Small Business Resources, Business Advice and Forms from AllBusiness.com
 

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Space-saving Beds in New Jersey

Publication: New Jersey Business
Date: Saturday, March 1 2003

The thought of "Murphy beds" often conjures up images of old movies, in which beds fold down from walls and comedians get folded up into them, much to the amusement of laughing audiences.

However, the Murphy Bed Center of New Jersey, Ramsey, is anything but slapstick comedy. In fact, its elegant

beds don't resemble the Murphy beds of the past, as they come in a variety of attractive designs, systems and finishes. The 1,000 square-foot store showcases nine models, but there are approximately 40 models to choose from and the store's computer aided drafting (CAD) equipment allows customers to see precisely what beds will look like in specific room dimensions. At press time, the center has definite plans to open a second, 1,000 squarefoot store in Cliffside Park.

"The response [to the beds] has been excellent," enthuses Sal Riggi, partner. "People have many reasons for needing a Murphy bed: children returning home from college, a marriage that didn't work, parents getting older and children taking in parents."

He says the beds allow rooms to serve more than one function, thus saving space.

"If you buy a conventional bed," he says, "that bed stays there. That room is a bedroom and that is all that it can be used for. In our case, during the day the room can be an office [for example]."

He adds that the beds use traditional mattresses, providing the same comfort as standard beds. He says one of his challenges has been alerting people that his company offers more than just Murphy beds. In fact, The Murphy Bed Center offers solutions for closets, attics, garages, basements, home offices and other areas.

Riggi says that for every three customers who enter the store, two end-up buying a bed within 30 days.

"When they come in and look at Murphy beds, they are not just shopping around the way a person would shop for furniture. They know specifically that this is going to convert their bedroom to a home office during the day, and at night give them a very comfortable bed to sleep on ... the challenge is letting them know where we are and exactly what we do."

As for the future, Riggi says he wants to have five or six New Jersey stores within the next three years.

In addition, make sure to read these articles:

  • Family Business
  • Private-eye Patience Mackellar (Death Duties, 2004, etc.) is working on a case of a missing rancher while her assistant, daughter Verity, is busy getting her ......
  • A Real Calling Card
  • The Phone-Card-Phone from Dieceland Technologies is small, as its name suggests, but has giant marketing potential, says inventor Randi Altschul. "It works like everybody's cell ......
  • Carlyle Towers to auction 75 units at grand opening.
  • Carlyle Towers to auction 75 units at Grand Opening Owners of The Carlyle Towers announced that the $150 million, luxury complex atop the Palisades will ......
  • Darwood Mgt. retained.
  • Darwood Management, Inc., has been retained as the property management firm for Winston Towers 200, a 614-unit condominium, in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Winston Towers ......
  • "mr. rose," dv comedy
  • Casting for medium length b/w digital video comedy, "Mr. Rose," set inside a junior high school. Andrew Stewart, J. Giampietro, prod'rs; J. Giampietro, dir. Shooting ......
  • CNA serving a round of liquor liability in NewJersey.
  • CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 20, 1997--CNA is stirring up business in New Jersey. It announced today a new liquor liability program for the state's hospitality industry. Taverns, ......
  • William Procida Incorporated (WPI).
  • William Procida Incorporated (WPI) has arranged mortgage financing for three transactions in the aggregate amount of $7.15 million for the following properties: $2.4 million in ......
  • Stage of Recovery
  • Bob L. found his freedom in a cage, not once but twice. The first time was Thanksgiving Day 1988, in a New Jersey jail cell.
  • THE GELBER ORGANIZATION: REDUCING TAX EXPOSURE, MAXIMIZING CLIENT PROFITS
  • The Gelber Organization, with offices on the 26th floor atop Gateway One in Newark and satellite offices in New York City and Chicago, has gained ......
  • LB, Series 1992-M1, Classes C1 & C2 Affirmed By Fitch.
  • Business Editors NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 2001 LB Multifamily Mortgage Trust's, multiclass pass-through certificates, series 1992-M1, are affirmed by Fitch as follows: $1.3 million class ......
  • Gerber/Somma Associates sells 3 NJ multi-family properties.
  • The vitality of the New Jersey inner-city apartment market was recently reflected by the sale of three multi-family buildings housing 70 units with a combined ......
  • Eclipse and Red-Ray create Infra-Red alliance. (Industry News).
  • Eclipse, Inc. (Rockford, IL) and Red-Ray Mfg. Co. (Cliffside Park, NJ) have entered into a marketing and distribution agreement to promote industrial infrared process heating....