Julee Comforter Manufacturing Company

 The post-World War II influx of new businesses into spaces previously occupied by paper, thread, and textile mills continued. In 1945, the Julee Comforter Company relocated from Brooklyn, New York, to Holyoke and initially experienced a rapid rise in business. 

On October 6, 1945 (80 years to the day from this blog entry), the Julee Comforter Manufacturing Company announced it would be moving its business from Brooklyn, New York, to Holyoke. The company was entering a lease for 10,000 square feet of space on the first floor of the former Merrick and American Thread building at 532 Main Street, owned by Charles Belsky & Co. Inc. 

The founder and owner of the company was Julius Kaplan. Mr. Kaplan operated a comforter factory in Pinsk, Poland, which started in 1930. The factory was larger than the space he would have in Holyoke; however, the machinery in Poland was not as modern as that in the United States. 

He was also a member of the Polish Army Reserves and was elevated to active duty in 1937 as a lieutenant in the engineering corps. He was able to maintain his factory for a short time until the German military might placed the Russian-Polish border at risk in 1939. He escaped through Romania and then moved to Palestine before emigrating to the United States on a visitor's Visa in 1941.

This new start-up initially manufactured comforters, as well as bedding accessories, including pillows and blankets, baby carriage covers, and crib accessories. Comforters were filled with wool and cotton and then stitched. Additional large automatic stitching machines, each costing $5,000, were ordered. The machines were operated by one person.

The finished products were sold through manufacturing jobbers in Boston and New York City to large department stores nationwide.

The factory began small in 1945, with approximately 20 employees. By 1949, the company was ordering more machinery and anticipated hiring 70 additional workers. The business's growth in its early years was limited by the challenges of obtaining supplies due to World War II shortages.

The company advertised factory-direct purchasing at its mill outlet, which was opened at 564 Main Street on June 1, 1949. In late June 1949, a second location was opened at 167 State Street in Springfield in the Arcade building.

In 1949, the company introduced a second shift and expanded its workspace by 30,000 square feet, while also purchasing $100,000 worth of equipment from the former Palmer Brothers Corporation in Fitchville, CT. Mr. Kaplan estimated the company would soon employ 200 workers.

In May 1951, the company was awarded a Defense contract for comforters and sleeping bags. The sleeping bags needed to be water- and wind-resistant, providing warmth for Arctic conditions and convertible for warmer temperatures. This marked the beginning of several contracts, which were productive for a period. In May 1952, the company was awarded a Defense contract of $1 million, and in February 1953, another for $1.3 million.

With the volume of work on the horizon and lack of expansion space on Main Street, the company entered a lease for 106,000 square feet of space on Bigelow Street in February 1953. This was the former Farr Alpaca government warehouse storage section. The company would occupy the third and fourth floors with an option to expand to the fifth floor.

The company anticipated increasing its workforce to 500. About half of its business is with the Armed Services, with the duck and goose feather-filled sleeping bags being used in the Korean War.

In 1955, the company introduced the Electro-Puff comforter, a step forward in comfort and warmth beyond the electric blanket. In 1956, the company also manufactured the MotoRoll, a combination mattress and comforter designed for station wagons. The company continued to be awarded contracts for military sleeping bags. The company employed 300 full-time employees, with additional seasonal staff.

In 1956, the company became embroiled in a lawsuit with the federal government, which claimed the sleeping bags were not made to specification. The government withheld $500,000 and removed the remaining sleeping bags from the company, and transported the goods to a transportation facility in South Schenectady, NY. The removal was overseen by a military officer.

In 1957, the company discontinued the production of traditional bedding items, such as pillows, mattress pads, and comforters, to concentrate on sleeping bags, electric comforters, and station wagon mattresses.

In October 1958, the Julee Comforter Manufacturing Company moved to Springfield, MA., to a newly built factory at 285 Dorset Street. The company was still reeling from what increased to $700,000 in disputed revenue from government contracts for sleeping bags. In July 1960, the company closed its doors. A public auction of the company's assets was scheduled for August 10, 1960. 

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.