OUR LEADERS
Rion joined the family business as Vice President in 2011 to succeed his father as the third generation of family leadership at Pleasant Mattress. Rion was raised in the family business spending weekends and summer breaks making and loading mattresses to earn spending money. He started his professional career as a computer programmer in Monterey, CA, writing code in multiple computer languages for both desktop and web applications. His successes in programming lead to technical leadership as CTO of a mid-sized tech company in Orange County, CA.
After making profitable investments of time and money, Rion and his wife took a 2-year mini-retirement to see the world. Having visited 32 countries on 5 continents, he developed a well-rounded understanding of global economics and cultural interactions. Upon returning to the USA, Rion took a role as Director of Sales for a San Diego based software startup, MindTouch. Under his leadership, MindTouch grew revenues from nil to low eight figures. Rion left MindTouch to accept a role as Director of Sales and Marketing for San Diego’s oldest Interactive Agency, SiteLab.
During his time in these roles he developed the strategic vision and tactical techniques to lead Pleasant Mattress until the next generation of Morgenstern’s are ready to take the helm.
Carter Gronbach, a 30-year mattress industry veteran who has held senior operations and executive posts with some of the industry’s leading bedding brands. His focus is on PMI’s day-to-day operations working to incorporate key efficiencies throughout the company. Prior to joining Pleasant Mattress, Gronbach spent more than three years as Executive Vice President of Operations at Visionary Sleep, Restonic’s largest licensee, where he oversaw the company’s operations. Previously, he was Vice President of Manufacturing of Brentwood Home and oversaw manufacturing and operations for the direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer.
Prior to that, Gronbach was Regional Vice President of Operations for Serta Simmons Bedding in the West overseeing up to 14 plants and worked with them in various roles for 21 years. During his time at Serta Carter was trained in the Lean Manufacturing method to increase production quality and efficiency. Gronbach received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from The University of California – Irvine. He is now living in the Fresno, CA area with his wife.
Josephine (Jo) Bass has joined Pleasant Mattress as the Director of Finance, bringing with her a rich blend of financial acumen and operational efficiency, particularly in lean manufacturing. Her previous role as the controller for Fresh & Ready Foods showcased her ability to refine financial and operational frameworks, enhancing overall efficiency. At Haskel International, she excelled in various executive roles, significantly contributing to operational optimizations through Lean Six Sigma principles, particularly in re-layout projects that improved production workflows.
At Pleasant Mattress, Jo's expertise in finance and lean manufacturing principles is seen as a pivotal asset in aligning the company's financial strategies with its operational goals. Her role is instrumental in embedding lean manufacturing into the company's culture, aiming to streamline processes and enhance productivity. Jo's strategic vision and leadership are key to Pleasant Mattress's commitment to continuous improvement, making her a vital player in the company's journey towards operational excellence and financial health.
Herb is a lifelong Fresno resident. Upon graduation from Fresno High School and Fresno State College, Herb went on an extended tour of Europe with two lifelong friends. During that time, he was able to discover his roots and visit the site of the business his father, Ernie, owned and operated in Vienna, prior for WWII. Upon returning home to Fresno, Herb decided to go into business with his father, got married, and started a family.
The early part of Herb’s career was spent learning and operating all aspects of Pleasant Mattress, with an emphasis on the renovation and recycling of old mattresses. Herb saw the potential of expanding the company by entering into new mattress manufacturing. He knew this would allow them to expand and grow. With the help and support of his father, Herb put his plan in place, and Pleasant Mattress began to make new mattresses and bedding products and phased out the old business. Over the years the business has grown exponentially, surviving changing economic conditions, fires, and growth, which has required new and improved facilities, processes, and equipment. Throughout the many changes, the constant, through Herb’s leadership, has been the quality of the products produced and the subsequent growth of the company.
In 1988, Herb and Judy married, and worked together to expand and grow the business. They purchased a fifty thousand square foot building and moved Pleasant Mattress. And still they continued to grow. Their growth and expansion, into several new areas of manufacturing, required they look at other ways of expanding their current ability. And in 2004, they began construction on a new state-of-the-art one hundred thousand plus square foot facility, completed in 2006.
Through Herb’s leadership, in late 2009 Pleasant Mattress entered into a partnership with Spring Air. Later in 2011, Herb began a partnership with Paramount Sleep in a licensing agreement to manufacture their premium products on the West Coast.