Hi ilusski,
Congratulations on your new mattress 
I have heard other manufacturers talk highly of Norwalk which IMO is a high compliment. As you mentioned they may not be the lowest priced … they are certainly high quality manufacturers and I think you made a good choice.
The closest factory directs that I know of in the area you are mentioning are listed in post #6 here. I would make a particular point of visiting Magic Sleeper and I would call first to make sure that John is in and can help you. NOTE ADDED: They are also now a member of this site.
If they are more inclined to travel east, I would visit http://www.shovlinmattress.com/ and talk with Ron. He is also very good to talk with and they also make a range of high quality and value mattresses and they are also a member of this site.
In a more northerly direction your best bet would be Raitens Mattress Factory (see post #4 here for a few comments).
There are some very good choices here both in terms of quality and value. I would do a little work on the phone first and ask a few questions and then decide which was most worth visiting based on your conversation and the distance they would have to travel.
Phoenix