Ashley debuts Alabama store
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, June 5, 2006
Birmingham, Ala. — A 50,000-square-foot Ashley Furniture HomeStore has opened on Galleria Boulevard here.
The owner is Allen Woods Marks, whose family has been in the furniture business for over 50 years.
The new store features an 85-foot tower, four sets of oversize doors from the Phipps family mansion in Palm Beach, Fla., salvaged windows and other historic accents, bronze fountains and works created by local artisans that reflect Birmingham's steel history.
A children's play area and a full-service café also are featured.
Ashley, based in Arcadia, Wis., was founded in 1945 by Carlyle Weinberger as a sales organization with branches in Chicago and Goshen, Ind. In 1970, a 35,000-square-foot factory opened in Arcadia, specializing in occasional tables and wall systems, and employing 35 people. Today, Ashley is the No. 1 U.S. furniture maker and importer, and has over 200 dedicated stores in its network.
