Mattress maker’s works a dream for shelter animalsDate: 8/15/2023 AGAWAM — Aaron Bisson is a production lead at Yankee Mattress Company, and that’s quite comforting for his two dogs. Bisson has been using leftover comfort layers from the production line to make mattresses for his pooches.
“I have a concrete patio my dogs lie on, so I saw these chunks of fabric in the factory and I used them to make mattresses the dogs could sleep on. It was a no-brainer. My dogs fell in love with them,” said Bisson.
When Bisson’s friends and family saw what he was up to, they didn’t take it lying down. They asked him to make mattresses for their pets. That’s when Bisson realized he had a doggone good idea. It inspired him to go back to work and suggest taking scrap material that would otherwise end up in the dump and use it to make mattresses for the dogs and cats at Dakin Humane Society’s animal shelter in Springfield.
“The idea went over well because there are so many dog and cat lovers here,” said company president Adam Miller. “We hate to throw anything out, but it was difficult to figure out what to do with excess comforter material. Using it to make pet mattresses goes to the core of what we are as a company,” said Miller.
Yankee Mattress is owned entirely by its employees and the company encourages them to come up with ideas that benefit the business and community.
“Part of the idea of employee ownership is not just giving everyone a financial stake in the company, but to empower employees — to give them space to come up with and voice their ideas,” said Miller.
There is high quality foam built into the comforters and there is always extra material left over when mattress makers get to the end of a 17-foot roll. That material had been getting tossed in the trash — it’s now the top layer in mattresses tailor made for Dakin’s dogs and cats.
The shelter has received nearly 50 mattresses so far with an ongoing commitment to keep the donations coming.
“We are so grateful for this donation. We rely solely on contributions from individuals and businesses who care about animals, and these beds allow us to enhance the care and comfort we provide. The idea was a stroke of brilliance,” said Kaitlyn Holloway, Dakin’s community engagement manager.
Miller said employees thought about selling pet mattresses to customers, but decided making them for the animals was a better way to go.
“This is a great way to create value. Instead of making a couple bucks selling them, we want to support the community. It’s something we can all feel good about,” he said.
Back at the Bisson household, no longer content with lying in the dirt, the male dog looks at his master and then where he wants to lie down, and that’s where Bisson positions the mattress.
“He gets upset with me if I forget to put it down,” said Bisson. “He’ll just stand anxiously in front of me until I bring out his mattress. He’s gotten very spoiled.”
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