Australian family-owned company collapses after 126 years in business

By MATT JONES, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 03:27, 29 April 2026 | Updated: 03:50, 29 April 2026 A family-owned Australian mattress manufacturer has collapsed into voluntary administration after 126 years in business.  A.H. Beard chairman Garry Beard was in tears on Tuesday as he told staff that the company faced an uncertain future, the Daily Telegraph reported.  The century-old business employs more than 340 staff, mostly in Australia, as well as a smaller presence in New Zealand. It was capable of producing 10,000 mattresses a week at its peak. The collapse has been blamed on a drop in spending, rising manufacturing costs, and the ready accessibility of cheaper imported mattresses.  Peter Lucas and Damien Lau, from P.A Lucas & Co, have been appointed joint administrators of the company.  The chief executive of the Australian Bedding Stewardship Council, Kylie Roberts-Frost, said the news was 'sad' for the industry. 'Today's news about A.H. Beard is deeply saddening, both for me personally, for my team and for our industry,' she told the Daily Telegraph.  Beard brothers Garry and Allyn (pictured) have been in charge of A.H. Beard since the late 1990s. The company has been in the same family for 126 years The company has sold an estimated 10million mattresses at its peak Matthew Beard (pictured) was announced as the company's CEO last year '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 released a statement saying it would continue to trade as normal in Australia during the administration phase.  It said there was 'no current changes to the supply chain or roles'. A.H. Beard said the decision to enter administration was due to three converging pressures: a sharp dip in household discretionary spending, a shift in the retail market towards low-cost imported mattresses and increased manufacturing costs.  The company was founded in 1899 by Scotsman Enoch William Beard who established The Australian Bedding Mill, which produced handmade straw palliasses and tufted horsehair mattresses. In 1970, A.H. Beard introduced the King Koil range, which was marketed as the first chiropractic-approved mattress in Australia.  Former Prime Minister John Howard opened A.H. Beard Bedding Stores in Shanghai as part of a supply agreement with retailer Shanghai Green Foreign Trade Ltd. During the pandemic, A.H. Beard experienced extraordinary sales as work from home orders drove Aussies to invest more in their bedrooms. A.H. Beard was founded in 1899 and has sold an estimated 10million mattresses A.H. Beard will trade as normal during the administration phase In 2023, three A.H. Beard stores were opened in Hong Kong. In July 2025, Garry's son Matthew was announced as the company's CEO. 'Matthew's leadership marks both a continuation of our family legacy and a bold step forward - bringing a younger generation's spirit and insight to address the evolving needs of our industry and customers,' the company stated at the time. 'With over 125 years of heritage, A.H. Beard remains committed to innovation, sustainability, and delivering trusted, Australian-made quality.' The Daily Mail has contacted P.A Lucas & Co and A.H. Beard for comment.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.