My Pillow Company Headquarters

admin



Podillow Before Shark Tank

My Pillow 343 E 82nd St Chaska MN 55318. 5 Reviews (952) 442-6199 Website. Menu & Reservations Make Reservations. Order Online Tickets.

Anthony Calvert and his wife Tina Calvert invented a product called Podillow. Anthony Calvert is a deputy sheriff for San Diego County; however, two years ago, he was injured while he was assigned to the sheriff’s SWAT team. Anthony Calvert came up with the idea for Podillow during his recovery period at home.

  1. MyPillow Corporate Office & Headquarters 920 6th St W Carver MN 55315 MyPillow corporate phone number: 1 (952) 442-6199 Average Rating and Total Reviews.
  2. Contact MyPillow customer service. You can call MyPillow at (800) 308-1299 toll free number, write an email, fill out a contact form on their website www.mypillow.com, or write a letter to My Pillow, Inc, 343 East 82nd Street Suite 102, Chaska, Minnesota, 55318, United States.

Tina Calvert states that she thought it was a great idea, after which they decided to invest some money and they have been working on Podillow ever since. Anthony Calvert states that they found out there is a huge demand for their product, but the problem is that they do not have the available capital to keep up with the demand.

Tina Calvert also states that they definitely need the help of the Sharks at this point. If Anthony and Tina Calvert do not get an investment from the Sharks, it would most likely mean the end of their business and their product.

Podillow During Shark Tank

My Pillow Company Headquarters

“Anthony Calvert, Tina Calvert and a bikini model walk confidently towards the Sharks and stand in front of them”


Anthony Calvert starts the presentation by introducing himself and his wife to the Sharks, and states that they are in front of the Sharks to introduce them to Podillow. Anthony Calvert also states that they are looking for an investment of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, in exchange for a thirty three percent stake in their company.

Tina Calvert continues the presentation by stating that the Podillow is a face-down tanning and massage pillow, which also has internal storage pockets to store high-valued personal items, such as your cellphone, car keys and wallet.

Anthony Calvert states that it is somewhat of a side note, but tells the Sharks that he is a twenty-year veteran of the San Diego County sheriff’s department. He also says that the Sharks surely can imagine all the razzing that he got for inventing a product that is pink and fluffy. Anthony Calvert states that his life would have been much easier if he appeared in front of the Sharks with the latest prisoner-control device or a new type of holster.

Anthony Calvert continues the presentation by pointing at the bikini model, who is lying down on her stomach. Anthony Calvert states that lying on your stomach can be pretty difficult to do, whether you are getting a massage, you are tanning or you are just trying to relax at home. You keep turning your head from side to side, and you try to pop your chin up on a rolled up beach towel or your fists. According to Anthony Calvert, none of these techniques actually work and you usually just end up giving up.

Tina Calvert continues the presentation by showing how the bikini model is able to put her face in the hole of the Podillow, which allows you to lie down on your stomach, face down.

“Robert Herjavec asks Anthony Calvert if he got hurt on the job and if that is the reason why he came up with the idea for Podillow”

Anthony Calvert answers the question by saying that Robert Herjavec is actually pretty close with his guess, because he suffered an injury when he was in his departments SWAT team. Anthony Calvert states that he had to get a surgery because of a dislocated shoulder, after which he found out that his back was really pale. For that reason, he decided that tanning would give his skin a nice color; however, he could not get comfortable lying on his stomach.

Anthony Calvert continues by saying that at one moment he was planning an assault in his SWAT team, and an hour later, he was on the phone with manufacturers, trying to find out which flower patterns and colors would be great for the Podillow.

“All of the Sharks start laughing out loud”

“Robert Herjavec asks Anthony Calvert if his friends have been supportive”

My Pillow Headquarters In Chaska

Anthony Calvert answers the question by saying that initially, his friends have not been supportive of his Podillow idea. They were giving him a hard time about designing pillows, but at the same time, they would ask him how much it costs, because they wanted to purchase one for their wives.

“Kevin O’Leary asks Anthony Calvert how many he has sold so far”

Anthony Calvert answers the question by saying that they have sold just short of six thousand units.

“Kevin O’Leary asks Anthony Calvert how long he has been selling Podillows”

Anthony Calvert answers the question by saying that he has been selling Podillows for almost two years.

“Kevin O’Leary asks Anthony Calvert how much he sells the Podillows for”

Company

Anthony Calvert answers the question by saying that the Podillows retail for $29,95.

“Kevin O’Leary asks Anthony Calvert how much it costs to make a single Podillow”

Anthony Calvert answers the question by saying that it costs around seven dollars to manufacture a single Podillow.

“Kevin Harrington asks Anthony Calvert if he has any retail or catalogue distribution”

Anthony Calvert answers the question by saying that they are in two of the largest mail-order catalogues, which are called Lillian Vernon and Solutions. Both of them sold out the Podillows that they had, and Anthony Calvert now has so many orders, he simply cannot meet the demand.

“Daymond John asks Anthony Calvert if he now has orders that he cannot fulfill”

Anthony Calvert answers the question by simply saying that Daymond John is correct.

“Daymond John asks Anthony Calvert how many orders he has”

My Pillow Company Headquarters Near Me

Anthony Calvert answers the question by saying that Lillian Vernon and Solutions made a fairly large purchase not too long ago, and that he told them he is giving them all his stock. Anthony Calvert claims that in less than a month, Lillian Vernon and Solutions called back to place another Podillow order, but Anthony Calvert had to decline them.

Kevin O’Leary states that he wants to talk about numbers, because he thinks that two hundred and fifty thousand dollars is a high number to ask for, given that Anthony and Tina Calvert only made about twenty one thousand dollars in the past year.

“Kevin O’Leary asks Anthony Calvert if there is maybe a little bit of a dislocation between what he made and what he is telling the Sharks that his company is worth”

My Pillow Reviews

Anthony Calvert answers the question by saying that he agrees with Kevin O’Leary’s statement, but he does believe that those numbers are small because of his and his wife’s limited ability to manufacture more Podillows.

Kevin O’Leary states that Anthony Calvert wants him to pay as if Anthony Calvert already had his money. Anthony Calvert is not letting Kevin O’Leary wet is beak on the upside.

“Anthony Calvert admits that he is not a real numbers guy”

Headquarters

“Robert Herjavec states that Anthony Calvert needs to have a better answer”

Anthony Calvert states that he and his wife have been working on Podillow alone and they packaged their products in their garage. Anthony Calvert also states that he has absolutely no marketing budget, and yet he has been able to move six thousand Podillows. He continues by saying that with the proper knowledge, resources and expertise, he truly believes that Podillow will be able to take off.

Robert Herjavec states that what Anthony Calvert is saying is potential, and while he appreciates that, it is definitely not worth seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Robert Herjavec continues by saying that if Anthony Calvert went to a venture capitalist company, they would only pay a multiple of what the company earns, which means that Podillow is maybe worth a hundred thousand dollars today.

Kevin O’Leary states that he sees the merits of the product, but the dislocation between what the expectations are of the value of the company, versus how many products the company has sold thus far, is the same as the distance between the Earth and Moon. And because of this, Kevin O’Leary doesn’t want to invest and states that he is out.

Kevin Harrington states that in his mass-market world, they look for products that can be sold in fifty states and throughout the whole year. He continues by stating that Podillow is more of a beach product for him, which means it’s going to be regional and seasonal. Kevin Harrington does not want to invest in Podillow and states that he is out as well.

Daymond John states that he loves the story, and that he really likes the product. He continues by stating that he could make Anthony and Tina Calvert filthy rich with Podillow. However, Daymond John tells Anthony Calvert that he made a tactical error by overvaluation his company. At two hundred fifty thousand dollars, he would need two hundred percent of the company, which is why he doesn’t want to invest. Daymond John is out as well.

Barbara Corcoran states that it is a shame that Anthony and Tina Calvert didn’t talk to someone who knew something about money before they walked into the Shark Tank. Because of the asking price being so high, Barbara Corcoran doesn’t want to invest and states that she is out.

Robert Herjavec states that Anthony Calvert needs a small loan of about fifty or a hundred thousand dollars. He states that he cannot give them two hundred thousand dollars for something that doesn’t exists yet. Robert Herjavec is out as well.

At the end interview, Anthony Calvert states that the Sharks have been very close-minded, because they only want to deal with hard numbers instead of willing to take the risk.

Podillow Now in 2018 – After Shark Tank

Before Anthony and Tina Calvert appeared on the Shark Tank, they already managed to sell six thousand Podillow units to large mail-order catalogues like Lillian Vernon and Solutions. The problem for Anthony and Tina Calvert was that they didn’t have the capital or the expertise to be able to meet all demands, which meant that they could stock up on more Podillows and sell them through more distribution channels.

There is no mention of Podillow being the best or worst on Shark Tank. The reason why none of the Sharks wanted to invest in Podillow is because they thought Anthony Calvert over valuated his company, and appeared on Shark Tank unprepared.

Even though Anthony and Tina Calvert were not able to secure an investment from the Sharks, it seems like they are still selling Podillows to this date. You can find them on Amazon or on the Podillow website at http://www.podillow.com. The Podillow website does not seem to be updated in a long time, but you can still submit a wholesale request, after which you will get contacted by either Anthony or Tina Calvert.

It seems like there are several knockoff Podillow products on Amazon nowadays; however, the original one is there as well. The price for the original Podillow is set at $34,95 plus free shipping. It should be noted that there are a lot of mixed reviews about the Podillow, ranging from one star till five star ratings. The people that gave it a low rating usually complain about a chemical smell coming off of the pillow. Other people praise Podillow for allowing them to lie down comfortably while they are tanning.


(Redirected from Mypilow)
My Pillow, Inc.
Private
IndustryPillows
FoundedJuly 1, 2009[1]
FounderMike Lindell
HeadquartersChaska, Minnesota, United States
Number of employees
1,500

My Pillow, Inc. is a pillow manufacturing company based in Chaska, Minnesota, United States.[2] The company was founded in 2009 by Mike Lindell, who invented and patented My Pillow, an open-cell, poly-foam pillow design. From 2004 to 2009, My Pillows were sold through Lindell’s Night Moves Minnesota, LLC and have been sold through My Pillow, Inc. since 2009.[3] My Pillow has sold over 41 million pillows, due mostly to TV infomercials.[4][5] The company started with five employees in 2004 and had 1,500 employees as of 2017.[6]

My Pillow, Inc. has been fined, and has settled various lawsuits related to misleading advertising. The company has made scientifically unsupported claims that its pillows could treat and cure disease, including multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.[7][8][9]

History[edit]

My Pillow Company Headquarters

Origin[edit]

My Pillow was founded by Mike Lindell, a resident of the U.S. state of Minnesota.[10][11] To help fund the development of the pillow, Lindell sold four bars he owned in Carver County, Minnesota, and mortgaged his own house.[2][6] At first, Lindell hand-sewed the pillows himself and handled all the sales and distribution with help from his family.[6]

The first My Pillow was sold in 2005 at a kiosk in Eden Prairie Center, a mall in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.[6] For the next six years, the company struggled while selling at mall kiosks, state fairs, and trade shows.[12]

Promotion[edit]

The company's success took off after launching an infomercial in October 2011.[13] The thirty-minute show was shot in one day in front of a live studio audience and cost $500,000 to produce and launch.[14] As of September 2013, the infomercial was still running an average of 200 times per day on local and national networks. Since it first aired, My Pillow has sold more than 30 million pillows and grown from 50 employees to over 1,500.[5][14][15]

In July 2015, Lindell and My Pillow sponsored an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the world's largest pillow fight at a St. Paul Saints baseball game. The fight featured 6,261 participants, beating a previous record of 4,201.[16]

In May 2018, Lindell and My Pillow again broke the Guinness World Record for the world's largest pillow fight, this time at the evangelistic PULSE Movement event held at the U.S. Bank Stadium, after Lindell led over 45,000 people in prayer.[17][18][19]

In late March 2018, student activists from the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, including David Hogg, called for a boycott of advertisers on the television show The Ingraham Angle on Fox News Channel, after host Laura Ingraham made disparaging comments about Hogg. Dozens of advertisers subsequently vowed to no longer pay for advertising on The Ingraham Angle, but My Pillow continued to advertise on the show and increased their advertising buy on The Ingraham Angle by 625 percent during the first week in April 2018.[20]

My Pillow purchased more advertising on the Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight program than any other advertiser, as of June 2020, after many major companies had stopped supporting the show.[21] A data firm estimated that nearly 38 percent of Carlson's 2020 advertising revenue had come from My Pillow at half-year.[22]

Operations[edit]

The company's headquarters, call center and customer service center are located in Chaska, Minnesota.[2] My Pillow manufactures pillows, mattresses, mattress toppers and covers, Giza Cotton sheets, towels and pet beds[23] at its 70,000 square-foot manufacturing plant in Shakopee, producing approximately 25,000 pillows per day.[15][24] Some products are marketed as 'proudly American made'.[25]

Retail[edit]

My Pillow opened its first retail store in Burnsville, Minnesota, in 2012 and, as of 2017, had grown to 17 locations in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska.[26] My Pillow products are also offered on QVC, at major retailers, trade shows, and from the My Pillow website.[13][27]

Covid-19 pandemic production shift[edit]

In March 2020, FOX News reported that founder Mike Lindell had announced that 75% of the company's production was shifting to making cotton face masks to donate to health care workers for use during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that 'Masks will not be available to public to purchase',[28] though the cotton masks later appeared for sale on the My Pillow website.[29]

My Pillow Location Headquarters

Design and technology[edit]

My Pillow products are a patented design, involving a mix of different-sized pieces of open-cell poly-foam. Lindell claims to have tested 94 different foams before deciding on the right one.[6] The pieces are chopped to specification by a machine Lindell developed based on a piece of farm equipment. The mix also contains a resin that enables the foam to retain much of its shape when molded to the user's preference. The pillows are non-allergenic, dust mite-resistant, washable, and dryable.[6] In 2013, QVC awarded My Pillow its Q-Star Award for Product Concept of the Year.[30]

Lawsuits and settlement[edit]

In April 2016, a class action lawsuit was proposed for the pillows being falsely advertised, among the complaints being that Lindell is marketed as a 'Sleep Expert,' despite having no board certification or special training in sleep medicine.[8] The Better Business Bureau received 220 complaints regarding the company from 2013–2016.[31]

In August 2016, the New York State Attorney General's office charged that My Pillow failed to collect and remit over $500,000 in sales tax. The company denied any wrongdoing and agreed to pay $1.1 million in settlement.[32]

On November 1, 2016, My Pillow agreed to pay $1 million ($995,000 in civil penalties and $100,000 to California charities benefiting the homeless and victims of domestic violence) to settle a false advertising lawsuit brought in Alameda County Superior Court by Alameda County and eight other California counties.[33] The lawsuit challenged the company's marketing claims, which asserted without proof that its pillows could treat symptoms of fibromyalgia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, cerebral palsy, acid reflux, and other conditions.[33] As part of the settlement, the company was banned 'from making claims in California that its pillows can cure or treat diseases and their symptoms without a human trial to back up the statements.'[33] 'In addition, My Pillow must stop promoting itself as the 'official pillow' of the National Sleep Foundation because it failed to disclose its financial connection with the foundation to consumers.'[32]

In November 2017, the lawsuit, which challenged the appropriateness of the marketing, packaging, and sale of My Pillow products, including health claims about the product, buy one get one promotions, and the use of third party endorsements and logos, was settled.[7]

Ratings and reviews[edit]

In January 2017, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) announced it had revoked the accreditation for My Pillow and had lowered their rating from an A+ to an F[34] based upon numerous consumer complaints. The main issue addressed by the BBB was the constant use of their buy one, get one free offer. The BBB's Code of Advertising requires that offers or discounts must be made for a limited time, or the deal becomes the normal price of the product.[35] It remained an active promotion, as of August 2020.[36]

A 2016 Consumer Reports review of the company's pillows found a mixed reception after at-home testing, finding that 'only one-third of the group said they would buy MyPillow again.'[37]

Philanthropy[edit]

My pillow company headquarters

A portion of My Pillow proceeds goes to the Lindell Foundation, a charity that assists addicts, veterans, cancer patients, and other people in need.[24][38] In March 2015, My Pillow donated pillows to the Sandra J. Schulze American Cancer SocietyHope Lodge, which houses patients and their caregivers when traveling for treatment.[39][40] As of 2017, the company was donating a pillow to charities such as homeless shelters and hospitals for each order made in the associated Minnesota community.[41] My Pillow donated 60,000 pillows in 2017 to Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas.[42]

References[edit]

  1. ^'My Pillow Inc'. www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  2. ^ abcMichael J Lindell, 'MyPillow HQ moves to Chaska,'Chaska Herald, June 16, 2015.
  3. ^'CASE 0:18-cv-00196 Document 1 Filed 01/24/18 Page 1 of 19'(PDF). DuetsBlog. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  4. ^Rothman, David. 'The story of the My Pillow king'. CBSN. CBSN. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  5. ^ abWells, Jane. 'How this entrepreneur went from a crack addict to a self-made multimillionaire'. CNBC. CNBC LLC. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  6. ^ abcdefJohn Vomhof Jr., 'My Pillow soars after informercial,'Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, June 22, 2012.
  7. ^ abBucher, Anne (November 28, 2017). 'MyPillow BOGO Class Action Settlement'. Top Class Actions. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  8. ^ abTassin, Paul (April 11, 2016). 'My Pillow Class Action Says Pillows Are Falsely Advertised'. Top Class Actions. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  9. ^'My Pillow Health Claims Lawsuit Settlement'.
  10. ^Green, Penelope (February 11, 2015). 'The Pillow Cure'. The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  11. ^C.J. (January 16, 2010). 'Case of the Missing Pillows'. Star Tribune. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  12. ^Baverman, Laura (December 16, 2013). 'Dangers of sudden success sink in for MyPillow founder on eve of new infomercial'. Upstart Business Journal. Archived from the original on September 15, 2014.
  13. ^ abSam Black, 'My Pillow moving 200 jobs to Shakopee, opening retail stores,'Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, August 23, 2012.
  14. ^ abJohn Ewoldt, 'Sales stay plump for Chanhassen-based MyPillow,'Star Tribune, September 15, 2013.
  15. ^ ab'The Man Behind The Passion Of MyPillow,'CBS Minnesota, December 25, 2013.
  16. ^'Saint Paul Saints hold world's largest pillow fight'. Burlington Free Press. July 21, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  17. ^'Largest pillow fight'. Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records Limited. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  18. ^'PULSE Events'. PULSE. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  19. ^'Twin Cities Pulse Event'. Michael J Lindell. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  20. ^Berr, Jonathan (April 12, 2018). 'Ad Prices On Fox's 'The Ingraham Angle' Fall In The Wake Of Advertiser Boycott'. Forbes. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  21. ^Hsu, Tiffany (June 12, 2020). 'Fox News Host Tucker Carlson Loses More Advertisers'. The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  22. ^Smith, Haley Victory (July 7, 2020). 'Thirty-eight percent of Tucker Carlson's advertising came from MyPillow in 2020, data firm estimates'. Washington Examiner. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  23. ^'MyPillow Mattress'. www.mypillow.com. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  24. ^ ab'My Pillow' founder opens up about addiction,'Salvation Army Website, December 29, 2015.
  25. ^J.W. Najarian, 'Michael J. Lindell Inventor of My Pillow and Founder of the Lindell Foundation,'On Purpose Magazine, April 6, 2012.
  26. ^“Places to Buy,”My Pillow Website, retrieved January 14, 2016.
  27. ^'The Preposterous Success Story of America's Pillow King'. Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Bloomberg L.P.
  28. ^'MyPillow shifting 75% of production to make face masks for hospitals'. Fox 9 KMSP. March 25, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  29. ^'MyPillow Face Masks'. MyPillow.com. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  30. ^Nichole Dobo, 'Pillow business earns QVC award,'The News Journal, February 20, 2014.
  31. ^'BBB Business Profile – My Pillow, Inc'.
  32. ^ abFarrell, Mary H.J., 'My Pillow Settles Consumer Lawsuit Over Health Claims for $1 Million', Consumer Reports, November 03, 2016
  33. ^ abcFilipa A. Ioannou. 'MyPillow maker to pay $1 million in false advertising settlement'. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  34. ^''My Pillow' downgraded to an F rating by Better Business Bureau'. WTHR. January 4, 2017.
  35. ^'BBB revokes MyPillow accreditation'. ABC 10. KXTV. January 2, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  36. ^'Premium Classic MyPillow Buy One Get One'. MyPillow.com. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  37. ^Lehrman, Celia Kuperszmid (November 3, 2016). 'Should MyPillow Become Your Pillow?'. Consumer Reports. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  38. ^J.W. Najarian, 'MyPillow and Orange County Choppers Unveil Custom Motorcycle at Mall of America,'On Purpose Magazine, April 6, 2012.
  39. ^Tran, Hannah (March 4, 2015). 'Large Pillow Donation Brings Comfort to Hope Lodge'. KAAL. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015.
  40. ^Hansel, Jeff (March 5, 2015). 'Pillow donation brings comfort to cancer patients'. PostBulletin.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017.
  41. ^Stanwood, Maggie (August 8, 2017). 'MyPillow giving pillows away to charities'. Southwest News Media. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  42. ^Winter, Deena (August 31, 2017). 'MyPillow to donate 60,000 pillows to Hurricane Harvey victims'. Southwest News Media. Retrieved June 18, 2020.

External links[edit]

My Pillow Mn Headquarters

  • Official website
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=My_Pillow&oldid=992429763'