Fresno mattress manufacturer recognized for workforce development partnership

Kathi McIntyre (bottom row, second from left), human resources manager at Pleasant Mattress, poses for a photo with Will Oliver and members of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. YouTube video screenshot

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday recognizing Pleasant Mattress, Inc. for its contributions to a county workforce development program that has placed more than 2,500 people into jobs and paid $23.5 million in wages over the past decade.

The Fresno manufacturer has hired more than 32 participants through the New Employment Opportunities (NEO) Program, a partnership between Fresno County’s Department of Social Services and the Fresno County Economic Development Corp.

“Pleasant Mattress is just an amazing partner,” said Will Oliver, president and CEO of the Fresno County EDC.

The NEO Program, launched more than 10 years ago, connects CalWORKS participants who receive cash aid with employment opportunities at local businesses. Fresno County reimburses employers for a portion of their wages. According to Oliver, the program represents one of only a few partnerships of its kind operating in California.

Over its decade of operation, the program has partnered with 450 businesses and reimbursed $23.5 million in wages to employers, Oliver said.

“It’s not only an incentive, but also working capital for our local businesses,” Oliver said of the wage reimbursement component.

Pleasant Mattress’s 150,000-square-foot manufacturing campus is based at 375 S. West Ave. in Fresno. The company has built its reputation on premium mattress manufacturing, including the historic McRoskey brand, which it acquired in 2018 after the San Francisco company’s 119-year run in the Bay Area.

Under the leadership of President and CEO Rion Morgenstern — the third-generation family executive of the business founded in 1959 — Pleasant Mattress has focused on sustainability and employee satisfaction while shifting its manufacturing to serve the premium and super-premium mattress segments.

“We are very focused on sustainability and taking care of our team,” Morgenstern told the Business Journal in his 2019 executive profile, explaining the company’s shift away from traditional growth metrics.

The company’s commitment to sustainable practices earned national recognition in 2022 when it became the first U.S. manufacturer to earn Sleep Products Sustainability Program certification from the Mattress Recycling Council. Pleasant Mattress achieved a 77% reduce, reuse and recycle rate, sending only 1.25 pounds of waste to landfills per mattress produced.