Pine and Ivy to Open Retail Store in The OC

Pine + Ivy, a home decor and lighting design company, is opening a retail store in The Opportunity Central (The OC)  - a career, college and community initiative by Forney Independent School District. Pine + Ivy is the latest business to announce its partnership with the district that includes students enrolled in practicums who will learn all the aspects of what it takes to make the businesses successful. 

Pine + Ivy started in 2014 as a side business where Meg Wagner and her husband, Mark, curated both handmade and wholesale decor items and sold them at First Monday Canton Trade Days. They soon outgrew their space at home and opened a warehouse and retail location in Forney. The couple started a website and began online product sales and shipping utilizing an e-commerce platform.

Through the use of social media, Meg has become an influential home decor expert. As drastic changes to the small business and retail world fluctuate, the Wagners have been able to scale their business accordingly.

“We are excited to have this opportunity to partner with Forney Independent School District,” said Meg. “The Keith Bell Opportunity Central aligns with our desire to serve the community and we look forward to providing real life, hands-on experiences for the students.”

Pine + Ivy will provide opportunities for select FISD students studying marketing, entrepreneurship, digital communications, multimedia arts and event planning to learn the business from the inside out. 

“The partnership with Pine + Ivy is a huge asset to our students and community. The Wagners’ desire to provide valuable insight for students to learn through the operation of their business is the best experience our students can have,” said Dr. Justin Terry, Superintendent of Forney ISD. 

Pine + Ivy is part of the growing list of business partnerships joining Forney ISD to open The OC in order to provide the latest innovative approach to teaching, learning and developing students’ skills in partnership with industry professionals.

The OC, a 350,000 sq ft, three story, multipurpose facility will feature select business partners who are dedicated to student career education and providing experiences for real-world skills training and career development. Joining Pine + Ivy, FISD has announced partnerships with White Rhino Coffee and Eddie Deen’s Catering Co. with more partnerships to be announced in the coming weeks.  For more information, visit www.theOC.net.