Eccles mattress family destroyed by fire

October 30, 2013 · By Stabroek editor · 3 Comments    2 hours agoNext Article »

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A fire in the Eccles Industrial Estate tonight completely destroyed the factory of Comfort Sleep Mattress Company and threatened to consume surrounding structures as firemen battled to douse the flames.

When this newspaper visited the scene at around 19:00 hours, the fire was raging and the chemicals and other materials used in foam mattress manufacturing caused loud explosions to go off.

Firemen up to around 20:15 hours were battling to save surrounding buildings from destruction.

“It is a big blow…around this time…with all of the orders we have backed up to fulfil both local and overseas,” said Deodat Narine, Production Manager at Comfort Sleep said. But he assured that none of the employees will lose their jobs. “Nobody will be out of a job…everyone will continue to have a job at Comfort Sleep,” said the tearful manager. “We don’t know as yet [what might have caused the fire] security just said that he heard a hard noise and then saw the fire in the building.

The fire raging tonight

maninthebush                           

• was about to mention the same 'how a little matress company grew up in guyana'

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  How a little mattress company grew up in Guyana

  October 30, 2013 | By KNews | Filed Under News 

    By Leonard Gildarie

  In one of the country’s newest industrial site, a little business has quietly grown up and taken over the foam mattress market. And it is all being made in Guyana. Now, Comfort Sleep, owned by Guyanese-born Dennis Charran, is eyeing the overseas market.

  

  Comfort Sleep owner, Dennis Charran

  The little business, at the Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara, has been making all types of mattresses for the last decade. With just under 30 employees, Comfort Sleep controls 75% of the foam mattress market. It has been making inroads in the spring mattress market which has traditionally been in the hands of importers. Almost all the major retailers in the city, including Courts, and from across the country have been snapping up the products. Government over the years has been plugging growth in the manufacturing sector as critical to the long-term development of Guyana. Many of the manufacturing companies have also been complaining of power costs, saying it is the main reason why it is hard to compete against similar products being imported. According to Charran, it has not been an easy road for him and the company. He has been involved in the mattress business for over 20 years, originally importing from Trinidad. The company that he was doing business with at the time, Slumber Sleep, decided to bring their business to Guyana and with Charran, established a factory at the Ruimveldt industrial site. However, that company pulled out leaving Charran to think about his next move. He took over the operations and Comfort Sleep was launched. It was tough going initially. Not only was he paying rent on the Ruimveldt industrial site, but forced to lease equipment. “It was tough and we worked hard for the next two years.” Marketing the company and not taking no for an answer, the businessman, now 49, slowly made inroads. That hard work paid dividends. Charran was able to buy out the equipment and when Government announced that it was opening the industrial site at Eccles, the businessman moved in and threw his weight behind a calculated risk. The investments, too, paid off. Offered an acre of land, he converted it into a factory and his office. There was little cash to spare. “We worked hard, very hard. Many hours.” Charran is now fast running out of space and was forced to go an extra floor. Comfort Sleep is also renting space nearby for storage. The company has opened a retail outlet in Nandy Park, a mile away. Today, in addition to the cheaper foam mattress, there is the memory foam and spring mattress.

  

  Mattresses being readied for the market

  Initially, Comfort Sleep faced stiff competition from established manufacturers. That situation changed slowly over the years in favour of Comfort Sleep. The competition in the spring line continues today, but it is coming from importation. “Our products are better when comparing price and quality. We have been busy educating our customers. Today, I can tell you that there is next to zero importation on foam mattress in the country.” Charran, making his rounds around the factory during a tour last week, was at home. All the raw materials used to create the foam are imported. However, equipment is brought into play to make the large blocks of foam which are then cut to particular sizes. These are then placed in protective covers and stitched with special sewing machines. The manufacturing processes are all in keeping with international health standards, Charran assures. Doing business has been a challenge. Not only is Comfort Sleep fighting to ensure its growth continues, Charran is travelling back and forth between Canada and Guyana. Canada is where his family is based. Comfort Sleep has large, wholesale customers across the country, as far as Lethem. It has now entered Suriname and is looking for a deal with Venezuela. At Lethem, the Brazilians have taken a liking for what they are seeing. “We have been asked by Suriname to reduce the size of our mattress to make it cheaper. But we told them no way, as Comfort Sleep has a standard and reputation of good service to upkeep.” The company has also been attending GuyExpo over the years, making the brand more marketable.

  

  The factory at Eccles

  Charran is now grooming one of his daughters to take the reins of the business. “Yes, the housing sector growth has been a major boost to the business. And yes, we are doing well.” However, he disclosed that perhaps one of the biggest challenges facing his business is the shortage of dependable skills. “We have been attempting to work with residents in the area but the problems remain.”

   

Fire destroys storage bonds

-    Fire service saves factory

By Javone Vickerie

Fire fighters last evening risked their lives to fight an inferno which destroyed the stock bond of the Comfort Sleep Company and gutted another bond belonging to Payless Variety Store. The blaze erupted just after 19:00hrs. According to an eyewitness, around 19:00hrs, she was shaken by a loud explosion. “I was watching television when all of a sudden I hear this big boom so I get up fuh see if something happen but I didn’t see anything. It was like 10 minutes after that I hear more things started to explode. Then I hear me neighbour saying Comfort Sleep was on fire,” the resident said. The woman said that when she and other residents ran to the scene, the fire had already spread alarmingly, giving off an unbearable heat, which had scores of persons standing a good distance away.

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The fire destroyed the stock bond of Comfort Sleep and gutted another belonging to Payless Variety Store.

Another resident said that while he was standing at the corner of the Street, he saw a big flame coming from between the two buildings. “I see this thing just explode and shoot up in the air but with all them things they had in there it just add to the fire which threatened to get out of control,” the eyewitness said. The security guard at the Comfort Sleep Factory said that the fire started at the Payless Bond. “I sit down here and all I see is this big ball of flame blow through the window at Payless and it took no time catch the bond,” the security guard said. The man added that he immediately contacted the Guyana Fire Service who acted promptly. “They tek like 10 minutes fuh reach here and two a dem come but then another set come after because they water run out,” the guard said. One of the employees of Comfort Sleep, Amanda Chung, said that about 20:00 hours she received a call notifying her that the bond had been destroyed by a fire. “I just hear the fire start from Payless and that the stocks bond where all the chemicals to make the foam all gone,” Chung lamented. The employee said that there was no one in the bond at the time of the fire. Although she was unable to estimate the total losses, Chung said that the building which stored the raw material and chemicals to make the foam was insured. Operations Manager, Deodat Narine, said that he was at home when he received a call from the security guard just after 7 o clock notifying him that he heard a loud explosion. Narine said that when he arrived on the scene the entire structure had already been burned to the ground. He added that although the fire is a big blow to the company with its local and international orders, the 35 employees will not be out of jobs. Deodat also explained that the chemicals stored in the bond could have posed a setback for the fire fighters as these elements will continue to burn. “The Chemicals we had in there, no matter how much water they throw, will not stop burning till all burn out,” the manager said. Residents in the area however commended the efforts of the fire service which managed to save the nearby factory from setting alight. “We got to give it to them men they really risk they lives the fire wasn’t easy to battle and they save the big factory because all of dem close up together,” one resident said. As fire fighters battled the blaze four explosions rent the air. Two barrels filled with flammable chemicals were also sent flying through the air and sending onlookers running for their lives. Luckily the barrels landed in the fenced perimeter.

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The AFC/PnC have vowed to make the country ungovernable and now they return to burning. In fact they have a team led by Nigel who specialize in arson. Ramjattan would advise the perpetrators on the legal steps to evade capture once the fire is set and even represent them in court if they are caught. 

Goadee Walla, I have a new picture of you weighing your goadee.

  The Specialty hospital does not have this on their list as one of their "specialty operations".