New Event Venue Revives Jasper Factory, Boosts Local Business Prospects

On December 9, 2025 the number of bookings scheduled for December and through 2026 appeared to confirm the risk Ashley Werner took when she converted space at The Vine into The Venue on Vine and launched ADW Design. The influx of reservations signals sustained demand for event space in downtown Jasper and suggests a steady revenue stream for a small business that started from a handful of household decorations.

Werner traces the project back to June, when a chance stop at Emerald Greens led her sister in law to point out The Vine. "I didn't even know this existed," she said. She had been looking for a place to grow her decorating business after working on her oldest son’s wedding and said, "I really needed to get the decorations out of my house because we were literally drowning in them." That personal need turned into a business opportunity when she saw the open floor inside the former Jasper Wood Products building.

The property is owned by Todd Fromme, who operates Universal Technologies from the same address. Fromme had already been repositioning the large structure to house local businesses, about 20 in total so far. After Werner made a persistent pitch and offered to manage the space, Fromme consented. "Okay, let’s do this." With family help Werner has invested in a bar, lighting, paint, and a restored chandelier while integrating the venue with her decorating and design services.

Economically the project is an example of adaptive reuse in a mid sized manufacturing town. Converting underused industrial square footage into event capacity leverages existing infrastructure while lowering barriers to new entrepreneurship. For downtown Jasper the venue increases foot traffic for nearby retailers and service providers and creates predictable bookings that vendors can plan around through 2026. Local caterers, rental companies, florists, and hospitality providers stand to capture a portion of that spending.

Policy and planning authorities can reinforce these gains by ensuring streamlined permitting, sensible parking plans, and small business support that helps fledgling operators convert bookings into stable payrolls and tax receipts. Over the longer term the success of The Venue on Vine suggests a viable model for other property owners in Jasper, where modest private investment can catalyze downtown revitalization and broaden the local economy without large public expenditures.