Furniture distribution center to create 160 jobs in Four Oaks

Broad River Retail LLC will invest $2 million in the 182,300-square-foot facility off Interstate 95 in Four Oaks, officials said.

"We are grateful for the world-class team at Ashley Furniture Industries who helped us design what we hope will become an iconic location for this global brand," Broad River President and Chief Executive Charlie Malouf said in a statement.

"The investment made by Broad River Retail will allow the company to continue with our customer-centric focus, creating additional space to service our regional customer base in a timelier fashion,” Todd Wanek, president and CEO of Ashley Furniture Industries Inc., said in a statement.

Fort Mill, S.C.-based Broad River employs 540 people already, and the Four Oaks operation will be its second location, serving eastern North Carolina, southern Virginia and parts of South Carolina. The new facility will include an Ashley HomeStore, as well as an Ashley HomeStore Outlet connected to a distribution center, a call center and a learning center, officials said.

The new jobs are expected to provide an annual payroll impact of more than $6.8 million to the local economy, officials said.

"This significant project has transformative potential for Four Oaks, not just in terms of new jobs and tax base, but also the likelihood that other businesses will follow in establishing operations here that will support and complement this new facility," Four Oaks Mayor Linwood Parker said in a statement.

The Broad River complex is expected to generate $70,000 a year in local tax revenue, officials said.

Broad River qualified for a $150,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, which matches funds offered by local governments to help attract economic investment. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job and investment targets to obtain payment.