Ashley Furniture HomeStore Coming to South Brunswick

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Fastest-Growing National Furniture Retailer to Open First Store in Northern Jersey

HIGHLAND PARK, N.J. – November 15, 2004 – The commercial properties division of Kaplan Companies is planning to convert a 166,000-square-foot retail structure at Route 1 and Black Horse Lane in South Brunswick into an Ashley Furniture HomeStore.

“This is our commercial division’s first project to turn an old warehouse into an attractive retail enterprise,” said Jason Kaplan, vice president of Kaplan Companies. “We look forward to overhauling this structure into a one-stop source for furniture shoppers.”

The 18.5-acre site had been owned by Leggett & Platt, Inc., which used the warehouse to manufacturer mattress pads. Kaplan Companies took ownership of the property Nov. 11. Under the renovation plan, 54,000 square feet of the warehouse will be converted into the furniture store, while the remainder will be used to house inventory, said Will Schafer, who will own the store.

Kaplan said the store is likely to open in the spring, noting he is now preparing a site plan for the township zoning board. He said the plan has so far received warm support from township officials, who consider large furniture stores to be excellent sources of property tax revenue. He added that every tree on the site is to be preserved.

Schafer noted Ashley Furniture HomeStores is the exclusive seller of furniture from Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., which is the third largest home furniture manufacturer in the United States and the top-selling brand of home furniture in the nation.

The first Ashley Furniture HomeStore opened in Anchorage, Alaska in 1997. Since then, more than 140 stores have been built throughout North America. There are two other locations now in New Jersey: Cherry Hill and Mount Holly.

“Ashley Furniture HomeStores are truly unique,” said Schafer, who owns furniture stores in Linden and Woodbridge. “These stores have been designed to be extremely kid-friendly and fun. For example, there are video games, fountains and waterfalls. It’s not just a furniture store; it’s a place where people will want to come visit and stick around.”

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