1982
James, then 19 years old, trains with master mattress maker Noel Twomey from Cork who had recently retired from his own business.
1983
Natural Sleep Co. is born with one small Singer sewing machine. Husband and wife team James and Mary Rose found their business together in Ballylanders, Co Limerick.
1984
Their first customer was Joe Whelan, Main Street, Tipperary Town. These mattresses were handmade and crafted by James Hayes.
1985
Interest in Natural Sleep increases. The first decade focused on sales and growth.
1990
Stocked in retailers across Munster.
1992
The first extension goes up to cope with demand
1993
The Adjustable Bed range is launched.
1996
Another extension is added
2001
Major expansion, the workshop is doubled in size.
2002
On the 11th of April 2002, then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern opens the brand-new extension. A day of celebration with family and employees.
2005
James and Chris travel to the United States to invest €600,000 in innovative mattress machinery and technology.
2006
Building of 15,000sq ft warehouse to cope with rising demand.
2007
Nature’s Finest Mattress wins an award at the RDS furniture show in Dublin.
2008
Economic crash hits hard and production slows down.
2012
Production recovers at a slow pace.
2015
James and Chris travel to the United States again to investigate “mattress in a box”. Over 90% of mattresses produced in the US are now rolled and boxed.
2018
Natural Sleep make the bold move to develop a full range of high-quality mattress that are rolled and boxed. They will be the first mattress company this side of the Atlantic to do so.
2018
Investment of 1.5 million euro in an automated line to produce high quality mattresses.
2020
Interest in natural organic materials increase and Natural Sleep Co. launch their Organic Collection online to ship direct to the consumer.
2020
The Covid pandemic hits and disrupts production. The factory has to shut for eight weeks.
2021
Natural Sleep Co. receive an award from The Design & Craft Council of Ireland.
2023
The Natural Sleep receive an Irish Business Design Challenge award from the Design & Craft Council of Ireland for the Organic mattress range. They are recognised for “minimising their environmental impact through eco-friendly production methods and recyclable packaging, while also supporting local craftsmanship in Ireland."
In October 2023, the Natural Sleep held a show case event to display the newly updated range. Our customers came from all over the country to this event. It was a great success.
2024
The move to a mattress in a box model proved to be a huge success now supplying to 32 counties in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Natural Sleep Co. have their own dedicated delivery team and employ an outside logistic team to provide a fast delivery to customers within 24-48 hours.
Exports to the UK and Spain are growing steadily with lead times of 3/4 days. Exports to the US are also looking promising. Business in the last three years has increased by 30%. There is a combined total of 40 employees, full time and seasonal.
2025
The exciting launch of new branding, applied across the entire Natural Sleep Co. product range, and renovation of the brand showroom to propel their family run business into the next decade for the next generation. Further investment in natural materials and bio-based treatments across all collections. Launch of Organic Accessories: Mattress Topper, Pillow and Duvet sets made with 100% natural, organic materials.
2026
Exciting opportunities await as Natural Sleep Co. look to launch their own retail premises in 2026, bringing their natural way to a great night’s sleep to even more people across Ireland.