NEW ALBANY, MS — Furniture importer Emerald Home Furnishings is investing more than $2 million to open its first U.S.. furniture manufacturing plant, creating 150 jobs. Located in New Albany, MS, the production facility is the site of a former Hickory Springs plant.

The announcement was made May 25. Emerald Home Furnishings is a full-line supplier to home furniture retailers throughout North America as well as other countries,  including Australia, Japan, Taiwan, England, Guatemala, Saudi Arabia, and Costa Rica. Founded in 1962, the company’s product lineup includes fabric and leather upholstery, motion furniture, casual and formal dining room furniture, bedroom suites, occasional tables, as well as entertainment, home office, and accent chairs. According to the company's website, it also produces mattresses at a 200,000-square foot building in Tacoma, WA, which also houses  corporate offices and a distribution center.

“We are a Seattle-based company and have been importing for decades, but this is our first effort in manufacturing upholstery in the U.S. The commitment to business in North Mississippi and the outstanding quality of the workforce here made our decision very easy,” said David Beckmann, CEO. “We were delighted with the combined efforts of The Mississippi Development Authority, along with Three Rivers Planning and Development District, the city of New Albany, Union County, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. All of these entities teamed together to create a vision of the opportunity of manufacturing in Mississippi,” he added.

“The decision by the Emerald Home Furnishings team to locate these operations in New Albany is great news for north Mississippi, and it will further bolster the region’s growing presence in the furniture industry,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. Providing assistance with the project were the Mississippi Development Authority, Union County, Appalachian Regional Commission, and Tennessee Valley Authority.