“Simmons is a bed making company, but I thought it was a lie at 안전놀이터first when they contacted me and said they would buy peaches.”
An orchard in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, around 6:00 am on the 1st. Kim Hye-soon (54), who has been farming peaches here for 15 years, said as she picked red peaches. On this day, not only Mr. Kim, but about 10 people wearing black T-shirts with “Simmons” written on them and wearing straw hats were harvesting peaches together. They were employees belonging to the Simmons marketing team, art team, and operation support team.
This year, Simmons decided to purchase a total of 1,000 boxes (8,000 peaches) of peaches to help farmers in Icheon, where the headquarters is located, and present them to partner companies. Employees helped harvest the peaches at the farmhouse early in the morning, moved the peaches to the Simmons Factorium studio building, a 10-minute drive away, and packed them themselves. It was a ‘hip’ package with a lovely peach drawn on a light blue box.
Simmons is known for its ESG (Environmental Social Governance) activities that are ‘not like a bed company’ . Since 2018, it has practiced win-win growth by directly purchasing agricultural products such as rice and tomatoes from Icheon and delivering them to suppliers. Icheon’s ‘Simon’s Terrace’, a complex cultural space, opens the ‘Farmers’ Market’ every year to help local farmers develop markets. Every year on Lunar New Year’s Day and Chuseok, we donate household items to residents in Icheon. An official from Simmons said, “If Icheon agricultural products are delivered as an ‘ ESG
gift’ to partner companies and related companies , it leads to additional purchases by those who receive the gift, contributing to the revitalization of the local economy.”
From 100% hand-crafted harvesting to packaging to same-day shipping-. The process, comparable to that of any other department store or large mart, was done by the hands of the staff. Wi Sa-eun, Assistant Manager of Simmons Media Communication Team, said, “It was like college students were ‘nonghwal’ (rural volunteer activities), and I was able to work while enjoying it more.” Min Soon-ki, head of the safety, health and environment team, laughed, saying, “It’s new to the peach farm for the first time in my life, and I’m happy to think that the gift recipients will like it.”The relationship between this peach farmhouse and Simmons goes back three years. 2020 was a year when many farmhouses suffered damage from the record-breaking rainy season, and Simmons CEO An Jeong-ho, who was commuting to the headquarters in Icheon, ordered, “Look for ways to help nearby farmhouses.” At the time, Simmons bought 100 million won worth of agricultural products such as peaches and strawberries from Icheon, and also bought 500 boxes from Kim’s farm. Ms. Kim said, “I feel like crying because a lot of peaches have fallen due to the torrential rain this year, but I am grateful that Simmons not only purchases them, but also packs them beautifully and branding them, as good as department store products.”