Leggett & Platt (L&P), based in Carthage, Missouri, is an American diversified manufacturer that designs and produces various engineered components and products that can be found in homes and automobiles. The firm was founded in 1883, and consists of 15 business units, 20,000 employee-partners, and 135 manufacturing facilities located in 18 countries.[2]
Leggett management
As of May 2024, senior corporate executives included:
Karl Glassman, CEO and President
Steven K. Henderson, EVP and President, Specialized Products and Furniture, Flooring, & Textile Products Segments
Benjamin M. Burns, EVP and CFO
Susan R. McCoy, SVP Investor Relations
Scott S. Douglas, SVP General Counsel and Secretary
Christina Ptasinski, SVP and CHRO
Tammy Trent, SVP and CAO
Board of directors
Director
Joined In
Position
Company
Mark A. Blinn
2019
Retired President, CEO, Director
Flowserve Corporation
Robert E. Brunner
2009
Retired Executive VP
Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
Mary Campbell
2019
Chief Merchandising Officer
Qurate Retail Group
J. Mitchell Dolloff
2020
CEO & President
Leggett & Platt
Manuel A. Fernandez
2014
Managing director
SI Ventures
Karl G. Glassman
2002
Retired CEO
Leggett & Platt
Joseph W. McClanathan
2005
Retired President & CEO
Energizer Household Products Division of Energizer Holdings
Judy C. Odom
2002
Retired Chairman & CEO
Software Spectrum, Inc.
Srikanth Padmanabhan
2018
Vice-president
Cummins Inc.
Jai Shah
2019
Group President
Masco Corporation
Phoebe A. Wood
2005
Principal
CompaniesWood
Company history
J.P. LeggettC.B. Platt
In 1883 in Carthage, Missouri, J.P. Leggett developed a new type of bedspring consisting of single cone spring wire coils, formed and interlaced, then mounted on a wood slat base. The bedspring could then be used as a base for the then-popular cotton, feather, or horsehair mattresses. Needing expertise in manufacturing and production, he recruited his soon-to-be brother-in-law, C.B. Platt, whose father owned and operated Platt Plow Works, into the partnership. Together, they produced the components of their Leggett & Platt bedspring, which was patented in 1885.
Bedspring vs. Innerspring
At the time of their invention, bedsprings referred to cone-shaped wire coiled springs, attached to a wooden slat foundation, used to support then-popular mattresses. These mattresses were typically made of horse hair, corn husks, cotton, feathers, or another soft material. Early bedsprings functioned similarly to today's box springs in their support of a mattress. However, box springs are rather rigid in structure, while bedsprings provide a more flexible surface.
Innersprings, by contrast, refer to the core system of wire springs that, along with various types of foam and other padding materials, comprise the insides of today's mattress. The mattress is usually coupled with a box spring to create a sleep set. Innersprings can be coiled springs laced together, continuous coil springs, or individually encased springs, that support a person sleeping on the mattress.
The Carthage market for their new product was very limited. To expand the market to a wider region, Platt and George Leggett, brother of J. P. Leggett, would load a horse-drawn wagon with bedsprings and travel to surrounding communities. Often, to conserve space, they would load the springs and slats separately into the wagon and assemble them in a store or on an adjacent sidewalk. The partnership prospered, and the business was incorporated in 1901.
The Platt Plow Works
The company built its first factory and offices in Carthage in 1890. The workforce at that time consisted of the two partners and five employees. Soon after completion of the Carthage plant, a second factory was built in Louisville, Kentucky. During the next 50 years, three more factories were built. Demand for the company's improved bedsprings was rising, and a second plant was built in Carthage in 1925. The new, much larger plant was located next to a railroad to allow for expanded shipments of products and supplies. In 1942, an additional factory was built in Winchester, Kentucky, which was subsequently consolidated with the Louisville plant. For some time, Texas had proven to be a main market outlet, and in 1947, a major factory was built in Ennis, Texas. By 1947, Leggett & Platt consisted of 4 plants and 500 employees.
Although available in various models and continuously improved upon, bedsprings were practically the only product Leggett & Platt offered until 1933. However, in that year the company began to manufacture springs for innerspring mattresses, which were relatively new products in the industry and growing in popularity. Thereafter, the company slowly began to diversify its products within the bedding industry by producing rollaway beds and folding metal cots, along with bed frames and bed rails.
Innerspring mattress components
In 1960, Harry M. Cornell Jr., J.P. Leggett's grandson, was elected President and CEO of the company, taking over for his father (who was Leggett's son-in-law). The company's total sales in 1960 were approximately $7 million from three states: Kentucky, Texas, and Missouri. Determining the course and future of the company became management's primary objective. Following an extensive evaluation of the company and its potential, Cornell and his management partners concluded that Leggett & Platt's best opportunities for profitable growth lay in a strategy of specializing in manufacturing, marketing, and distributing a broad and growing line of components and related products, first nationally and eventually on a worldwide basis. Key drivers of future sales and earnings would include aggressive internal growth initiatives, coupled with an active and ongoing acquisition program.
J.P. Leggett's original bedspring and patent
Even greater success followed, and Leggett & Platt became known as “the components people.” Leggett & Platt stock was first traded over the counter in 1967. Twelve years later, on June 25, 1979, top management was present in New York City to witness the stock's first day listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1999, the company became part of the S&P 500 Index.
Today, Leggett & Platt has 135 manufacturing facilities in 18 countries.
Timeline
1883: Joseph P. Leggett develops and patents the first successful spiral steel coil bedspring, then forms a business partnership with Cornelius B. Platt, a blacksmith who operates the C.D. Platt Plow Works plant in Carthage, Missouri.
1885: Leggett receives a patent for improvements on the coiled bedspring. J.P. Leggett and C.B. Platt begin manufacturing coiled bedsprings at the Platt Plow Works plant.
1890: The first factory and offices are built in Carthage, MO. The workforce consists of the 2 partners and 5 employees. Harry Platt, a brother of C.B. Platt, opens a franchise factory in Louisville, Kentucky.
1901: The partnership of J.P. Leggett and C.B. Platt is incorporated under the name “Leggett & Platt Spring Bed & Manufacturing Company.”
1933: Leggett & Platt begins to manufacture innerspring units at its Carthage plant.
1942: Leggett & Platt survives World War II by working on defense contracts.
1960: Harry M. Cornell, Jr., (grandson of J.P. Leggett) becomes president and CEO; he begins implementing a new corporate strategy to broaden the line of component products for the bedding and furniture industries, expand geographically, and offer compatible products directly to furniture stores.
1967: Leggett & Platt's IPO (initial public offering) of 50,000 shares of stock (at $10 per share) and $1 million of convertible subordinated debentures occurs; the stock is listed over the counter.
1971: Leggett & Platt stock is listed on the NASDAQ, and the company achieves more than $1 million in net earnings.
1976: Leggett & Platt exceeds the $100 million sales for the first time.
1977: Construction begins on a new corporate headquarters outside Carthage.
2007: New strategic direction announced in November.
2016: Reset to strategic direction announced in September.
2019: Acquired Elite Comfort Solutions for $1.25 billion, the largest acquisition to date, adding specialty foam and private label finished mattress capabilities and expanding its position in the bedding market.
2021: Increased annual dividend for the 50th consecutive year. Became part of the S&P MidCap 400 in December.[3]
Executive leadership: past & present
Executive
Years of Service
J.P. Leggett & C.B. Platt, Partnership
1883–1901
J.P. Leggett
1901–1921
C.B. Platt
1921–1929
J.P. Leggett, Jr.
1929–1933
F.B. Williams
1933–1938
George S. Beimdiek, Sr.
1938–1953
Harry M. Cornell, Sr.
1953–1960
Harry M. Cornell, Jr.
1960–1999
Felix E. Wright
1999–2006
David S. Haffner
2006–2015
Karl G. Glassman
2016–2021
J. Mitchell Dolloff
2022–2024
Karl G. Glassman
2024–Present
LEG stock
1967 – Leggett & Platt IPO of 50,000 shares of stock at a price of $10 per share; the stock is traded over the counter
