FloBeds

Overview

FloBeds occupies a modest commercial building at 234 E. Redwood Avenue in downtown Fort Bragg.

Today, the building is home to a locally operated mattress company known for customizable mattresses and a customer base extending far beyond the Mendocino Coast.

Long before mattresses were sold here, residents remember the building as a blacksmith and machine shop operated by Peter Garbini and Joe Near.

Its history reflects the changing nature of Fort Bragg businesses, from traditional metalworking and equipment repair to specialized manufacturing and worldwide sales.

Location

The building stands at 234 E. Redwood Avenue, just east of Fort Bragg’s downtown commercial center.

Its straightforward appearance reflects the practical nature of the businesses that have occupied it. Rather than elaborate architectural details, the building has served as a place where people make, repair and sell things.

History

The building’s earlier history is closely associated with Peter Garbini and Joe Near, who operated Near and Garbini, a machine shop remembered as occupying the property from the 1950s into the early 1970s.

Residents also remember it as Garbini’s blacksmith shop during the 1950s. One recollection describes walking past the shop after attending a movie and watching the blacksmiths at work.

The blacksmith and machine-shop memories appear to describe the same general period, although the exact dates and any changes in the business name have not been independently established.

Another resident remembers a co-op associated with the property, although its dates and precise use remain uncertain.

The building eventually entered a different chapter as the home of FloBeds.

Dave Turner, the company’s founder, has been involved in the mattress business since 1971. FloBeds developed into a Fort Bragg-based business specializing in customizable mattresses, particularly adjustable latex mattress systems.

Its customers can select different firmness levels and mattress configurations, with products shipped directly to buyers well beyond the Mendocino Coast.

Today, FloBeds continues to operate from 234 E. Redwood Avenue, combining its local identity with a national and international customer base.

The transition from metalworking to mattresses represents another chapter in the building’s long history of practical, hands-on work.

Community Memories

Longtime residents remember the property as Near and Garbini, a machine shop operated by Peter Garbini and Joe Near from the 1950s into the early 1970s.

Others recall Garbini’s blacksmith shop during the 1950s. One particularly memorable account describes walking home from the movies and watching the men working inside.

Another recollection identifies a co-op at the property, adding a possible chapter to the building’s history that still needs further documentation.

More recent memories connect the building with FloBeds and Dave Turner, including a personal account of his helping a community member with the expense of clearing out a storage unit in 2012.

Together, these recollections connect the building’s industrial past with its modern role as a locally operated business.

Timeline

1950s — Residents remember Garbini’s blacksmith shop operating at the property.

1950s–Early 1970s — Peter Garbini and Joe Near operate Near and Garbini, a local machine shop, according to family recollections.

Undetermined Period — A former co-op is also remembered at the property, although its dates have not been established.

1971 — Dave Turner begins his career in the mattress business, according to FloBeds’ company history.

Later Years — FloBeds establishes its Fort Bragg operation at 234 E. Redwood Avenue. The exact occupancy date has not been confirmed.

Today — FloBeds continues as a Fort Bragg-based mattress company serving customers well beyond the Mendocino Coast.