Airsprung

Airsprung's history is connected to the industrial development of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, where Chapmans established a mattress factory in 1871. The factory provided the manufacturing base from which the later Airsprung business developed. The Airsprung name came into use in the 1930s or 1940s, giving the company a recognizable identity in the British bedding market several decades before the formal creation of Airsprung Limited in 1965. During the post-war expansion of consumer manufacturing, Airsprung broadened its position in the bedroom-furniture sector. It manufactured mattresses and beds and became particularly prominent in bunk beds. By the time the company floated on the London Stock Exchange's Over the Counter Market on 22 November 1976, it was described as the UK's largest bunk-bed manufacturer and sixth-largest bed manufacturer. Contemporary company information cited a 5.8% share of the UK bed market in 1975. The flotation marked a transition from a long-established regional manufacturer into a publicly traded national business. The group pursued expansion through acquisition and manufacturing investment. On 16 December 1982, it acquired Slumberland Ltd, a bed manufacturer that had turnover of roughly £8 million but had suffered a loss of approximately £1 million in 1981. The transaction strengthened Airsprung's position in the bed sector and added scale at a time when the company was broadening its commercial reach. In 1986, Airsprung joined the Unlisted Securities Market, and by 1987 it was reported to have turnover of approximately £24 million and to be the UK's second-largest bed manufacturer. Airsprung also developed a wider furniture manufacturing capability. In 1988, it built a factory in South Yorkshire for pine furniture. This investment complemented its established bed and mattress operations and helped establish the group as a supplier of broader home-furnishing products. Its range came to include storage-drawer divans, upholstery and furniture in addition to beds and mattresses. The company's shares traded on the Alternative Investment Market from 1991. That period made Airsprung part of the UK's smaller publicly quoted manufacturing sector. On 16 December 2011, the shares were acquired by Portnard Limited, a Jersey company, ending the AIM quotation and moving the business into private ownership. The group continued to operate from its Trowbridge headquarters and factory. Reference material reported approximately £40 million in revenue and about 500 employees in 2018, indicating that the business remained a substantial UK manufacturer and employer. Airsprung's corporate structure has included Airsprung Group plc and Airsprung Furniture Ltd. Reference material states that both entities entered administration in May 2026. The available source does not provide sufficient detail about the administration process, the status of manufacturing sites, ownership of trademarks, or whether any portion of the brand continued under new ownership. Accordingly, the current status of Airsprung cannot be established conclusively from the supplied material.

1. 2026Administration of group entities

   Reference material states that Airsprung Group plc and Airsprung Furniture Ltd entered administration in May 2026.

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2. 2011Shares acquired by Portnard Limited

   Portnard Limited acquired the company's shares on 16 December 2011, ending Airsprung's AIM-traded period.

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3. 1991AIM trading begins

   Airsprung shares began trading on the Alternative Investment Market, where they remained until 2011.

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4. 1988South Yorkshire pine-furniture factory opens

   The company built a South Yorkshire factory to manufacture pine furniture, extending its operations beyond bedding.

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5. 1986Move to the Unlisted Securities Market

   The company joined the Unlisted Securities Market in June 1986 as its public-market presence developed.

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6. 1982Acquisition of Slumberland Ltd

   Airsprung acquired the Slumberland bed manufacturer on 16 December 1982 for £2.25 million.

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7. 1976Public flotation

   Airsprung Group was floated on the London Stock Exchange's Over the Counter Market on 22 November 1976.

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8. 1965Airsprung Limited is incorporated

   Airsprung Limited was founded, formalizing the company associated with the established Airsprung bedding name.

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9. 1935Airsprung name enters commercial use

   The Airsprung brand name began to be used during the 1930s or 1940s; the exact year is not established in the reference material.

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10. 1871Chapmans establishes a mattress factory in Trowbridge

    Chapmans of Trowbridge founded the mattress factory that later provided the historical manufacturing foundation for the Airsprung business.

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A British, broadly accessible beds and home-furniture brand built around domestic manufacturing heritage, practical bedroom products and upholstered furniture.

• BedsBedroom furniture

  Beds have been central to Airsprung's identity and manufacturing history. The company became a significant British producer of beds, including bunk beds and other domestic formats, and was described as one of the UK's largest bed manufacturers during the 1970s and 1980s. The range formed the core around which the group's mattress, divan, furniture and upholstery activities developed.

• MattressesBedding1935

  Mattresses are the product category most directly linked to the original Trowbridge manufacturing operation. Airsprung's predecessor, Chapmans of Trowbridge, began as a mattress factory in 1871, and the Airsprung name was later used for bedding products. The available material does not specify current constructions, materials, collections or technical features.

• Storage-drawer divansBedroom furniture

  Storage-drawer divans combine a bed base with integrated under-bed storage. They represent Airsprung's expansion from standalone mattresses and bed frames into practical bedroom systems designed for domestic space efficiency. Specific models, dimensions and current availability are not identified in the supplied sources.

• Pine furnitureHome furniture1988

  Pine furniture became part of the group's manufacturing scope after a South Yorkshire factory was built in 1988. The investment broadened Airsprung's portfolio into furniture for the wider home, complementing its established bedroom products. The reference material does not enumerate the individual pine-furniture ranges.

• UpholsteryUpholstered furniture

  Upholstery was among the product areas associated with Airsprung's broader furniture business. It positioned the group as more than a mattress maker, extending into upholstered household furnishings. No detailed product catalogue, named collections or current range information is available in the supplied reference material.

• 2026Administration of Airsprung operating entitiesOther

  Reference material states that Airsprung Group plc and Airsprung Furniture Ltd entered administration in May 2026.

  What changed. The named entities entered the UK administration process.

  Aftermath. The available material does not establish whether trading continued, whether assets were sold, or whether the Airsprung brand was transferred to another operator.

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• 2011Privatization through Portnard acquisitionM&A

  After trading on AIM from 1991, the company's shares were acquired by a private Jersey company.

  What changed. Portnard Limited acquired the shares on 16 December 2011.

  Aftermath. The acquisition ended Airsprung's quotation on the Alternative Investment Market and returned the business to private ownership.

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• 1988Invest in pine-furniture manufacturingStrategy

  Airsprung was broadening its activities beyond beds and mattresses into complementary home furniture.

  What changed. The company built a factory in South Yorkshire dedicated to pine furniture.

  Aftermath. The investment supported a wider furniture portfolio, although the supplied material does not quantify its later contribution.

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• 1982Acquire Slumberland LtdM&A

  Airsprung sought to expand its bed-manufacturing scale through the acquisition of Slumberland Ltd, which had approximately £8 million in turnover but had recorded a loss in 1981.

  What changed. The company acquired Slumberland on 16 December 1982 for £2.25 million.

  Aftermath. The acquisition added an established bed manufacturer to Airsprung's operations. The supplied material does not detail subsequent integration or brand treatment.

  Acquisition price. £2.25 million transaction value (16 December 1982)

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• 2026Airsprung Group and Airsprung Furniture enter administration

  Reference material states that Airsprung Group plc and Airsprung Furniture Ltd entered administration in May 2026. The available material does not identify the administrators, causes, asset-sale arrangements or the effect on the brand's trading operations.

  Bankruptcy
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1. Airsprung
2. Airsprung Group official website