Leggett & Platt (L&P), based in Carthage, Missouri, is an American diversified manufacturer that designs and produces various engineered components and products that can be found in homes and automobiles. The firm was founded in 1883, and consists of 15 business units, 20,000 employee-partners, and 135 manufacturing facilities located in 18 countries. Leggett management As of January 2022, senior corporate executives included: J. Mitchell Dolloff, CEO and President Steven K. Henderson, EVP and President, Specialized Products and Furniture, Flooring, & Textile Products Segments Jeffrey L. Tate, EVP and CFO Susan R. McCoy, SVP Investor Relations Scott S. Douglas, SVP General Counsel and Secretary Christina Ptasinski, SVP and CHRO Tammy Trent, SVP and CAO Board of directors Company history In 1883 in Carthage, Missouri, J.P. Leggett developed a new type of bedspring consisting of single cone spring wire coils, formed and interlaced, then mounted on a wood slat base. The bedspring could then be used as a base for the then-popular cotton, feather, or horsehair mattresses. Needing expertise in manufacturing and production, he recruited his soon-to-be brother-in-law, C.B. Platt, whose father owned and operated Platt Plow Works, into the partnership. Together, they produced the components of their Leggett & Platt bedspring, which was patented in 1885. The Carthage market for their new product was very limited. To expand the market to a wider region, Platt and George Leggett, brother of J. P. Leggett, would load a horse-drawn wagon with bedsprings and travel to surrounding communities. Often, to conserve space, they would load the springs and slats separately into the wagon and assemble them in a store or on an adjacent sidewalk. The partnership prospered, and the business was incorporated in 1901. The company built its first factory and offices in Carthage in 1890. The workforce at that time consisted of the two partners and five employees. Soon after completion of the Carthage plant, a second factory was built in Louisville, Kentucky. During the next 50 years, three more factories were built. Demand for the company's improved bedsprings was rising, and a second plant was built in Carthage in 1925. The new, much larger plant was located next to a railroad to allow for expanded shipments of products and supplies. In 1942, an additional factory was built in Winchester, Kentucky, which was subsequently consolidated with the Louisville plant. For some time, Texas had proven to be a main market outlet, and in