Ashley Global Retail celebrates e-commerce HQ Grand Opening in Ybor City

March 14, 2016

 
 
Against a backdrop of blue skies and a tractor trailer emblazoned with the Ashley Furniture Industries logo and an American eagle, the nation’s largest furniture manufacturer and retailer held a grand opening ceremony in front of its new e-commerce headquarters in Ybor City last month. Nestled in the heart of the historic district in Centro Ybor, the 73,000 square foot facility blends contemporary design with the rich flavor of its neighborhood.
 
Festivities kicked off at 9 a.m. with guided tours of the facility before the ribbon-cutting ceremony began. Ken Jones, CEO of Third Lake Capital, served as the master of ceremonies, introducing six speakers, including the CEO of Ashley Global Retail, Mark Dufresne, the founder and chairman of Ashley Furniture Industries, Ron Wanek, and the President and CEO of Ashley Furniture Industries, Todd Wanek.
 
Tampa Bay Lightning chairman Jeff Vinik, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, and Governor Rick Scott welcomed the Ashley team to Tampa and praised them for the role they are playing in the exciting evolution of Ybor City.
 
Ashley Furniture Industries announced plans for the e-commerce headquarters in May of 2015. The project created 100 new jobs and $16 million in capital investment for Tampa and Hillsborough County.
 
“This is a time of strong growth for Ashley Furniture, and we’re proud to partner with the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, and the Ybor City business community to build our future in this exciting and historic location,” Todd Wanek said in May 2015. “We found everything we were looking for here: a rich supply of local e-commerce professionals, the perfect building to house our e-commerce headquarters as well as other retail operations, and the opportunity to contribute to the revitalization of Ybor City.”