Christine Foster
three PR
404.835.4524
cfoster@3atlanta.com
Katie O’Neill
three PR
404.835.4527
koneill@3atlanta.com
(ATLANTA – February 11, 2008) – Simmons Bedding Company announced today that it is partnering with Big Tree Furniture & Industries, Inc., on a new collection of Simmons® and Beautyrest® branded futon mattresses. The license agreement combines the strength of Simmons’ technology and brand name with the fashion-forward look of Big Tree’s futon frames and covers.
“Futons are an essential part of our licensing portfolio and fit a specific consumer need, so we are thrilled to be working with an innovative, high-quality futon provider like Big Tree,” said Tim Oakhill, Simmons’ executive vice president of marketing. “We chose to work with Big Tree because of the wide selection and forward-thinking designs they offer consumers. Our goal was to partner with the industry leader, and Big Tree definitely meets that criterion.”
The new collection will include a range of full and queen models that use either the Simmons® or Simmons® Beautyrest® brand names. Value-priced innerspring futons will include Simmons’ open coil design, while higher priced models will incorporate special four-inch-tall Beautyrest® Pocketed Coil® springs.
“We believe that Simmons’ innerspring and Pocketed Coil® designs will provide our customers with the perfect balance of comfort and support during the night,” said Bob Pecoraro, president of Big Tree. “The addition of these technologies will help simplify our step-up story, plus it demonstrates the ongoing advancements that are taking place within the futon industry.”
(more)
Simmons Finalizes Futon Licensing Agreement/ page 2
A preview of the new futon collection took place during the January 2008 Las Vegas Furniture Market. The collection officially will launch in April 2008, and the entire line will be displayed at the July 2008 Las Vegas Furniture Market. For more information, visit www.simmons.com or www.bigtreebigsleep.com.
Atlanta-based Simmons Company, through its indirect subsidiary Simmons Bedding Company, is one of the world’s largest mattress manufacturers, manufacturing and marketing a broad range of products under brands including Beautyrest®, Beautyrest Black™, Natural Care™, ComforPedic by Simmons™, Beautyrest Beginnings™ and Deep Sleep®. Simmons Bedding Company operates 21 conventional bedding manufacturing facilities and two juvenile bedding manufacturing facilities across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Simmons also serves as a key supplier of beds to many of the world’s leading hotel groups, casinos and resort properties. Simmons is committed to developing superior mattresses and promoting a higher quality sleep for consumers around the world. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.simmons.com.
Big Tree Furniture & Industries specializes in the latest in futon frame designs from priced to advertise to added value. Complete collections available include chairs, love, full, and queen size frames and occasional table sets. The complete line of Big Sleep products includes cotton and foam, innerspring and visco memory foam mattresses and the My Big Sleep visco memory foam pillow program. From futons, frames, mattresses, covers, tables, accessories and pillows, Big Tree-Big Sleep is the industry’s choice futon supplier. For more information, visit www.bigtreebigsleep.com.
###
This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect our current views about future events and financial performance. Words such as “estimates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “forecasts” and variations of such words or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events, results or trends, or that do not relate to historical matters, identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this call. These forward-looking statements are expressed in good faith and we believe there is a reasonable basis for them. However, there can be no assurance that the events, results or trends identified in these forward-looking statements will occur or be achieved. Investors should not rely on forward-looking statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations. These factors include, but are not limited to: (i) competitive pricing pressures in the bedding industry; (ii) legal and regulatory requirements; (iii) the success of our new products and the future costs to roll out such products; (iv) our relationships with and viability of our major suppliers; (v) fluctuations in our costs of raw materials; (vi) our relationship with significant customers and licensees; (vii) our ability to increase prices on our products and the effect of these price increases on our unit sales; (viii) an increase in our return rates and warranty claims;