© Frank H. Jump
Shifman Mattress fleet trucks await loading in the 1940s. Today, the Hammer family has built a customer base that includes 55 high-end furniture stores and 24 Bloomingdales. – Born Into Bedding – Bed Times dot com
© Frank H. Jump
© Frank H. Jump
Shifman & Bro. Mattress Company was founded in 1893 when brothers, Abraham and Samuel Shifman established a manufacturing company dedicated to superior quality bedding. Twenty-three years later, Samuel bought out his brother’s interest and changed the company’s name to Shifman Bros., Inc. when his three sons, Milton, Simon and Arthur joined the company. In 1918, the company moved to its current location at One Mott Street in Newark, NJ. Throughout the 20th century, the Shifman family was slow to adjust to changes in the industry. Consumers wanted firmer bedding, more fashionable covers and brand name recognition.
In 1985, when Mike Hammer purchased the company from Robert and Burton Shifman, grandsons of Samuel, the company had deteriorated badly. Over the next several years, Mike Hammer changed the name to Shifman Mattress Company and instituted several improvements to its manufacturing procedure. The design changes had a positive effect on consumers.
In 1994, Mike’s youngest son, Bill, joined the team and is currently the company’s president. In 2008, the company expanded its facility by 40 percent in order to enhance its manufacturing capabilities and meet the growing demand for its mattresses.
