EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine April 2017 | Page 16

COVER STORY
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ant to know what makes a company successful— manufacturers have looked to adapting computers, robotics, and
at what is posted on the walls. That is the feeling you and every mattress it makes. “We give customers something they
what they believe in and what they strive for? Look
get when you walk into Fox Mattress’ Holly Hill location at 1966
North Nova Road where Ben Franklin’s quote is prominently
displayed in the showroom:
cyber technology to production, Fox Mattress still handcrafts each
can’t find anywhere else,” says Chelsea.
The sign hanging over Chelsea’s desk is “Think Big.” Chelsea
is the third generation Carter to run the business. Chelsea has
many titles, Co-Owner, Vice President, and Director of Sales, but
she doesn’t even list a title on her business card. Why? She simply
The bitterness of poor quality
remains long after the sweetness
of low price is forgotten.
This could easily be the motto of Fox Mattress, one of Volusia
County’s small business manufacturers. Simply put, Chelsea and
Rick Carter want to build a better mattress than they can buy
elsewhere. That has been the business standard for Fox Mattress
since first opening in 1968. They must be getting it right—for the
last twenty-six years Volusia County residents have voted them
Best Factory Direct Store and Best Mattress.
So how does a Mom and Pop (or really a Father and
wears too many hats. Chelsea’s so dedicated that she works six
days a week. This dedication has earned her the nickname “the
bulldog” and a tireless reputation: Chelsea will not let go until
the customers’ needs are met. Even on Saturday, her “day off,”
she often has lunch with her father and, yes, the discussion is
almost always business. A Bachelor of Science in Social Work
from Florida State University with an emphasis in gerontology
would not seem like the best preparation for her current position,
but after a couple brief flings in her chosen field, she came home
to mattresses. In fact, she and her husband both work in the
family business. Chelsea knows everything there is to know
about mattresses and is an integral part of the success of
the company.
Chelsea is too young to remember her family’s original store
Daughter) business like Fox Mattress achieve longevity in a fast- in the sixties, then named Carter Bedding. After the untimely
runs the company alongside her dad, the answer is simply going the business. At nineteen, Rick realized he could use some
paced world of innovation? According to Chelsea Carter, who
back to the basics and offering something unique. Even as other
death of her grandfather, Chelsea’s father, Rick Carter, inherited
backup. A partnership with Rex Fox helped the Carters combine
Quality Ov
FOX MATTRESS’S W
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