Innovation

In this business model there are actually two innovations at play. First, the ingredients are sourced from all-natural products, making the mattress organic. Although mattresses used to be made from all-natural ingredients, the market has shifted almost entirely to synthetic materials, so they are reintroducing an old innovation, to shift the market back to its roots. Second, the modular design of the mattresses, is a new concept and allows for replacement of specific parts or layers of the mattress, instead of the entire thing. Ted had a unique comparison for this, “You’re not throwing out the baby with the bathwater.” Meaning once you’ve gotten the use out of the components that make up the mattress, you can just replace them, and not throw out an entire mattress.

Coming from a background in retail and homegoods, Ted couldn’t stand for what the industry had become - finding cheaper methods of production to cut costs, even if it means using byproducts of dangerous chemicals with known side effects. These synthetic materials were easy to produce, which lowered the cost for the consumer, which made it seem like you were paying a premium for organic materials, however this form of production has an undefined trade-off between cost and health risks. Ted saw the opportunity for improvement, and went for it. “I wanted to carry products that were of higher quality than what I was dealing with…”, something Ted kept reiterating. Starting the company with a partner he would eventually buy out, he sourced the all-natural ingredients, developed contracts with manufacturers to make the mattresses and opened a showroom. He wanted people to be able to see, feel, and touch the product they were buying, and wants them to take their time making a purchase. As stated earlier, Ted cares not only about the environment, but people as well. By providing a product that: reduces potential health risks, reduces waste, eliminates the use of toxic materials, improves air and breathing quality, and can last longer than the traditional mattress; Ted isn’t just all talk. Rethinking the way products are made and the prevalence of that product in our lives, as consumers we can consciously make better, healthier choices.

Inspiration

Ted Metas’ main goal is to provide mattresses and furniture of a higher quality and inform consumers about their options when it comes to living a healthier lifestyle. A point Ted made was, “The perception of organic mattresses is that they’re uncomfortable and unaffordable.” As mentioned before, Metas has worked for companies in the commercialized mattress industry, but none of those companies specialized in constructing organic mattresses. During the 1950’s and 60’s, the mattress industry took a turn and began using petroleum based chemicals to create synthetic, low quality mattresses. After doing his research about commercial mattresses and all the harmful ingredients they are made of, he was inspired to create a mattress made of the finest natural and organic ingredients on the market. The ingredients that he chose to bring his innovation to life showed consumers that there was a healthier alternative to the standard, chemical filled mattresses that were on the market. Before the mattress industry became what it is today, mattresses were made with natural materials and people did not have to worry about toxic emissions being expelled from mattresses while sleeping. Metas’ inspiration came from wanting to go back to the basics and raises the bar for quality mattresses that are built for durability, while also being good for health and the environment.

Metas was motivated to improve the quality of health for prospective clients. Metas and his employees at Earthscape Home take their time when trying to sell their mattresses. He wanted them to know that his alternative mattress was the better choice when it came to a good night’s rest. Educating consumers about a biodegradable organic mattress in turn widens the public’s scope on living an organic and sustainable lifestyle. They encourage consumers to really do their research to ensure that those same customers understand their decision of how buying an organic mattress will impact their lives as well as the environment. Metas’ vision inspires others to live a healthier lifestyle and make better decisions that will in turn make the Earth a little better and preserve life here for future generations to come, one mattress at a time.

Overall impact

Through the creation and use of all-natural resources in the construction of mattresses, Ted’s company has flourished. By creating a mattress with different natural layers, consumers are encouraged to replace a layer of their mattress that has degraded over time instead of throwing out the mattress all together. By allowing customers to come into the mattress showroom and see the mattress and its different layers first hand, they are more likely to return to Earthscape Home and upgrade their mattress in the future. Therefore bringing future business to the company. The innovation has also provided an educational aspect to the business, they are now able to educate the public on the benefits of natural materials and how they can provide a better mattress than synthetic materials. Better-educated consumers are more likely to buy natural than synthetic once the benefits are carefully explained to them.

Business benefit

The business benefit that Metas and Earthscape Home has is that they have created a product that is completely unique and unlike any other mattress offering on the market. There are not many known commercialized mattress companies specializing in making a biodegradable mattress, especially ones with a modular design. Therefore, Earthscape Home has created a niche within an established industry where there are few competitors. Also, seeing as Metas helped create this niche, he was able to reveal the truth about the commercial mattress industry and the harm that they actually cause. The all-natural and organic mattresses are also beneficial because consumers do not have to pay a premium price based on the higher quality mattresses, making it easier for Earthscape to stay competitive. When it comes to the case of Earthscape Home and the mattresses they sell, consumers are actually paying within the same price range of standard commercial mattresses. So, the main business benefits are: a better product offering than its competitors, an educated consumer base, and returning customers. As a result of these benefits, they have been able to open and maintain a showroom for their products, and an environment to continually educate interested consumers.

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Social and environmental benefit

While the natural materials in the mattresses had a positive effect on the business itself, they also benefited society in many ways. Before Ted’s company, the options for a high quality all-natural organic mattress were very limited and hardly accessible. By producing an eco-friendly mattress, free of the unwanted chemicals found in other mattresses, Ted has opened up the market and offers better quality, healthy alternatives to an otherwise unhealthy option and made it available to the general public. In addition to the education the business provides on the benefits of Earthscape Home mattresses, they also instill the knowledge in their consumers, that better options are out there and that better choices can be made for their overall health; taking them beyond the obvious health choices such as eating healthier foods and exercising and allowing them to better understand aspects of their health they did not know were possible.

Creating mattresses made from natural materials as opposed to synthetic materials is beneficial to the environment. Since the mattresses are made in replaceable layers, the consumer is less likely to throw away the whole mattress if something goes wrong. Again Ted stated, “You’re not throwing out the baby with the bathwater.” Consumers will replace the faulty part and can continue to use the mattress for years. Replaceable layers create less overall waste from mattresses in landfills. Once a layer is thrown away, the materials each layer is made from are biodegradable, overall decreasing the negative impacts from being placed in a landfill. After the mattress degrades there will not be harmful chemicals released back into the environment unlike that of a synthetic mattress. Overall, Ted’s natural mattresses create less stress on the environment than the competitors.

The short-term effects of Earthscape Home’s natural mattresses include: consumers feeling better and more confident about the product they are choosing to bring into their home. Long-term effects include: longevity of the mattress and the ability to replace or customize parts of the mattress in the future. The consumers themselves provide key evidence that the natural mattress innovation has had an impact. It has been seen through Ted Metas’ business that consumers will choose the healthier alternative when provided with facts. The majority of consumers are health conscious and want to provide the best for themselves and their families.

Interview

Ted Metas, President