Mattress USA Inc., operator of national mattress and furniture web sites US-Mattress.com and FurnitureCrate.com, has acquired specialty furniture and lighting retailer Carolina Rustica. Terms of the acquisition, which closed last week, were not disclosed.

The combined entities will continue under the Mattress USA organization and will operate three retail stores, two in Michigan as US-Mattress.com, and one in North Carolina under the Carolina Rustica name, along with the e-commerce site CarolinaRustica.com. Mattress USA also operates NameBrandBeds.com, DayBedDeals.com and PartySuppliesDelivered.com, a party supplies retailer.

“As our business continues to grow in both the mattress and furniture retail segments, bringing Carolina Rustica into the fold is perfect because of their brand name recognition in high-end furniture and lighting, as well as their similar business model, running a brick-and-mortar retail operation in tandem with a very active web site,” says Joe Nashif, president and CEO of Mattress USA, No. 383 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.

The merger gives Carolina Rustica access to Mattress USA’s multichannel experience and resources, says Richard Sexton, who will continue as president of Carolina Rustica, No. 675 in the Internet Retailer Second 500 Guide.

“We had reached a point where our growth and expansion plans were actually being hindered by our own infrastructure,” he says. “By being part of this new organization, we can draw upon their considerable expertise in all aspects of operations, marketing and fulfillment. We will also be able to expand our overall furniture business by leveraging our mutual strengths in the furniture segment.”

The combined companies represent more than 200 manufacturers of mattresses, furniture, lighting, bedding and accessories. The new company will continue to promote its best-selling brands, including Sealy, Simmons, Serta, Lexington Furniture, Stanley Furniture and Bernhardt, while introducing consumers to up-and-coming brands.

Plans for the new entity include expanding Carolina Rustica’s Concord, NC, showroom by 8,000 square feet by year’s end. Mattress USA will continue to hire employees at its Brighton, MI, headquarters as a result of this merger and its own organic growth, the company says.