Serta Simmons Bedding LLC held a grand opening event and ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday for its state-of-the-art 500,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Janesville, Wisconsin, that will produce mattresses and other bedding products under its Serta, Beautyrest and Simmons brands.
SSB has long had a manufacturing presence in Rock County, and this plant is retaining more than 300 jobs, according to a news release. The Doraville, Georgia-based company expects to create additional jobs at the plant over the next few years as the business regains lost market share.
The new plant at 200 Innovation Drive consolidates two Rock County plants that were in Beloit and at another location in Janesville. Now SSB has transferred production to the new manufacturing plant recently completed by Zilber Property Group.
The new plant will enable SSB to manufacture its portfolio of mattresses — including Serta Perfect Sleeper, Serta iComfort, Beautyrest Harmony and Beautyrest Black — under the same roof, enabling the company to better serve Midwest-area retailers and customers, as production was previously split between the two plants.
“Our company has a proud history here in Rock County and we couldn’t be more excited to reinvest here and continue to be a big part of the local economy,” said Mark Genender, chair of the board of directors and interim CEO at SSB. “This new manufacturing plant will enable us to enhance the quality of products and service excellence we offer to retail partners and consumers, all thanks to our experienced, talented and dedicated team of plant associates.
“On behalf of all my colleagues at SSB, we are very appreciative of this project’s support from Janesville and Rock County and applaud Zilber for delivering such a high quality and industry leading plant.”
Kevin Lahner, Janesville city manager, added, “Serta Simmons Bedding expanding its operations in Rock County is an excellent indicator of the direction the city is moving. The partnership brings more job opportunities into the community and boosts the local economy. We couldn’t be happier.”
The new plant is one of the 18 manufacturing plants across the United States and Canada operated by SSB. An additional five Serta plants in the United States are operated by licensing partners.
“We are thrilled to have partnered with Serta Simmons Bedding on their remarkable state-of-the-art facility, meticulously designed to meet their exact operational needs,” said Chad Navis, vice president of Zilber Ltd. “We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to sustained economic growth in the area and look forward to being a part of SSB’s continued success in their heir new plant.”
