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. It is one of the oldest companies in the country.
- In 1876 Simmons 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 "encasements". 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 1979, Simmons was purchased by Gulf+Western.
- In 1985, Gulf+Western sold Simmons to Wickes Corporation.
- In 1991, Merrill Lynch Capital Partners, Inc. acquired a majority interest in the company.
- In 1995, Simmons launched a commercial for the Simmons Beautyrest using the "bowling ball" demonstration. The demonstration remains a registered trademark.
- In August 2006 Simmons sold its chain of retail stores to The Sleep Train of Citrus Heights, CA.
- In 2006, Simmons introduced the Beautyrest Black line of mattresses.
- In 2006, Simmons introduced the NaturalCare latex line of mattresses.
- In 2007 Simmons launched the first mattresses with GEL Technology.
- In 2007 Simmons releases the ComforPedic by Simmons line.
- In 2009, Simmons introduced the ComforPedic Loft line.
- In 2011, Simmons introduced Smart Respons Pocketed Coil technology.
Read more about this topic: Simmons Bedding Company
Famous quotes containing the word history:
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“There is a constant in the average American imagination and taste, for which the past must be preserved and celebrated in full-scale authentic copy; a philosophy of immortality as duplication. It dominates the relation with the self, with the past, not infrequently with the present, always with History and, even, with the European tradition.”
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