SSB Chairman and Interim CEO Mark Genender (center) is flanked by his senior leadership team on the floor of the company’s new 500,000-square-foot Janesville factory. They are, from left, COO Rob Burch, CMO Tim Oakhill, Interim CFO Lisa Wyn, Chief Legal Officer Kristen McGuffey, Chief Sales Officer Dominick Azevedo and Chief HR Officer Esther Ni.
New facility to produce Serta and Beautyrest beds
By Alan Wolf, YSN
Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB) cut the ribbon this week on its newest manufacturing complex.
The 500,000-square-foot facility, located in Janesville, Wis., supplants three older factories — one in town and two in nearby Beloit — that were limited to producing either the Serta or Beautyrest lines. In contrast, the new state-of-the-art plant will produce both brands under the same roof, including Serta’s Perfect Sleeper and iComfort collections and Beautyrest’s Harmony and Black bedding.
Serta, based in Doraville, Ga., announced its plans last spring as part of a larger effort to streamline and optimize production.
“This new manufacturing plant will enable us to enhance the quality of products and service excellence we offer to retail partners and consumers,” said Mark Genender, SSB chairman and interim CEO. Genender, who has temporarily taken the company’s reins following last month’s resignation of Charlie Eitel, applauded developer Zilber Property Group for “delivering such a high-quality and industry-leading plant.”
“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 Zilber VP Chad Navis at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The new factory is one of 18 production facilities operated by SSB across the U.S. and Canada, along with five U.S. Serta plants operated under license by manufacturing partners.
