Sleep Country USA's parent now owns Sleep Train, too

Fenway Partners, the New York private-investment company that owns Kent-based Sleep Country USA, now owns rival Sleep Train.

Details of the deal, completed earlier this week, have not been released, but Barry Brown, Sleep Country's president, said yesterday he expects the two rivals will continue to operate as independent companies.

"I don't think it will change our world one bit," said Brown, who calls Sacramento-based Sleep Train "an excellent competitor."

Dale Carson, Sleep Train's chief executive officer, was not available for comment.

In March, Fenway Partners bought Sleep Country, whose trademark jingle - "Why buy a mattress anywhere else?" - is known throughout the Northwest.

Sunny Kobe Cook, one of the company's founders, opened the first Sleep Country near Northgate in 1991 and often appears in the company's radio and TV ads. Her ex-husband, Robert, is still Sleep Country's chief executive officer.

Sleep Country now runs 28 stores in the Northwest, including 18 in Washington. Its Canadian spinoff, Sleep Country Canada, was bought by Boston-based Bain Capital in a $70 million deal.

Sleep Train operates 44 stores in California, Oregon and Washington.

Thomas Lee's phone message number is 206-464-2448. His e-mail address is: tomlee@seattletimes.com