Hill Country opens 14th Ashley store

Texas unit is 400th in HomeStores network

Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, June 24, 2009

John Disa, left, president of Ashley Furniture’s HomeStore division, helps Gary Seals of Hill Country Furniture Partners and Arturo J. Cortez, city commissioner of Pharr, Texas, cut the ribbon for the new Ashley store in McAllen, Texas.

McALLEN, Texas — Hill Country Furniture Partners has opened its 14th Ashley Furniture HomeStore here - the 400th store in the Ashley-dedicated network.

The grand opening of the 55,000-square-foot store in the Palms Crossing Shopping Center on North Jackson Road drew a state government official as well as John Disa, president of Ashley's HomeStores division. The new location created 80 full-time jobs, the company said.

Gary Seals, CEO of Hill Country Furniture Partners, which operates HomeStores in Seattle, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and now McAllen, Texas, described the new showroom as having an "open and inviting shopping environment."

Among the highlights is a soothing water feature, floor-to-ceiling fireplaces, a café and room vignettes accessorized with lamps, area rugs and other home accents. There's also a "Fun Zone" where kids can check out the youth bedroom offerings as well as watch movies and play videogames.

Seals said, "The direct-from-the-manufacturer model allows Ashley to present high-quality furniture at far more affordable prices."

Hill Country is No. 75 on Furniture/Today's Top 100, based on estimated furniture, bedding and accessories sales of $75.7 million in 2008 from seven stores. Since then, the company has doubled its store count with the acquisition of Finger Furniture's six HomeStores in Houston and the McAllen opening in South Texas.

The Ashley Furniture HomeStores network of corporate-owned and licensed stores ranks No. 1 on Furniture/Today's Top 100 ranking, with estimated furniture, bedding and accessories sales last year of $2.095 billion.