Photo by Joselyn King
Jason Wilson, owner of the new Ashley Home Store coming to The Highlands, surveys construction work happening at the shop.
TRIADELPHIA — The flags are about to go up to welcome customers as the new Ashley Home Store at The Highlands plans to open in the coming weeks.
Owner Jason Wilson actually has purchased three flags so far to hang in front of the regional furniture business.
The first is a West Virginia University flag honoring his first step into business in Ohio County and West Virginia.
The second is an Ohio State Buckeyes flag honoring his family’s history as owners of Wilson Furniture in Bridgeport for more than 125 years. Wilson Furniture continues to operate on Lincoln Avenue in Bridgeport.
The business survived a November 2022 fire that gutted its original storefront, as it moved just down the street to its mattress factory location.
The third flag is a University of Pittsburgh “PITT” flag, as he hopes to attract those living in the Pittsburgh area to the new store. Wilson is also planning to purchase a Penn State flag as a welcome to all living in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Plans call for the Ashley Furniture Store at The Highlands to open sometime in mid-November prior to the holiday season. It will be located within the former Bed, Bath and Beyond location within the Power Center strip in the development.
The drywalling inside is now complete, and office furniture — the Ashley brand, of course — has arrived and is in place upstairs.
Contractors continue work to build a central desk within the 23,400 square foot showroom.
“It takes time to build walls and level drywall in that big space,” Wilson said. “But we’re making progress.”
One of the special features of the new store will be technological “Wonder Signs” — digital catalogs housed on large monitors from which customers can view and order furniture. From the Wonder Sign, they can also text links to their phones to catalog information about the furniture options they explore if they wish to study them later.
Furniture also can be ordered from the device, with the message going directly to Ashley Furniture’s main distribution center in Arcadia, Wisconsin.
Wilson explained specific trucks there will be dedicated to bringing the orders to The Highlands store in Triadelphia, and any items ordered should be delivered “in four to seven days, according to Wilson.
Floor models of available items will be placed throughout the store, with special displays showing other colors and fabrics available.
At the front of the store is the “Wow Room,” where the newest and hottest styles will be on display. There will be other sections designated for traditional furniture and motion furniture such as recliners, and a mattress gallery featuring Purple and Serta/Simmons bedding. The store also will be carrying Tempur-Pedic mattresses.
One wall in the store is designated as the spot for the “land of barstools.”
Wilson is also proud that local contractors are involved with the project.
Trigg Construction of Bellaire is the general contractor, while Erb Electric in Bridgeport is doing the electrical work. Ferry Hardware in Martins Ferry is providing many of the needed materials.
