COLUMBUS, Ohio – The world's largest furniture manufacturer is getting even bigger. Ashley Furniture Industries Inc. announced plans to build a 1 million-square-foot facility in Etna, Ohio, creating 300 new jobs. The company said hiring will begin in late 2021, once the building is completed.

Ashley will invest $70 million toward building the facility, machinery and equipment costs. The new facility will serve as a regional distribution hub, expanding the company’s national network of eight major distribution centers and serving a variety of needs, including global e-commerce fulfillment and store shipments.

“This is a major move to expand our warehouse capacity to support brick-and-mortar retail operations, as well as our e-commerce growth,” said Todd Wanek, president and CEO of Ashley Furniture Industries. “Providing access to nearly 50 percent of the U.S. population within a day’s drive, Etna’s location in Central Ohio is a strategic choice for Ashley. Our operations here will allow us to greatly expand our network and better serve customers across the country.”

Established in 1945, Ashley designs, manufactures and distributes home furnishings through retail, e-commerce and wholesale markets. The company is headquartered in Arcadia, Wisconsin, and sells furniture in more than 20,000 storefronts in 155 countries around the globe. Ashley Furniture is ranked #1 on the current FDMC 300 list of the largest North American wood products producers.

Recent expansions by the company include distribution and fulfillment centers in Spanaway, Washington, Mesquite, Texas, and Advance, North Carolina locations to increase warehouse capacity. With the distribution facility in Etna, Ashley said it will be able to have the capacity to hold $56 million of inventory to service the local market.

Earlier this year, Ashley also announced plans to expand operations at its manufacturing locations in Verona and Saltillo, Mississippi. And in December, the company broke ground on a 437,794-square-foot expansion of its Ecru, Mississippi manufacturing and distribution facility.