Ashley Furniture Creates Over 657 New Jobs in Davie County, NC

Company Unveils New 2.8 Million-Square-Foot Manufacturing / Distribution Center

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Oct 23, 2014, 03:34 ET

ADVANCE, N.C., Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Just 40 minutes from High Point Market, Ashley Furniture celebrated the grand opening of a new 1,167,205-square-foot addition. The total size of Ashley's manufacturing and distribution center is now approximately 2,837,507-square-foot (or 65 acres) under roof.

From Left to Right : DENR Secretary John Skvarla, State Senator Andrew Brock, U.S. Senator Richard Burr, Congresswoman Foxx, State Representative Julia Howard, Todd Wanek - President and CEO Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., Governor Pat McCrory, Ron Wanek -- Founder and Chairman Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., Joyce Wanek (Wife of Founder), Grace and Abby Fox (Granddaughters of Founder), Terry Bralley (President of Davie County Economic Development), Karen Wanek, Gabrielle Wanek, Cameron Wanek

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, Senator Richard Burr, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx and a large contingent of state and local government officials and business representatives attended the event. Hundreds of Ashley employees and marketing specialists (sales representatives) were also in attendance.

This new facility has resulted in Ashley creating over 657 new jobs in Davie County. Ashley supports more than 250 North Carolina businesses.

The new construction phase of development includes 93,133 square feet of additional office space. Over the past year and a half, the construction process of this facility created a city within a city. The average number of construction workers per day on site during this time was 172. More than 75 vendors and subcontractors participated in this project.

"Ashley's Advance, North Carolina location will provide faster delivery to our customers, especially those located on the Eastern seaboard. It will also complement our current U.S. manufacturing and distribution locations in California, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin," said Todd Wanek, Ashley's President and CEO. "This investment was made for the benefit of our customers and is not expected to have a significant impact on our existing facilities."

"I realize this expansion is only one step on a very challenging road for this facility and for our company, but I am confident we will be up to the task. Ashley is dedicated to the constant improvement of our entire operations, and we plan to continue to reinvest in each and every one of our facilities. This approach has played a major role in our success since 1970 and will continue to play a major part in our future success as we work to meet the evolving needs of our customers."

Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. (Ashley) is the largest furniture manufacturer in North America and one of the largest in the world. Established in 1945, Ashley offers one of the industry's broadest product assortments to retail partners in 123 countries. From design through fulfillment, Ashley continuously strives to provide the best values, selection and service in the furniture industry. For more information on Ashley and its products, visit www.ashleyfurniture.com or www.ashley.com.cn.

Media Contact:
Jason Lockington
Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc.
608-323-6568
[email protected]

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SOURCE Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc.