THOMASVILLE — Ashley Homestore Furniture will begin construction of a distribution center in May at Red Hills Business Park on U.S. 319 North.

The company opened a support office/call center at 1165 W. Jackson St. in February.

Ashley conducted a study and analyzed where distribution centers should be.

“It worked out this is where it should be based on drive time and proximity to our stores,” said Russell Turner, company board chairman, chief executive officer and a Thomasville resident.

Turner’s overall company has been rebranded to 1915 South. The company was founded by Turner’s great-grandfather M.W. Turner in 1915.

“We opened our first Ashley store in 2001, and are now one of the largest licensees in the United States,” Turner said, adding that Ashley has more than 1,000 Homestores worldwide.

The support office/call center has 34 employees and is expected to increase eventually to 50. The facility serves 21 Ashley Homestores and four distribution centers in six states.

Companywide, there are 620 employees.

All incoming calls and deliveries are routed through the Thomasville support office/call center. Accounting, advertising and merchandising also are in the office, which is open seven days a week, 12 hours a day.

The new distribution center will support up to 20 locations. The 125,000-square-foot building also will be the site for customer pickup.

The Thomasville Payroll Development Authority (PDA) will donate 20 acres of business park land for the distribution center.

The company will invest $10 million in the building and $3 million in equipment, said Shelley Zorn, PDA executive director. New truck purchases will total $2 million to $3 million, she added.

The distribution center will be constructed at the front of the business park and will be visible from the highway.

Zorn said the facility will employee 68 people, with additional employees to be added during the first phase.

“He’s made quite a significant contribution in investment and jobs in the last few years,” Zorn said about Turner.

A house has been moved from Milestone Plantation to the West Jackson office site for use by out-of-town staff when they visit the facility.

The house was constructed in the 1930s and was at the plantation when former President Dwight Eisenhower visited there on a number of occasions.

Turner said the company also is building a white post and beam barn that will house a fitness center, with Peloton, treadmills and room for yoga, for the staff.

Barn construction is expected to begin in April.