Interview with Cody and Cliff Conner of BoxDrop Mattress Direct - Kingwood

Published: Aug 10, 2018, 11:00am

As part of our ongoing "Getting to Know Your Local Businesses" series, this week we sat down with Cody and Cliff Conner, owners of BoxDrop Mattress Direct.

Tell us a bit about your business: What does your business offer, and how long have you been around?

We sell mattresses at wholesale prices! Our goal is to provide great mattress options for anyone who walks in the door within their budget.

We have the same mattresses from the same national manufacturers as many of the bigger retail stores; but, we are able to offer them at a better price, accomplishing this in a couple of different ways. We try our best to keep our overhead as low as possible and we typically do not have set hours. We aren't paying someone to sit there all day every day and this approach allows for us to spend more time with our families doing the important things in life, like attending baseball games, spelling bees, and diving meets.

Yet, BoxDrop Kingwood goes astray from the model that we originally set out with because we fell in love with our location. We love our neighbors, including the longevity of the great consignment store and the amazing Italian food!

Our family's first location was opened in Spring in August of 2016 and our Kingwood location opened in February of 2018.

How did you decide to get involved in this line of work?

The way our family became "mattress people" is quite a tale. Cliff loves listening to podcasts. Before mattresses, he worked in oil field services and spent a lot of time driving from place to place, listening to endless podcasts. One of those podcasts covered the need for mattresses, sparking an idea for a grand, new business! Cliff called his wife Stacey to share this new idea. She did what any great wife would do and told him to forget about it and "go to work!". Cliff's next call was to his nephew Cody (aka partner in crime and adventurous things) and told him the idea. Cody laughed and hung up on him... then, he began doing his own research. A short time later, Cody called Cliff and Stacey and said "Guess what, Uncle Cliff (keep in mind, he NEVER calls him Uncle Cliff due to being so close in age)... I'm opening a mattress store in Spring." A few short months later, Cliff and Stacey's circumstances changed and they opened their own store in Kingwood, where they live. With both stores thriving, Cliff and Cody decided to join forces and open an additional location in Conroe.

Tell us a couple things you are proud of about your business. What are you known for? What separates you from the competition?

We are proud of our work/life balance for our family and the people who work with us. We're also all about passing the savings on to our customers. Our selection is sourced directly from our manufacturers, keeping out the middleman. We're known for offering beautiful, durable mattresses and other furnishings that are designed to stand the test of time.

What is your favorite part of running this business?

Cliff says, "I love that my kids beg to come with me to our Kingwood store. I think the arcade games that we have at this location may be the main reason. When a customer comes in, we joke that we offer free delivery to anyone that can beat the 10-year-old at Street Fighter."

Cliff and Cody both have entrepreneurial backgrounds. Even when they had other "jobs" in construction or oil field services, they were making plans for being their own bosses. Each of their skills compliment one another, making them a great team.

Who is your ideal customer/client? Who do you serve best?

We best serve those wanting the best value for a fair price and those who are willing to have an outside of the "normal" retail experience. To shop at our Kingwood store, customers either call us or message us on our Facebook page.

Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your business?

We offer daily promotions on our Facebook page and we always offer free delivery. We have queen mattress sets that start at $150 and adjustable beds with memory foam that start at $850.

How do you see your business growing and improving over the next couple of years?
With our customers being our biggest supporters, we plan to continue to grow, becoming a one-stop shop for all kinds of furniture, including sofas, dining room tables and so much more.

To learn more about BoxDrop Mattress Direct, visit our profile at Kingwood.com.