Tontine Group

Infobox Company
company_name = Tontine Group
company_
vector_
company_type = Manufacturer
genre =
foundation = 1870
founder =
location_city = Brunswick East, Victoria
location_country = Australia
location =
origins =
key_people =
area_served =
industry =
products = Pillows
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
parent = Pacific Brands
divisions =
subsid =
owner =
company_slogan =
homepage = http://www.tontine.com.au/
dissolved =
footnotes =

Tontine is an Australian manufacturer of pillows. The company began in 1870. From 1984–2001 it was owned by Pacific Dunlop. In 2001 it was sold to create a separate entity. The Tontine group is part of Pacific Brands. Until 2007 the company's manufacturing base was at East Brunswick, Victoria.cite web | year = | url = http://www.tontine.com.au/About/The-Tontine-Group.asp

title = Australia's most popular bedtime story | work = About the company | publisher = Tontine Group | accessdate = 2006-12-06] (It is now at Campbellfield in Victoria.) Tontine Fibres is a division of United Bonded Fabrics a separate company manufacturing polyester insulation, air filtration, carpet underlays, geotextiles and a range of mattress and furniture comfort products and using the Tontine trademark under license.cite web | url = http://www.tontinefibres.com.au/default.asp | title = Tontine Fibres - About us | publisher = Tontine Fibres | accessdate = 2006-12-08]

The company began making and soft bedding. Tontine has been making pillows since 1956. In 1963 the company "launched" the first polyester filled pillow in Australia.cite web | year = 2006 | url = http://www.tontine.com.au/default.asp | title = Tontine Group | work = | publisher = Tontine Group | accessdate = 2006-12-08]

The company is the leading pillow producer in Australia manufacturing half of all pillows sold in Australia. Tontine manufactures pillows under its own brands and also under house brands for retailers. In 2002 it produced 3.6 million pillows per year. A former general manager of Tontine claimed that "Tontine is unique in the world because it is a strong pillow brand in what is a commodity market," she said. "In other countries there is no market leader because manufacturers tended to stay in their local areas." [cite news | first=Ian | last=Porter | author= | url= http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/27/1075088021016.html?from=storyrhs | title=The chief claims victory in pillow fight | work=Business News | publisher=The Age | date=2004-01-28 | accessdate=2006-12-07 ]

As the company is well known, it is referenced in jokes. For example, an Australian legal newsletter said of an alleged swindler who padded his timesheets "that at one stage pillow makers Tontine were said to be interested in sponsoring him." [cite news | url= http://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/articles/04/0c019b04.asp | title= Redlich v Redlic (Corrs for tears) | work= Folklaw | publisher= Lawyers Weekly | date= 2003-09-11 | accessdate=2006-12-07 ]

Duvets in Australia are known by the genericized trademark "Doona"; the brand name is owned by the Tontine Group. [cite web | year = | url = http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticle.aspx?id=103736&catId=100447&tid=100008&p=3&title=Buying+guide%3a+Duvets++(archived)
title = Buying guide: Duvets (archived): The jargon explained | work = | publisher = Choice magazine | accessdate = 2006-12-07] The brand name was acquired by Tontine in 1991 when Pacific Dunlop took over the Northern Feather company which until that time had been one of Australia's largest manufacturers of feather and down-filled pillows and quilts.cite web | year = | url = http://www.ansell.com/company/history.pdf | title = History of Pacific Dunlop Ltd | format = pdf | work = | publisher = Ansell | accessdate = 2006-12-08]

External links

* [http://www.tontine.com.au/ Company web site]

References