JANESVILLE, Wis. – Bedding manufacturer Serta Simmons Bedding plans to open a new 500,000-square-foot dual-branded manufacturing facility here to produce Serta and Beautyrest products.
SSB plans to consolidate two existing Wisconsin facilities into the new factory scheduled to open next year. The company said the plant will employ more than 300 initially with plans to open add general production and warehousing jobs as needed. The current plants total 490,000 square feet and are located in Janesville and Beloit, Wis.
“Our new Janesville manufacturing facility will become one of the largest dual-branded facilities in our network, enabling us to expand our capacity and continue to meet consumer demand for our trusted brands,” said Terry Litwiler, vice president of operations for Serta Simmons Bedding. “This new facility is a critical part of our broader effort to optimize our manufacturing footprint to ensure we are delivering for our retail partners and consumers, while creating an industry-leading work environment for our employees.”
The Doraville, Ga.-based company has been manufacturing in Wisconsin since Simmons Co. was founded in the 1870s in Kenosha, Wis. The company opened the 290,000-square-foot factory in Janesville in 1982 to make Beautyrest mattresses. The 200,000-square-foot facility in Beloit has been manufacturing Serta mattresses since it opened in 1987.
“I’m pleased Serta Simmons Bedding has chosen Janesville to expand their operations, which will retain its existing workforce and attract 100 more to the City,” said Mark Freitag, Janesville city manager. “We are happy to use one of the few economic development tools we have in the State of Wisconsin to support this development. I’m proud of our team and partners at Rock County for diligently coordinating efforts between Serta Simmons Bedding, the developer Zilber, and the city.”
The current factories employee more than 300 combined.
“We’re proud to remain one of the largest employers in Southern Wisconsin,” said Jim Fenton, operations leader for Serta Simmons Bedding. “We’re opening a new chapter in our history and I’m excited to see how our teams will continue to grow and thrive in the new community, while also continuing to deliver our innovative products that help people sleep better so they can live healthier lives.”
