Ensley Fairfield Mattress Co. It has served the Birmingham metropolitan area for more than a century through the stock market crash of 1929 and two world wars.
But come January, the mattress company that spans three generations of the Holtzclaw family and first delivered beds in a Ford Model T will say goodbye to the region after more than 107 years in business.
“We know that in this transition, now is the right time for our family to close our last retail store in Alabama,” the company said in a statement announcing the decision. disease restrictions, cost increases, administration or the myriad of other challenges that disproportionately impact small businesses every day. Instead, we choose to look back at all the positive results we have achieved in our 107 years in operation.”
The Ensley Fairfield Mattress Company was founded in 1915 by Louis H. and Dixie A. Holtzclaw in the Ensley/Fairfield area after residents of South Carolina helped Louis’ brother open a mattress factory in Montgomery opened in a small warehouse on Avenue E.
“When our company was founded on the old dirt floor of the factory, Louie and Dixie had no idea of the legacy they were creating. They just wanted to provide Birmingham with the best sleeping options that weren’t common at the time,” the statement continued. “They focus on what their customers tell them, not what they need to sell. Each generation carries that legacy on to the end.”
The company, which now operates in Pelham, has employed hundreds of people over the years. Its delivery trucks have logged millions of miles in the Birmingham Metro.
“We love being a small part of people’s lives during their happiest moments or moments of rebuilding,” the company said. “Whoever walks through our doors, we thank them for the opportunity to win business and for choosing to shop with local companies.”