ARCADIA, Wis. - Ashley Furniture's expansion in RTA furniture production took another step forward with the company's acquisition of Homestar North America's facility in Statesville, North Carolina.

The 309,620 square-foot facility will have a capacity to produce more than 500 SKUs, which include bedroom, entertainment, upholstered beds, occasional tables, and home office furniture. The company has said its new line of RTA product will be contemporary designed to attract first-time renters and home buyers.

“This is a major investment by our company, and one we feel will allow us to better serve our customers worldwide,” said Todd Wanek, Ashley president and CEO. “As an industry, we’re starting to see more people live in urban spaces. The production of RTA furniture allows the product to be easily navigated into these spaces and assembled at the point of use.”

Ashley announced the expansion of its RTA offerings at the Las Vegas Market in July.

"We are excited to grow the RTA assortment and provide proven products to our customers,” Wanek said. “By December, we will expand the RTA product to all of our U.S. distribution centers and will be well-positioned to supply the products to our customers, with key focus on our GMROI.”

The Statesville facility is located less than 40 miles from Ashley’s Mid-Atlantic Advanced Manufacturing and Distribution facility in Advance, North Carolina. According to the company, the Statesville location currently generates more than $50 million in annual sales, and has the expansion capability to produce additional RTA products and grow revenue significantly. It has approximately 180 workers, with an opportunity to grow the workforce as production increases, the company said.

“When we considered commencing RTA operations, one of the major attractions was the workforce at this facility in Statesville,” said Travis Wagner, senior vice president of Global Manufacturing for Ashley. “We’re excited to welcome the employees to the new team, and look forward to making this site a world-class RTA operation.”

Established in 1945 and headquartered in Arcadia, Wisconsin, Ashley is the largest manufacturer of home furnishings in the world, and was named one of America’s Best Employers by Forbes in 2017. The company is ranked #1 on the FDMC 300 list of top North American wood products producers.

Ashley Chairman Ron Wanek was recognized as a Wood Industry Market Leader by Woodworking Network in 2011.