Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. is an American institution and one of the world’s most famous home furnishings manufacturers. Ashley Furniture was founded in Chicago by Carlyle Weinberger back in 1945, initially as a marketing arm for goods made by other companies.
Weinberger had sold all his ownership rights to Ashley by 1976, and the company became a prominent international name.
Is this company that started as a small marketer in Illinois still focusing on American-made products, though? Or has this expansion led to a change in manufacturing practices?
Where is Ashley furniture made 2024:
Around 60% of Ashley furniture is created in the United States, most notably in Wisconsin. The remaining 40% of furniture is made in China and Vietnam.
Is Ashley Furniture Made in USA?
As mentioned previously, Ashley Furniture was formed in Chicago. The business has long since moved on from this location, though.
Today, Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc has its HQ in Arcadia, found in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.
Ashley also has five other manufacturing plants of varying sizes throughout the USA. These are found in:
- Ecru, Mississippi
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Leesport, Pennsylvania
- Advance, North Carolina
- Brandon, Florida
Most furniture stores that sell Ashley products in the USA or Canada will get their stock from these locations.
The manufacturing plants also double up as distribution centers, so the recliners, sofas, and other items of furniture ship from the same place they were made.
Is Ashley furniture made in China?
Some Ashley furniture is made in China, yes.
This is far from the only locale that creates furniture for the company, though. It’s not even the biggest. Only around 10% of American-sold Ashley furniture hails from China in 2021.
Ashley has a plant near Shanghai, which is where furniture is created and constructed. The furniture purchased by western homeowners is rarely made in China, though. Instead, American consumers typically buy domestic produce.
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Some furniture is made in China for economic reasons. Furniture makers in Asia can pick up cost-effective supplies from Taiwan, ensuring a healthy profit margin.
However, Ashley has always been proud of its American roots and prefers to trade with domestic markets.
As a result, Ashley made real inroads into the Chinese market. Products made in Shanghai are sold nearby. For a while, Ashley was one of the most furniture makers in the country.
More competition has since arisen, but Ashley remains a major name in the industry.
Are Ashley recliners made in the USA?
Ashley does not reveal where particular individual products are made.
However, if you are shopping for a recliner in the USA, you can take an educated guess that it stemmed from the same country. Local plants will typically be used to create the furniture.
There is a chance – less than 50%, but a chance – that your recliner has been shipped from Asia.
If you insist on buying American-made and nothing else will do, you may need to look at a different manufacturer. Genuinely, though, most Ashley furniture sales in the States are for domestic products.
Who makes Ashley furniture?
Ashley Furniture employs some 35,000 people across the world. As discussed, these are primarily found in the USA. The company also creates jobs in China and Vietnam, though.
These employees most work tirelessly to create and upholster Ashley’s home furnishings. Some of them work purely in a retail capacity, serving customers in a branch of Ashley HomeStores. Most, though, are involved in making the furniture in one of Ashley’s factories.
Related Read: Where is My Pillow Made
Is Ashley furniture a good brand?
Ashley is one of the – if not the – most beloved brands in America. It is not considered to be the highest quality but never claims to be either. Ashley furniture is comfortable, affordable, and ethically created.
Everybody will have a different definition of what makes a ‘good’ brand. It is hard to find fault with Ashley, though. Just ensure expectations match up to any price paid for products created by this manufacturer.
Where to buy Ashley furniture?
Ashley furniture can be purchased from all over the world, in 123 countries total.
If you’re keen to buy from an official Ashley representative, seek out the closest Ashley HomeStore to your location. This is a global chain that boasts over 1,000 shopping locations for customers.
Aside from the USA and Canada, consumers can find Ashley HomeStore branches in the following nations:
- Armenia
- Cambodia
- Chile
- Egypt
- Georgia
- India
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Mexico
- Mongolia
- Pakistan
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Vietnam
Some of these stores are independent, others part of the wider Ashley family. In addition, some of the bigger Ashley HomeStore branches will sell additional items made by other manufacturers.
Of course, Ashley furniture can also be purchased online through the official website of the business. You’ll also find a range of products made by Ashley on Amazon.
How much does Ashley furniture cost?
There is no one-size-fits-all price policy for Ashley furniture.
Obviously, every product will have a unique price tag. Even different locations may charge a different amount for the same products, though. Local taxes and consumer demand will play a big part in the asking price.
Overall, Ashley furniture is considered to reside at the more affordable end of the spectrum, especially when compared to the likes of La-Z-Boy.
You can also pick up an Ashley sofa for under $500 if you shop around. Some consumers argue that this price is reflected in the quality, but that’s another discussion for another time.
Are Ashley furniture products worth buying?
Ashley furniture products attract mixed reviews from consumers. We previously mentioned La-Z-Boy as a competitor to Ashley.
Well, La-Z-Boy has a much higher consumer satisfaction rating. This is arguably reflected in the pricing plans of the two businesses, though.
Ultimately, the value of Ashley furniture is in the eye of the beholder. You will not be getting premium quality for a bargain price, but neither will you get cheap garbage for your investment. Ashley furniture is largely considered fairly priced for its quality.
Ashley Furniture is perfect for anybody on a tighter budget, somebody renting an apartment that may not want to move furniture, or for a second sofa or bed in a family home. As long as you understand the limitations of Ashley furniture, it is worth buying.
Is Ashley furniture real wood?
Ashley furniture is constructed from engineered wood. This sustainable material ensures that 95% of a tree is used to build furniture, reducing waste. Solid timber and lumber typically only make use of a little over 60%.
In addition to wood, Ashley’s furniture is made from paints and adhesives. Much like the choice of wood that acts as the core element of Ashley furniture, these materials are sustainable and renewable.
Is Ashley furniture owned by City Furniture?
Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc, as a business entity, is not owned by a parent company. Ronald G. Wanek and his son Todd own the business. City Furniture acts as a licensee of Ashley, albeit exclusively in Florida.
If you find yourself in the Sunshine State, you’ll invariably pick up Ashley furniture products from a City store. Head any further than Vero Beach, though, and you’ll likely start to see branches of Ashley HomeStore, completely independent of City Furniture, begin cropping up again.
Is Ashley furniture ethically made?
As discussed previously, Ashley furniture is made using sustainable techniques wherever possible. The company tries to extract wood from defective trees, so no woodland is chopped down unnecessarily, and uses the entire tree without waste.
Ashley Furniture is not just interested in paying lip service to ethical production, either.
The business released its first ever Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report in 2021, which detailed how it plans to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to a sustainable future. This was followed by a Deloitte award for the company’s efforts.
As we have previously discussed, most Ashley furniture is also American-made. While there are Ashley factories in Asia, there have never been any reports of mistreatment of workers.
This all means that we feel confident in declaring Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc, as a reputable and ethical company.
Sources
- Simplicity Sofas – insights into where Ashley furniture is made
- JJgle – discussion of Ashley’s popularity in China
- Wisconsin Business – investigation of Ashley furniture’s manufacturing materials
- Business of Home – details about the ownership of Ashley Furniture
- Furniture Academy – comparison of Ashley furniture with similar products from La-Z-Boy
- Ashley Furniture Corporate and Social Responsibilities
- AP News – discussion of Ashley’s devotion to sustainability
- AP News – confirmation for Ashley’s award for sustainability
