Simmons Introduces Eco-Friendly Mattress Line at JCPenney

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Simmons Bedding Company today announced that its new Natural Care^® by Danny Seo line of latex mattresses will be available at select JCPenney stores and online at jcp.com this month. Simmons partnered with eco-friendly living expert Danny Seo to offer a “green” bedding collection, which features natural, biodegradable and renewable components such as natural rubber tree based latex and a layer of base foam enhanced with soy.

“Today, sustainable living is an option for everyone, and the availability of the Simmons Natural Care® line at JCPenney represents our combined efforts to make an eco-friendly mattress available to consumers at a smart price.”

“As interest in sustainable products has grown, so has the need for a ‘green’ mattress that is accessible for the majority of consumers. There is no reason that ‘green’ mattresses should be a niche product when there is huge consumer support for environmentally friendly products,” said Danny Seo. “I hear from my readers and viewers that they want to invest in a ‘green’ mattress, but want to purchase it from a brand name they trust. Thanks to Simmons, sustainable and renewable bedding products are now readily available providing consumers the opportunity to experience a Natural Care^® mattress and discover the benefits of a luxurious, eco-friendly sleep environment.”

Natural Care^® mattresses feature natural latex made from biodegradable materials like rubber tree sap, which is harvested and refined to create one of the most soothing and responsive sleeping surfaces in the world. The highly resilient and durable nature of latex means that a mattress will retain its shape and performance for many years to come. Natural Care^® latex is also inherently resistant to dust mites, mold and mildew. Furthermore, beneath the Natural Care^® mattress’ latex layer is a layer of base foam enhanced with soy. The use of soy reduces the amount of petroleum needed to manufacture the foam and results in a smaller carbon footprint.

Natural Care^® mattresses also feature a Tencel^® fabric cover made from wood fibers. This natural knit fabric is constructed with biodegradable yarn and offers exceptional breathability and comfort. In addition, the Company’s Triton^® foundation is made from with 100 percent sustainable wood typically sourced from companies who participate in the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and the metal in the foundation’s interior grid includes up to 80 percent recycled steel.

“We conducted a significant amount of research on sustainable and renewable foams and fabrics when designing the Natural Care^® line and took special care to select materials that would promote the best possible sleep experience for the consumer, while providing the added benefit of being environmentally friendly,” said Tim Oakhill, Simmons’ executive vice president of marketing. “Today, sustainable living is an option for everyone, and the availability of the Simmons Natural Care^® line at JCPenney represents our combined efforts to make an eco-friendly mattress available to consumers at a smart price.”

Priced at $1,599 and up, the collection will bear JCPenney’s “Simply Green” mark, an exclusive-to-JCPenney designation that assists customers in making environmentally conscious purchases.

TIPS FOR A GREEN AND HEALTHY BEDROOM

Because many consumers are interested in ‘greening’ their entire bedroom, not just the mattress, Simmons also worked with Seo on the development of The Green Guide to a Healthier Bedroom to make the eco-friendly decorating process easier.

The Green Guide to a Healthier Bedroom contains Seo’s sustainable design tips for virtually every aspect of the bedroom as well as advice for obtaining healthy, rejuvenating sleep. Consumers may download the guide by visiting the Mattress Buying Guide section of www.naturalcarebed.com. To learn more about the Simmons^® Natural Care^® line, please visit naturalcarebed.com.

About Simmons

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.

About Danny Seo

Environmental lifestyle expert Danny Seo calls his eco-friendly way of living Simply Green. Through his bestselling books (Simply Green Parties and Simply Green Giving), television programs, magazine columns, and websites, Danny Seo continues to share his creative ideas that has made him America's leading lifestyle authority on modern, eco-friendly living. Born on Earth Day in 1977, Danny has championed on behalf of the natural biodiversity of our planet from a very young age. On his 12th birthday, he founded the organization Earth 2000 with just a few friends and $23 and grew it into one of the country’s largest teenage environmental groups. Today, Danny, encourages America to live a greener lifestyle. His first lifestyle book Conscious Style Home chronicles the renovation of his parents' Pennsylvania home. Using easy-to-find eco-friendly materials, the beautifully photographed book received rave reviews in The New York Times, Elle, Food & Wine, Elle Decor, and USA Today, who raved "Say 'environment' to Danny Seo, and it's as if you've punched the word into the search engine Google: Out roars an avalanche of ideas and references that threatens to scramble your brain." As the environmental lifestyle contributor for CBS “The Early Show” and Green Living columnist for Better Homes and Gardens, Danny helps millions of people go green with his simple how-to tips, projects and solutions. For more information visit www.dannyseo.com.

“Safe Harbor” Statement under Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

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; (ix) our labor relations; (x) departure of our key personnel; (xi) encroachments on our intellectual property; (xii) our product liability claims; (xiii) our level of indebtedness; (xiv) interest rate risks; (xv) foreign currency exchange rate risks; (xvi) compliance with covenants in our debt agreements; (xvii) our future acquisitions; (xviii) our ability to successfully integrate Simmons Canada and ComforPedic into our operations; (xix) our ability to achieve the expected benefits from any personnel realignments; (xx) our ability to successfully implement our new enterprise resource planning system; and (xxi) other risks and factors identified from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, either to reflect new developments or for any other reason.