A family-owned Australian mattress manufacturer has collapsed into voluntary administration after 126 years in business in what has been described as a “sad day for the industry”.
Peter Lucas and Damien Lau, from P.A Lucas & Co, have been appointed joint administrators of the A.H. Beard, according to a published notice.
The Daily Telegraph reports A.H. Beard chairman Garry Beard was in tears as he informed staff at the company’s southwest Sydney factory on Tuesday that the company was being forced to restructure, leaving its future uncertain.
The move is being put down to a drop in discretionary household spending, rising manufacturing costs, and a shift towards cheaper imported mattresses.
Chief executive of the Australian Bedding Stewardship Council Kylie Roberts-Frost told The Daily Telegraph it was a “sad day for the industry”.
“The scheme of getting manufacturers on board with voluntary green measures — using recyclable materials and getting beds out of landfills at the end of its life cycle — would not exist were it not for the voluntary efforts of A.H. Beard,” Ms Roberts-Frost said.
“Today’s news about A.H. Beard is deeply saddening, both for me personally, for my team and for our industry.
“What makes this so difficult to sit with is that A.H. Beard was doing the right thing. They were investing in sustainability, supporting a stewardship scheme, and taking responsibility for end-of-life at a time when many in the industry are not.”
The company has operated under Garry Beard, his brother Allyn and Garry’s son Matthew who is CEO.
By mid-2025, the company estimated they had likely sold over 10m beds throughout its existence.
They have been a major supplier to the hotel industry and even sold a particular type of mattress in the Chinese market for more than $100,000.
