Brad Grose has been a successful entrepreneur in Brantford for decades, with not only a desire to help his customers sleep better but also to help make the community stronger.
Grose became involved with his family’s business in the 1980s; eventually opening his own business, ‘Mattress Miracle’ around 40 years ago.
“My father and mother owned a business [and they had a] big swath of property that was on Clarence Street [and] I went into partnership with them. I first started in the industry in 1985 [and] went into the business of selling mattresses and bedroom furniture [and] basically grew from a necessity,” said Grose.
However, Grose maintains the importance of his business success to his parents.
“I always keep my parents in the forefront of my mind…they were very loyal people to their customers. I’m a firm believer that it’s the public that we serve as they are the ones who take care of us. So, I feel it is very important to make sure our customers are satisfied.”
Nevertheless, Grose is passionate about keeping it a family-run business.
“Currently, both my daughter…and my brother are working with me. I’ve always been in a family business [and] I include everyone who works here as my family. Dorothy [Balicki], in particular, has worked with me for decades…and she’s like a sister to me,” noted Grose.
In coming up with the ‘Mattress Miracle’ name, Grose thought of a friend’s business which inspired him.
“It’s an homage to friends [who] were in the industry many years ago…they emanated a spirit that I really felt that was not just about business…it was the way they treated people, with kindness. “Grose reflected. “The name of their mattress manufacturing business was ‘Miracle King’…so, I called my business ‘Mattress Miracle’ [and] it’s an homage to them [who were] very good people.”
Despite moving multiple times around Brantford until settling on its current location at 441 West Street for the last 15 years, one key constant has been Grose’s focus on learning from the customer.
“They have taught me to be appreciative [and] there have been numerous times where we’ve helped people [who were] caring for their ailing parents, grandparents, or children and I learned to have a deep level of compassion for what’s happening out in the world,” Grose said. “I feel very blessed to be in a community like Brantford where I know so many people [who] have supported me. [They] taught me to be very thankful, grateful and compassionate.”
Another thing that Grose has learned during his many decades in business is improving people’s quality of life.
“I thought that I simply sold mattresses, but I came to understand it’s much more than that…[my team and I are] trying to do work that helps the health of the community; [their] mental and physical health [as well as] their spiritual health. And all of it depends on what we sleep on. It’s a big part of our existence,” Grose explained.
While Grose continues to thrive as an entrepreneur, he notes the importance of his success because of community.
“For me, when we get somebody who has been referred to us; that’s the greatest thing the community can offer a local business like us; it’s the network that can be instantly created and helps make a tight-knit community like Branford even tighter,” Grose maintained. “There are some incredible people here [helping] build a good community, [and a] connected community, and a lot of really kind souls that work hard every day to make this a place special…I think we are quite a vibrant community, and we’re lucky to be part of it.”
