Family Owned Australian Mattress Maker A.H. Beard Calls in Administrators (after 126 Years)

hamza23 on 30/04/2026 - 12:18

From Smart Company

The administration disrupts five generations of family ownership, during which time A. H. Beard built a reputation for premium mattresses and domestic manufacturing.

Their factory is here in SA at Edwardstown.

From Sky News:

Edwardstown factory closes as A.H. Beard enters administration after 126 years. The Adelaide factory of an Australian manufacturing company has closed owing $45,000 in rent as the business enters administration, threatening 340 jobs.

It sounds like it was coming for a while, another website quoted 3 years of losses.

Flailing Aussie mattress maker A.H. Beard suffered at least three years of losses before calling in administrators

Another one to add to: 2026 Australian Business Death Predictions (in Administration/Bankruptcy/Insolvency etc.)

Financial A.H. Beard Mattress

Related Stores

A.H. Beard
A.H. Beard

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  • Benoffie on 30/04/2026 - 12:23
    +18

    Real shame and hopefully something can be done.

    Not arguing bed/mattress semantics. I just find it somewhat hypocritical that people go on about the economy in one thread but then don't preference Australian made, Australian owned products in another (or even consider the environmental impact of shipping a box mattress from China)

    And they say us oldies are out of touch…

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 30/04/2026 - 12:30
      +4

      economy

      australian made/owned

      yeah, but thats typically $$$$$$$$$$$$$, not just like 5-15% premiums…

      FWIW we bought our bed from Karl at Ausbeds - an Australian owned company with a workhsop in Marrickville where the beds are put together. It definitely was way more than all the other box in beds I had bought before but I've been happy with the quality.

      • Benoffie on 30/04/2026 - 12:40
        +3

        A supportive choice šŸ‘

        Yes, there's a premium and I acknowledge the price difference (in some cases, not always)

        But too often people aren't willing to support local. Which leads to these outcomes.

      • turbochris on 01/05/2026 - 12:21
        +1

        We bought a bed from Karl at Ausbeds a couple of years ago and also very happy with the quality.

    • Checkmate3023 on 30/04/2026 - 14:14
      +2

      Real shame and hopefully something can be done.

      this is a story for loads of Australians businesses - sad to see one that has been around for so long go but people do not realize how much tax/regulation and costs are now put on businesses it is near impossible to survive

      60% of business go bust within 5 years at least this guys lasted over a century - but it is certainly sad to see

    • Onemoredeal on 30/04/2026 - 15:48

      Kmart wouldnā€™t exist neither would Bunnings if people bought Australian made, there is no loyalty just how cheap is it .

      • Checkmate3023 on 01/05/2026 - 13:48

        Kmart wouldnā€™t exist neither would Bunnings if people bought Australian made, there is no loyalty just how cheap is it .

        why wouldnt they exist? they are retailers now suppliers they would just sell whatever people are buying

    • bargaino on 30/04/2026 - 16:34

      even consider the environmental impact of shipping a box mattress from China

      FYI, thats next to nothing. Containerised shipping is incredibly efficient.
      Though … a mattress is bulky. Quick calculation - based on 1 cubic metre, it could be 10 to 15 litres of oil ?

      • Benoffie on 30/04/2026 - 17:06

        Then I wonder about processes and environmental adherence etc. Obviously our standards are higher and more onerous.

        I get price is a driving factor for many. But manufacturing jobs are still important to have here.

    • tunzafun001 on 04/05/2026 - 17:17

      Pity, they make a decent mattress.

      One of the remaining few that sell a mattress that is reasonably comfy and you can flip.

      Harveys wanted $2900 for a Sealed, AH beards (with the same edges / box spring) was $950.

    • Nillionaire on 30/04/2026 - 12:39
      -1

      and yet when RM Williams deals are posted, there are the people that mock those of us willing to pay that much for them…

      • coffeeinmyveins on 30/04/2026 - 12:50
        +11

        because RM williams are not the quality they once were. The prices have kept going up but the quality hasn't. They've become just another expensive crappy product.

        • Jimothy Wongingtons on 30/04/2026 - 15:46
          +3

          I think heā€™s more referring to the type of posters who quote extremes like why buy $800 rmw boot when rivers or Kmart used to sell a boot for like $25.

        • MeatyOne on 30/04/2026 - 15:13

          This right here. I am happy to pay a premium for Australian made, and have a friend that has a business that makes completely Australian made clothing from the cotton to the manufacturing, which obviously comes with a bit of a premium, but the quality is there. When you're paying a premium, the quality needs to be there. It's like paying a premium for Japanese made items. Many of them are well made or constructed due to the stringent laws about things looking like, and doing what they're claimed to do. China on the other hand just puts lead and asbestos in every second item and calls it a day.

        • tubeidea on 30/04/2026 - 18:46

          I bought a pair from a deal posted here for roughly $400 a few years back, they were definitely quality boots, maybe $350 would be a fair price for them, but the $600 they want these days is a bad joke.

          I didn't like how they squashed my toes together, however, as I'd prefer not to get bunions, so I ended up selling them on marketplace brand new (only tried them on in the house) for a $50 profit, could have made more if I wanted because it was easily one of the most popular items I've ever sold on marketplace, the listing got hundreds of views within hours, definitely still a brand in high demand.

          I prefer Jim Green these days, ethically made in South Africa (they pay their workers a fair wage) and great quality, they won't give you the sleek inner city politician cosplaying as a working man look like RMs, but I much prefer them due to the toebox actually accommodating a human foot, and they are designed for work, not lying to voters.

          • entropysbane on 01/05/2026 - 07:38

            @tubeidea: They are designed to stretch until they fit like a glove.

            And they do .

            • tubeidea on 01/05/2026 - 08:56

              @entropysbane: Maybe if your feet have been deformed by years of wearing badly designed footwear, but natural human feet do not come to a point at the end.

              If they stretched to accommodate a natural human foot properly, your foot would be hanging well over the sole of the boot, which does not stretch.

              I can't find the article any more, but I believe this image shows the feet of someone who has worn shoes all their life on the left, and someone who has never worn shoes on the right, there is a stark difference. You can see how the feet on the left have deformed to fit the shoes they were wearing.

    • Dr Phil on 01/05/2026 - 08:02
      -1

      We are talking here of the great retail mattress brand names:
      King Coil
      Sleeping Duck
      Domino
      Heritage
      Populace

      You dont find much more in retlail outlets.
      Someone is going to have to fill the huge gap left behind

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 30/04/2026 - 12:32
    +13

    I think we can all agree operating a legitimate business in Australia that actually pays working wages to workers and pays the prescribed taxes is not easy these days.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 30/04/2026 - 12:49
      +1

      like when the members get up in parliament and highlight the big mega corps paying $0 tax and grabbing a whole bunch of funding/grants/etc …and pretty much everyone just goes 'yeah…but like, what are you gonna do right haha'

    • nomoneynoproblems on 30/04/2026 - 18:14
      +1

      Basically impossible without some sort of government subsidy or benefits scheme.

    • Clear on 30/04/2026 - 13:01
      -1

      That's why my business is a hobby. Tax free baby

      • tenpercent on 30/04/2026 - 13:12

        How far can you push that though? And what is your hobby?

        • Clear on 30/04/2026 - 13:36
          +2

          I'm playing the FAFO game.

          • tubeidea on 30/04/2026 - 18:52

            @Clear: If that fails, just become a tradie and play the cashie game. Don't forget the mandatory financed dual cab and the required tailgating.

            • Clear on 30/04/2026 - 19:09

              @tubeidea: With an I love NDIS sticker on the side. Can make significantly more being a dodgy builder that way

    • Checkmate3023 on 30/04/2026 - 14:15
      -4

      I think we can all agree operating a legitimate business in Australia that actually pays working wages to workers and pays the prescribed taxes is not easy these days.

      it is near impossible too much tax/red tape/1st nations tape/ green tape/ over regulation/crime to really succeed in business and when you do everyone including the government is trying to tear you down because of jealousy

  • pegaxs on 30/04/2026 - 13:22
    +6

    I to administration over a $45k debt? For a company trading for 126 years? Yeah, something isnā€™t adding up hereā€¦

    • Benoffie on 30/04/2026 - 13:42
      +7

      Often it's about restructure. You're able to do things under VA that can't be done normally.

      https://www.asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/insolvency/insoā€¦

      If they've been wanting to restructure but have been held up by burgeoning entitlements or potential negative impacts of layoffs to streamline, they can go into VA, achieve what they want and people go 'oh well, they managed to save the company šŸ˜‰'

      • pegaxs on 30/04/2026 - 14:08
        +7

        Thatā€™s what I was thinkingā€¦ they want to trim down staffing levels and have too many entitlements to pay out if they retrenched people or offered redundancy payout, so they going into ā€œadministrationā€ and let people go and once that is done and they are back to skeleton staff, they just move everything to China and oh, look at thatā€¦ a 126yo company was savedā€¦

        • Benoffie on 30/04/2026 - 14:30
          +2

          I dont think China is the target but possibly the Edwardstown site could go. Which would be a blow for SA.

          That being said, the government here has done very little to facilitate businesses šŸ™„ I was embarrassed to watch Kouts in an interview with a cafe owner from Hindmarsh tell them their solution to rampaging utilities and wages was more immigration. šŸ¤¦ā€ā™€ļøThe cafe owner's look of utter indignance was warranted

          No, I suspect SA will go and NSW/NZ will remain.

  • tenpercent on 30/04/2026 - 13:00
    +5

    It's time to put this one to bed.

    • 82norm on 30/04/2026 - 13:40
      +2

      They made their bed, they now need to lay on it.

  • wako on 01/05/2026 - 09:53
    +2

    Supported a Aussie business, supplied a faulty item and ran me through the ringer. Comon problem documented by many unhappy customer reviews (wish I seen before purchase)

    I'm glad they failed. They failed me as a customer.

    Final nail in the coffin.

    Good riddance. Especially support level management Tim.

    • tubeidea on 01/05/2026 - 10:24
      +3

      One of the worst experiences I had was with an Australian owned store.. purchased a vest online, heard nothing for weeks, I emailed them, then I called them and when I told the woman my name and order she just hung up on me, I thought that was strange but maybe the call had just dropped so I immediately called back, no answer, tried again and same result.

      I then emailed them again, opened a dispute with my payment provider, and I also managed to find the owner of the business on facebook, turns out she was on holiday, but I messaged her anyway and not long after that I finally received a email back and they ordered the vest from their supplier in NZ, after finding out they had no stock (despite their website showing stock), so it would be another week or two before they actually sent me what I ordered.

      I'm not too shocked at the lack of return emails, but I am shocked that they actually hung up on me and dodged my calls when I was nothing but polite to them, I still have no idea why they did that, but I assume they must have forgotten to take the vest off the website or something and knew they'd be in trouble, so were hoping I'd just go away.

      Contrast that with an experience I had recently after a watch I ordered last year from a Chinese company began experiencing issues, they asked me for a video of the problem, I sent it and within a couple of hours they'd liaised with the manufacturer and decided that it needed to be sent back for repair, so they sent me a paid for FedEx label to China and said that they would cover all return shipping costs as well.

  • 82norm on 30/04/2026 - 13:38
    +1

    Thatā€™s about one persons wage.

  • AustriaBargain on 30/04/2026 - 23:36
    +1

    Probably should have bought the factory 126 years ago instead of renting it.

    • bargaino on 01/05/2026 - 00:59
      +1

      Then the business would have been bought out years ago and liquidated.

  • 82norm on 01/05/2026 - 09:07
    +1

    If anything, Australian made means nothing. There is a price point people are willing to pay and if the same quality can be sort elsewhere, people will. Itā€™s disappointing, but reality. Iā€™m getting bombarded on YouTube about some Australian startup company making solar panelsā€¦.there enticement is extensive r and d to ensure they can handle Australia harsh weather, a 20 yr warranty, local jobs, community engagement blah, blahā€¦ may sound all well and good, but if they come in at an extra 3-5kā€¦. Forget it.

    • LFO on 01/05/2026 - 10:40

      they can handle Australia harsh weather,

      As if "Australia harsh weather" is unique in the globe. Like Alaska? Mongolia? Egypt?

      Just an excuse to charge those 3-5k extra!!!

      And realistically, most solar panels will end up in suburban houses with relatively mild weather.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 01/05/2026 - 12:27

        dunno about the weather but the uv is unreal especially in QLD. I find a lot of chinese powdercoat just cannot stand up to being smashed by the sun every day. Even in-direct uv is pretty crazy.

        • LFO on 01/05/2026 - 15:43

          Of course, but then the issue is poor powder-coating

          "China" has regions with far more harsh weather than Australia. More UV, more heat, more cold, more extremes.

          Unfortunately the issue is very poor quality of the products we decide to buy from China.

          .

  • kaos on 01/05/2026 - 13:22
    +1

    I bought my last mattress from AH Beard.
    But my wife got rid of it because I'd rooted too many women on it before meeting her.
    Fair call.

  • jizmo on 02/05/2026 - 10:52
    +1

    They've got other factories around Australia, I just bought one last month that came from Geebung, Brisbane through Appliances Online.
    South Australia only has 2 million people, just over 7% of Australia's population, and with a big thanks to Donald Turd with shredded carrots for brains starting wars and putting transport costs through the roof, of course administrators are going to shut least cost efficient factories first.

  • JimB on 30/04/2026 - 14:19

    I'm pretty cluey with it comes to Australian products and also mattresses but this week was the first time I heard of A.H. Beard.

    • Benoffie on 30/04/2026 - 14:32

      Own one myself. Very common in hotels.

      They also own King Koil

      • JimB on 30/04/2026 - 15:03
        +1

        Oh OK.

        I've heard of King Koil.

        Just found out with 2 minutes of research- A.H. Beard does not own King Koil but have the licencing rights of King Koil in Australia. King Koil is an US company.

  • Wiadro on 30/04/2026 - 16:26

    owing $45,000 in rent
    plus thousands to others

  • jonkvh on 01/05/2026 - 10:00

    Just bought the Monroe mattress from AH Beard. Best one I've ever had.

  • chocolate577791 on 01/05/2026 - 10:12

    Purchased a King Koil mattress recently and it is being delivered tomorrow… hopefully it is just a restructure as some here are saying!

  • runamuck on 04/05/2026 - 15:18

    Hoping for a fire sale but seems like it's just the standard sale at the moment.

    • tunzafun001 on 04/05/2026 - 17:15

      I was about to buy one of their mattresses…

      Where are you looking. Can you still buy from them direct/ via website etc?

      • runamuck on 04/05/2026 - 19:41

        Not direct. Just retailers that sell them. Looks like they're not in a hurry to offload them.

  • Lets Go Brandon on 01/05/2026 - 00:55
    -8

    It was never, ever, going to be easy under Albanese.

    • AustriaBargain on 01/05/2026 - 01:06

      It was never going to be raucous under Malinauskas.

    • tubeidea on 01/05/2026 - 02:32

      He is a snivelling little turd, but I don't think it would have been any different had the other side of the uniparty been voted in. It was just their turn in the game of musical chairs that is our political system.

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