Simmons Bedding Company

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Simmons Bedding Company is a major manufacturer of mattresses and related bedding products. In business for over 125 years, they are also one of the oldest companies in the United States. Simmons' flagship brand is Beautyrest. According to a Simmons press release, net sales for 2005 were $855 million. [1]

[edit] History

In 1870 Simmons was founded by Zalmon G. Simmons with its first factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Simmons started off by producing wooden insulators and cheese boxes.
In 1876 started producing wire-woven mattresses.
In 1916 Simmons began advertising nationally.
By 1919 growth was fast. In response, Simmons acquired manufacturing plants in San Francisco, California; Los Angeles, California; Montreal, Quebec; Toronto, Ontario; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Vancouver, British Columbia; Elizabeth, New Jersey; Seattle, Washington; and Atlanta, Georgia.
In 1925 Simmons' engineer, John Franklin Gail, invented a machine that could mass-produce the coils and insert them into fabric "pockets". This made mass-production of the previously luxury-only product possible.
During World War II Simmons produced parachutes, bazooka rockets and 2700 other products for the US military.
In 1975 Simmons moved to its present day headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2007 Simmons will launch the first mattresses with GEL Technology

[edit] External links

Major North American mattress manufacturers
Comfortaire - Dorel - King Koil - Restonic - Sealy - Select Comfort - Serta - Simmons - Spring Air - Tempur-Pedic - Therm-a-Rest - Leggett & Platt