Ashley Furniture

We Care and we take action.  You can work just about anywhere if your skill is in demand.  But you want to work somewhere you make a difference.  As part of the Ashley Family here are just a few ways you can participate to make a difference in people's lives.  

Medical Research For a Better Tomorrow. 

Understanding that the health of our world is also reliant on science, Ashley Furniture and the Wanek family have raised and made personal gifts amounting to tens of millions of dollars toward medical research organizations. Here are just a few healthcare organizations that have benefited from the generosity of Ashley and the Wanek family: 

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 
• Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital 
• City of Hope 
• Mayo Foundation for Medical Research  Due to their continued philanthropic support toward regenerative research, Mayo has developed in their honor theTodd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

Ashley's Angels Delivering to Families in Need.  

Ashley’s Angels began in 1997 when a truck driver learned of a family living in a car with no hope for a warm holiday. In response, he recruited some additional truck drivers to help provide the family with food, clothing and adequate housing.   

Ashley’s Angels is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that provides food, clothing, and toys for children in need. The organization has generated over $3 million in donations and benefited over 20,000 children in Mississippi, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Local businesses and volunteers partner with area schools to provide items to children who need it most, in hope of bringing them a brighter holiday. 

Hope to Dream Helping Less Fortunate Children Sleep Well. 

Founded in 2010 by Ashley Furniture HomeStore, Hope to Dream provides over 10,000 mattress sets each year to underprivileged children with the goal of delivering a good night's sleep to those who need it most. For every mattress sold in a participating Ashley Furniture HomeStore, $5 is donated toward Hope to Dream. We believe that by helping a child sleep well, they are poised to lead a happier and more productive life. A bed provides a safe haven at night and, most importantly, a place to dream. 

Education Initiative Supporting the Next Generation of Leaders.  

Through Ashley Furniture’s financial contributions and active participation in the classroom have helped lay a foundation for future success for thousands of children.  The company has provided millions of dollars in funds and in kind services to assist local schools and universities. Ashley and the Wanek family have provided more than 2000 scholarships totaling over $2 million the past ten years to help offset the escalating costs of higher education. At Ashley, we believe that when we invest in our students, we are helping build a brighter future. In addition tothe above considerable support for science, technology, engineering and math programs has been an emphasis.

Employee Volunteerism Leading by Example. Thousands of Ashley employees and their families volunteer throughout each year to make our communities and the world a better place. This influences Ashley's philanthropic efforts and activities throughout the year. "Volunteerism drives much of our company's philanthropy. We in turn hope that our involvement inspires and promotes additional acts of goodwill." -Todd Wanek, President &   

Ashley for the Arts- Supporting Humanity Through the Arts.   

Ashley Furniture developed Ashley for the Arts to engage the hearts and minds of the entire family with world class entertainment, art, exercise and play; while raising funds and awareness for the arts, children’s charities, medical research and participating schools.   Since Ashley Furniture unveiled Ashley for the Arts in 2009 to an audience of 300 people, annual attendance for the charity event has grown to more than 50,000. This charity event raised over $425,000 in 2017.  

Community Parks & Centers - Building Family Sanctuaries. 

Ashley has taken a leadership role in the development and improvement of dozens of community parks and centers across the country.   Arcadia’s 54-acre Memorial Park - where Ashley and the Wanek family have provided thousands of hours of in kind services and millions of dollars toward its continued development - features Soldier’s Walk, recognized as the premier war memorial in the United States outside of Washington, D.C. Ashley understands that by building and supporting these community sanctuaries, we are also supporting the families who use them.  

Environmental Stewardship - Our Footprint is Green and Leafy. 

Ashley Furniture applies the term "innovation" not only to its manufacturing operations, but also to its environmental efforts. Each year our employees recieve a tree to plant to contribute to sustainability and replenishment of the resource we use building furniture. 

• Waste wood or natural gas used for facility heat 
• Decrease of 98% in waste since 1994 
• Yearly recycling: 
• 13,000 pallets 
• 7.5 tons of aluminum 
• 60 tons of office paper
• 180 tons of sheet metal 
• 9,000 pounds of computer equipment 
• 12,500 gallons of re-purposed oil 

Disaster Relief - Doing Our Part to Ease Human Suffering.    

Ashley Furniture is a long-standing supporter of local emergency services, including police, fire and rescue departments; and victims of natural disasters across the globe.    We understand that we can’t turn back the clock for victims of natural disasters, but we can do the next best thing. We can help them recover. Ashley has provided hundreds of hours of in kind services and millions of dollars in furniture and funds to flood, tornado and hurricane victims across the United States and the world.  Within days of the 2017 hurricanes hitting Texas and Florida,  our CEO announced a $1 million dollar contribution of product to each state/hurricane totalling $2 million.

Todd Wanek (Above)

PRESIDENT & CEO

The seeds of Todd Wanek’s passion for furniture were planted in the mid-1980s.During high school and college, Todd worked in all aspects of the business including shipping, production line, machine maintenance, product design and engineering, finance, and global sourcing.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Technologies, he moved to Asia to serve as the general manager of Ashley Furniture Industries Taiwan. He continued to live and work in Asia from 1989- 1993, establishing and managing Ashley Furniture Industries business development in China, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

Todd returned to the U.S.in 1994, spearheading the purchase of an upholstered furniture manufacturing operation in Ecru, MS. At that time he assumed responsibility for Ashley Furniture Industries upholstery production as well as the company’s growing international operations. Two years later, Todd Wanek was promoted to Ashley Furniture Industries President and Chief Operations Officer, assuming responsibility for all of Ashley Furniture Industries worldwide operations.

By 1999, Ashley Furniture Industries was a major player in almost every product category and one of the best marketers in the furniture industry. Just three years later, Todd succeeded his father to become Ashley Furniture Industries Chief Executive Officer, a position he holds today. Todd is widely considered the industry’s foremost authority on international trade, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution.

Todd, through his leadership and vision, has been responsible for Ashley Furniture Industries sustained growth since he became CEO in 2002. Staying true to Ashley Furniture Industries vision, “We want to be the best furniture company, ” Todd continues to cultivate the company’s continuous improvement culture. Todd’s passion for improving Ashley Furniture Industries operations, products, and services is unrelenting to this day, positioning the company for continued growth into the future.

Ron Wanek (Below)

FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

As a young man, Ron Wanek’s enthusiasm for furniture was inspired by his grandfather and great uncle who built furniture as a hobby.

Working for a newly formed company called Winona Industries, Ron reported to three brilliant owners who he described as perfectionists. One was an engineer, one was a marketer and innovator, and the other was an excellent administrator. Ron was fortunate to be able to work with each of them to learn virtually every aspect of the manufacturing business.

In 1963, an opportunity arose to start a new operation in Red Wing, Minnesota, and Ron became involved in the startup and management of the business, receiving excellent mentoring. It was this history that helped create Ron’s foundation for his life and business career.

In 1970, Ron Wanek and a group of investors set out to make a difference in the furniture industry by forming Arcadia Furniture Corporation. This upstart furniture manufacturing company - with Ron Wanek responsible for establishing and managing operations - was in an industry dominated by large companies. In the beginning, Arcadia Furniture Corporation wasn’t considered a serious contender in the U.S. furniture industry.

Over the next six years, Ron learned all facets of the furniture business, including the importance of having a strong brand name. In 1976 Arcadia Furniture Corporation and Ashley Furniture merged into one company: Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. The new company could now fully leverage a brand name that had been in existence since 1945. Ron’s determination and expertise were the driving force in laying the groundwork for one of the most incredible success stories in the history of the furniture industry.