialty
sleep category of the bedding
industry.
Retailers interested in
learning more about air, water,
memory foam, latex, gel,
adjustable beds and green or all
natural sleep products should
contact SSA Executive Director
Tambra Jones: 559-868-4187 or
559-676-8639. |
