By Michael Pineda
Staff Writer
Mathis Brothers is one of the most trusted names in furniture and is one of the most recognized storefronts on Garth Brooks Boulevard.
The company has opened the doors to a renovated, rebranded Mathis Sleep, which is a sister to Mathis Homes. The company completed a seven-month makeover that included gutting the inside of the building to make it bigger and better. The three outside walls and ceiling are the only remaining facets of the building.
“It’s nice for us to have a new makeover, you drive by and it’s like, “We never knew you were here,” Factory Sales Rep and Corporate Trainer Brennan Clay said. “We were here for quite some time. Just being able to do what we do here, putting mattresses in people’s homes and having a healthier lifestyle and sleeping better, that is our main objective.
“We have close to 15 different screens, and they are all running some type of promotion, whether it is explaining about a mattress or what a current sales promo is. It’s really cool to have a customer walk around. They will stop and stare at it for 15 or 30 seconds and get some information that a salesperson may or may not have missed or just reiterate, that’s what they talked about. It’s nice to have this futuristic look at on our walls and it kind of brings everything together.”
The Yukon Mathis Sleep location is 40% bigger and features the best name brands in the bedding industry. There are also the deals that have made Mathis Brothers a leading state brand. There is a one-year comfort guarantee for Mathis Brothers Reward members and free delivery and set up on every purchase. There is also the 2% in store credit after 30 days.
Clay was at the Yukon location Thursday but works everywhere the Americana brand is carried.
“I get to help facilitate and showcase sales and why you want to sell our products and brands without better warranties,” Clay said. “Just a way to make an honest living selling mattresses.”
From gridiron to Mathis Brothers
Most state football fans recognize Clay as a former running back for the Oklahoma Sooners. He played from 2010 to 2013, rushing for a career-high 957 yards his senior year. Clay got a shot with the Denver Broncos and counts meeting Peyton Manning as a highlight. When the opportunity failed to materialize, Clay fell back on education.
He was a communication major, which was right up his alley. Clay’s dream had been to become a sports commentator or a sports analyst but that did not pan out.
“I was already in network marketing, so I was dealing with selling anyway, phone calls, cold calls,” Clay said. “I figured I really want some insurance. I was driving by an Ashley Home Store on Memorial and saw that they were hiring, decided to walk on in, saw an opportunity. I was told, ‘you can make a pretty good living selling furniture.’
“I was a little skeptical of course but then I got in the trenches, I got in front of customers. I was already a naturally gifted individual when it comes to talking to people. That’s my nature. It kind of snowballed and I became a regional manager within the company just doing our sleep centers.”
There were values that Clay took from football to Mathis, the biggest of which is camaraderie. He said that was the biggest thing he missed about the game but has worked to instill at Mathis.
“You are not around the boys, you are not around a group,” he said. “I have been able to instill that mentality because I am a part of our sales team. I am a part of our company, being able to build friendships that will last a lifetime. I know quite a few people that have been with this company for 15, 20, 25 years, and I can only hope to follow in those footsteps and just be a part of that and help build a culture and be a part of the company that is here to stay.”
Boomer Sooner
Clay no longer wears a Sooner jersey, but he bleeds the crimson and cream. He keeps up with the team and like many fans, has his own thoughts about the turbulent offseason.
“I have been watching a lot of the changes,” he said. “I never agreed with what Lincoln (Riley) did but hey, you have to take care of your family. But the way he did it doesn’t sit right with a lot of people, me included.”
Clay was among those in Norman last week when the Sooners dropped their first game of the season to Kansas State. He said Oklahoma still has a great team. Despite the number of fans hitting the panic button, Clay said it wasn’t a terrible game, it’s football and you have to show up every day.
“I still believe in this team,” he said. “They can still be considered a playoff team.”
Meanwhile, Clay feels he is on a winning team with Mathis and wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s very exciting to be a part of Mathis Brothers,” Clay said. “They are light years ahead of everybody, staying ahead of the curve. There is nothing short that they do when it comes to opening a business.
“It’s very exciting, I’m very grateful to be out here and I just keep telling everybody, come visit us.”
