Ashley Furniture Industries plans to locate its operations center in a 275,000-square-foot facility in Verona, Mississippi, creating 60 jobs in the region.

Ashley Furniture also maintains manufacturing operations in Ecru and Ripley, Miss. The company will use its new Verona facility, which is located on a 35-acre site in the Tupelo-Lee Industrial Park South and was formerly occupied by Morgan Fabrics, to manufacture sleepers and mattresses. The facility will also serve as a state-of-the-art replacement part and customer support center.

“This decision was the result of several years of global strategic and grass roots analysis,” said Ashley Furniture Industries President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Wanek. Referencing the advantages of the Verona facility, he said, “It is in close proximity to Ashley’s existing facilities in Ripley and Ecru, is serviced by a rail line and is located in a Foreign Trade Zone. Furthermore, Mississippi is a business-friendly state that we are happy to call home.”

“The leadership of Governor Bryant, along with the cooperation and expertise of the Mississippi Development Authority and the entire staff at the Community Development Foundation of Tupelo, has made this new expansion possible,” Wanek added.

“Ashley Furniture Industries has been a valued business in Mississippi for nearly two decades and has created thousands of jobs for our workers and contributed significantly to our state’s economy,” Governor Phil Bryant said. “I am grateful to Ashley officials for once again expanding their Mississippi operations.”

The Mississippi Development Authority provided assistance for infrastructure improvements through the Community Development Block Grant program in support of the project.

“We are always excited to see an existing Mississippi business expand its operations and create new jobs for our state’s workers,” MDA Executive Director Brent Christensen said. “I am pleased MDA was able to assist Ashley with this project, and I thank both the company for its ongoing investment in our state and our partners in Lee County who worked with us to make this project possible.