Ashley Furniture’s announcement Thursday that it will move some of its corporate offices into the Centro Ybor complex is another big shot in the arm for Tampa.
The move will bring 100 corporate jobs to Ybor City and build upon the huge momentum boost created by Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik’s plans to invest $1 billion in the nearby Channel District.
For Ybor City, often identified as a rowdy entertainment district, the importance of Ashley’s presence is hard to overstate. The Wisconsin-based company, the world’s largest furniture manufacturer, will occupy a big piece of the Centro Ybor complex that largely failed to live up to its promise after opening in 2000, leaving the city on the hook for millions in debt payments.
Ashley owner Ron Wanek, a St. Petersburg resident, says the company will bring its global e-commerce headquarters and training center to the Ybor, which will attract customers and employees from around the world. It also will pay taxes that will go a long way toward creating a healthy balance between commerce and entertainment in Ybor City.
“This announcement goes beyond jobs and capital investment,” says Rick Homans, president and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. “It says we have and can attract talent for a global e-commerce company.”