July 21, 2025
A new design center from Sioux Falls-based Furniture Mart USA saw a visit from some of the furniture industry’s top executives late last week.
Todd Wanek, CEO of Ashley Furniture Industries, and his father, Ron, the company’s founder and chairman, toured Furniture Mart USA’s north Sioux Falls headquarters Friday and got a look at its newest addition: Billie Arthur Design Studio.
The new studio was the final phase of a major expansion and renovation to the building at 140 E. Hinks Lane that included integrating the Ashley and Furniture Mart location along with more warehouse space and renovated offices.
Billie Arthur essentially is a store-within-a-store, carrying new lines of luxury furnishings such as Norwalk Furniture, Four Hands, Hooker Furniture, Bernhardt and Vanguard Furniture.
“We love it,” Todd Wanek said. “It’s really, really well done. You can see the inspiration of the Hinks family and what they put into that — just a lot of love and time, and the curation of the design is absolutely fantastic.”
The space “is world class,” he added. “It’s a beautiful design center, and you can see the attention to detail, all the areas for people to plan their homes and all the fabrics and swatches that are available. It’s really well done, first class, and it’s named after him.”
“Billie Arthur” is an homage to Furniture Mart founder Bill Hinks, whose family still occasionally uses his childhood nickname.
“I think Billie Arthur stands for experience, custom and elevated product,” Furniture Mart CEO Cory Price said. “It’s going to change all our stores and how we look when the customer walks in. Experience is the biggest thing we’re trying to transform in our company.”
Billie Arthur includes special selection suites for personalized, one-on-one experiences, including complimentary beverages. In-house designers will visit homes and provide complimentary services, working with both longtime Furniture Mart vendors as well as the new ones offered exclusively through Billie Arthur.
“We have so much more growth in Sioux Falls,” Hinks said. “When they buy the house, they’re looking for the right furnishings too. We’re going to get a lot of activity in that department.”
Furniture Mart USA has two Ashley stores in Sioux Falls: at Dawley Farm Village and more recently at Empire East on Louise Avenue.
“People are still spending in Sioux Falls,” Price said. “It’s a booming, incredible market, and we want to be part of that no matter what level they’re buying furniture.”
Ashley, which calls itself a value-based company, “appeals to the masses,” Todd Wanek said. “We want to make sure the product is affordable and accessible.”
That also helps it serve as a barometer for consumer sentiment nationwide. So far, “it’s pretty good,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a booming time, but it’s doing very well.”
The company manufactures 65 percent of its products domestically, so “tariffs aren’t that big of an issue,” Todd Wanek said. “We’re the largest manufacturer in the U.S., and when everyone else left, we invested back into our facilities.”
The factories are highly automated, sophisticated facilities with robotics, he added.
“It’s a world-class operation, so our exposure is less than most other companies.”
The Waneks’ visit also served as a chance to congratulate Hinks for the recent announcement of his upcoming induction into the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, which will happen this fall.
“Bill has always been on the leading edge,” Ron Wanek said. “We’ve done business almost 40 years, and he’s always looking for what’s the next best thing. So he stayed ahead of the curve, and we both started the business very basic and have grown the businesses, and Bill has done an exceptional job.”
Ashley is a privately held company that continues to be family-owned, “and we like dealing with family-owned companies,” Todd Wanek said. “Bill and Cory are amazing, and the business is personal to them. They look at everything they can possibly do and are a world-class operation.”
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