Saliture's eye for talent still paying off today
David Perry -- Furniture Today, May 10, 2004
JANESVILLE, Wis. — JANESVILLE, Wis. — Veteran Simmons employee Tony Saliture, who launched the company's record-setting factory here in 1980, always kept his eyes open for strong performers.
In the mid-1990s, when he was general manager of the plant, he heard about a regional sales manager for Stearns & Foster named Bob Hellyer.
"I placed a cold call to Bob," Saliture recalled. "I told him about the opportunities at Simmons. I told him he could sell the best mattress in the world, the Simmons Beautyrest. I convinced him to come to Simmons."
Hellyer became sales manager for the Janesville plant in 1994 and quickly made his mark.
"In one year's time, Bob developed the strongest marketing team I've seen," Saliture said. "He built this up to a two-shift plant. I was telling people that this fellow should be president of the company."
That's exactly what happened. Hellyer moved to the corporate office in Atlanta and today is president of Simmons.
"I was very pleased when Bob became president," Saliture said. "Bob is unique. He knew what it took to keep the people in the plant happy. He also knew what it took to keep the plant busy."
Saliture says Hellyer has a great combination of skills: "He's great with people in manufacturing, he's great with the numbers, and he's a people person."
For his part, Hellyer credits his experience in Janesville as unique.
"Having grown up in the bedding industry and being in many plants both domestically and internationally, I know there is nothing like this plant anywhere in the world," he said. "Everyone should experience this. It's what's right with the bedding industry."
