Simmons Mattress Company

A Classic Bedtime Story—125 Years of Innovation tells the story of a “classic” American business. In 1870 Zalmon Gilbert Simmons launched a small manufacturing operation making cheese boxes. Born with an entrepreneurial spirit, Simmons was always looking for new ventures. One day while reading a newspaper article, his eye caught an article about mass producing woven wire mattresses. He knew if he could acquire the patent and produce the mattresses reasonably he would be on the road to success.