Hayleys targets lucrative bedding materials market with completion of foam mattress facility

 From left: Hayleys Chairman and Chief Executive Mohan Pandithage and Co-Chairman Dhammika Perera lighting the 

oil lamp at the opening ceremony

• Facility completed with total investment of Rs. 225 million from Eco Solutions
• Enables unprecedented in-house manufacture of all popular types of PU foam mattresses
• Aims to capture larger share of 1.6 million mattresses sold annually 
• Utilizes state-of-the art German and other advanced technology 
• Ample capacity to achieve larger market share

Sri Lanka’s most diversified conglomerate Hayleys PLC announced the commissioning of its first Polyurethane (PU) Foam Mattress manufacturing facility as part of a continuing effort to capture a larger share of domestic, and potentially export business. 

Funded by a Rs. 225 million investment from Eco Solutions group, the new facility will feature state-of the-art German and other technology, enabling to cater larger market share.

It is difficult to put a value on a good night’s sleep, yet each of us will spend on average, one-third of our lives asleep. In that sense, it is strange that some would spend more time and money on constantly switching to the latest car or vehicle, and yet will not change their mattress even once in the same period. 

“Today it is estimated that Sri Lankans purchase upwards of 1.6 million mattresses every year, of which 80% is foam mattresses. As a company that has produced the best bedding materials in the island for the past 15 years, we see great potential for this bold new expansion in our business – both in terms of fulfilling local demand, and substituting imports as well,” Hayleys Eco Solutions Managing Director Rajitha Kariyawasan said.    

The most recent market research indicates that presently in Sri Lanka that three main types of mattresses are popular in the domestic market: Foam, coir and spring. While foam mattresses lead the market, coir accounts for 11% of the market share, and spring mattresses account for 3% of market share.

Notably, Hayleys has the manufacturing capability to cater to all three main types of mattresses utilizing state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and stands firm as Sri Lanka’s established leader in the production of superior coir mattress utilizing Japanese technology to fulfil the needs of the domestic market. 

The company manufactures a range of coir mattresses for a comfortable night’s sleep while ensuring maximum posture comfort. The all-natural orthopaedic mattress remains the most popular in the domestic market for relieving back pain.  Hayleys Mattresses also produces a range of spring mattresses for the upmarket segment covering hospitality sectors, middle and upper income category. Most recently, the company introduced a special spring mattress with superior comfort at an affordable price.  

With new addition of PU Foam Manufacturing, Hayleys now has the capability to introduce an innovative product range to the bedding market in the near future, comprising multi-layered mattresses primarily made of foam-based bedding materials, used in conjunction with other bedding materials. Hayleys Mattresses offers an affordable sleeping solution filled with comfort to every individual who sorts a new mattress.  

PU foam enables distinctive advantages in terms of providing a soft but firm sleeping surface that temporarily moulds itself to the contours of a sleeper’s body, enabling improved orthopaedic support, even weight distribution and a soft touch that will guarantee the owner of a Hayleys Mattress a deep and restful night’s sleep. 

Foam mattresses also provide customers unmatched value, given their improved durability and hypoallergenic properties, while the unprecedented ability to manufacture foam mattresses locally will imbue Hayleys Mattresses with an even greater domestic competitive advantage. 

Hayleys’ Eco Solutions Sector is Sri Lanka’s leading manufacturer and exporter of value added coconut fibre products as brushware, floor coverings, erosion control/ bio engineering products, rubberized coir pads and mattresses. Reputed globally for its innovative and tailor-made solutions, the sector manufactures and distributes more than 105 products locally and internationally. We serve the needs of diverse customers including reputed retailers and DIY outlets across all continents of the globe.

Established in 1878 by Chas. P. Hayley as a trading house in Galle specializing in import and export, the Hayleys Group has since grown to serve as a centrepiece of the Sri Lankan economy while maintaining a global presence of manufacturing and marketing offices across five regions with business interests spanning a total of 16 sectors.  Today it stands out as one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent success stories, having been the first listed Sri Lankan corporate to surpass $ 1 billion in revenue and accounting for 3.3% of the nation’s total export earnings.