About Us
On 3rd January 1895 Ambrose Heal purchased the United Kingdom rights to the Patent taken out some three years earlier by John Atkinson Staples of New York, USA, for 'Improvements in Support for Upholstery Springs', thereby starting a revolution in mattress making and founding a Company which was to be synonymous with quality and service to the present day.
Ambrose Heal intended to make an impact on the bedding industry and started by introducing the "Staples Patent Spiral Spring Mattress." The beds were in brass and metal tubes or in iron or a combination of both. Springs and corrugated wires necessary for the manufacture of these iron beds and wire mattresses were imported from the United States. (The term "mattress" was then applied to the bed spring unit and not the sleeping surface which is the mattress of today.)
An overlay which could be of flock, wool or feather was exclusive to the bedsteads. Staples were still not making their own "overlay" mattresses in 1925 so they acquired additional premises to develop a quality "overlay" mattress. New patents were taken out and the Staples Interior Overlay went into production.
The Company expanded and the need for new premises became paramount. In 1926 Mr. Harold Heal commissioned the designing and building of the factory which has since become one of the North West London's best known landmarks...'Staples Corner'. In fact the northbound flyover section of which was officially opened in 1976 by the Chairman, Mr Robert Heal.
Because of limited space, and the difficulty of expanding an efficient factory in London at the time, the company was acquired by Myer’s Beds and moved to modern premises in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in 1986 and became part of the Hilding Anders Group in 2007.
The Royal Warrant
On October 26, 1915, when visiting his troops in France, King George V fell victim to an unfortunate accident: his horse, excited by the cheering crowds lining the streets, reared and fell, causing severe straining to the King's back.
King George V
On his return to England, the King was advised by his physicians to sleep on a Staples bed - the unique construction of which had already demonstrated its superiority in maintaining correct spinal support, which we now recognize as being an essential ingredient in healthy, restful sleep. The fact that written permission had been given to the state that the bed had "given satisfaction" to the King was used in all literature and advertisements by the Company. In the ensuing years similar beds were supplied to several of the Royal residences.
In 1932 a Royal Appointment was granted by King George and has been graciously renewed by each successive monarch including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The Hilding Anders Group is committed to being the leading innovator in our industry so that we can give the world a good night’s sleep - Click here to learn more
