Our History

Starts with an idea

1899

In 1899 James Marshall knew he had a great idea. He just wanted to sleep on it a while. His invention, the pocket coil spring, set the future course for the mattress industry in North America and around the world.

The patent

1900

Patented by James Marshall in 1900; first in Canada then followed by the United States and United Kingdom in 1901. The Marshall coil became the worldwide standard for mattress construction and upholstery seating.

The standard for luxury

1914

Since the very beginning, consumers worldwide have benefited from James Marshall’s design and his legacy to future generations of bedding makers extended beyond his original patent; he also began a spirit of innovation that has led to advancements in quality mattress design ever since.

Breaking ground

1939

Marshall Mattress was founded and operated by James Marshall until his death in 1905. It was run by his business partners until the late 1910s, at which point it was sold to Marshall’s wire producer, L.A. Young Spring and Wire Corporation. It was then sold to Chrysler in the 1930s who ran the company until they sold it to past Marshall employees (1911-onward), the Warner Family in 1965. The photo shown is of a new Marshall Mattress factory in Toronto that was built for the growing company.

A growing group

1946

Marshall Mattress produced its mattresses at its factories spanning the globe. With operations across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and for a period of time, Japan. The company grew its position as the defining luxury mattress brand of the 20th century. This was bolstered by its authority as the inventor of the pocket coil spring mattress.

The quality lives on

1953

Marshall Mattress has always been known for its focus on the high-quality luxury materials used in the construction of its handcrafted mattresses. From the earliest days of the company, Marshall Mattress was the preferred choice for luxury hotels, ocean liners, including The Titanic and White Star Line fleet and by consumers worldwide.

A new chapter

2019

In 2019, the Flex Group acquired Marshall Mattress from the Warner family to continue the tradition of handcrafted quality mattress construction.

Founded in 1912 by the Beteré family, Flex Group is a 3rd generation family company and leader in the luxury mattress sector. The Flex Group commands market leadership positions in Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Chile, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States and is selling its products all over the world in more than 50 countries. The company is comprised of nine manufacturing companies with a total of 12 production centers, three retail chains and 115 showrooms in seven countries, and produces more than 1 million mattresses annually.