The Longaberger Company
 Longaberger's old headquarters building, modeled on a giant Longaberger Medium Market Basket | |
Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Traded as | JRJR |
| Predecessor | CVSL |
| Founder | Dave Longaberger |
| Headquarters | Frazeysburg, Ohio, United States |
| Products | Baskets, vitrified pottery, wrought iron, wood crafts and other products for the home. |
| Parent | JRJR Networks |
| Website | www.longaberger.com |
The Longaberger Company was an American manufacturer and distributor of handcrafted maple wood baskets and other home and lifestyle products. It was one of the primary employers in the area near Dresden, Ohio, with more than 8,200 employees and 1 billion dollars in sales. Started in Dresden, the company's last location was in Newark, Ohio. A family-owned and operated business, the Longaberger Company was started by Dave Longaberger in 1973.
Longaberger used multi-level marketing to sell products. The company had approximately 45,000 independent distributors (called Home Consultants) in the United States who sold Longaberger products directly to customers.
A combination of a recession and changing tastes in home decor combined to send sales, which peaked in 2000 at $1 billion, to about $100 million in 2012.[1]
The company was taken over in 2013 by CVSL, Inc.
In May 2015, Tami Longaberger, who had led the company since her father died in 1999, resigned as chief executive officer and director of the company.[2]
As of April 2016, there were fewer than 75 full-time and part-time employees; approximately 30 of those still made baskets.
On May 4, 2018, a note was sent out from a sales force supervisor that the company had ceased operations.[3]
The old Longaberger corporate headquarters on State Route 16 is a local landmark and a well-known example of novelty architecture, since it takes the shape of the company's biggest seller, the "Medium Market Basket".[4] The seven-story, 180,000-square-foot building was designed by The Longaberger Company, and executed by NBBJ and Korda Nemeth Engineering. The building opened in 1997.[5] The basket handles weigh almost 150 tons and can be heated during cold weather to prevent ice damage.[6] Originally, Dave Longaberger wanted all of the Longaberger buildings to be shaped like baskets, but only the headquarters was completed at the time of his death.[citation needed] The company stopped paying property taxes on the building at the end of 2014, and, as of July 2016, intended to relocate all remaining employees to offices in nearby Frazeysburg.[7]
History
In 1919, J.W. Longaberger accepted an apprenticeship with The Dresden Basket Factory. Although the Dresden Basket Factory closed as a result of The Great Depression, he still made baskets on the weekends. He and his wife Bonnie Jean Longaberger (Gist) eventually raised enough money to purchase the closed basket factory and start a business of their own.[8]
One of J.W. and Bonnie's children, Dave, opened J.W.'s Handwoven Baskets in 1973. Starting in 1978, the company began selling Longaberger baskets through home shows using a multi-level marketing model. Each basket is handmade, signed and dated by the maker.[citation needed]
It was announced in February 2016 that the Basket Building would be closed, and remaining employees would relocate to Longaberger's manufacturing plant in Frayzesburg, Ohio.[9]
In December 2017, the building was purchased by Steve Coon, a Canton, Ohio–based developer who owns Coon Restoration, and his partner, Bobby George, of Cleveland[10],
References
^ Tim, Feran (April 25, 2013). "Longaberger's new owner intends to fill basket with more direct-sales companies". The Columbus Dispatch..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ Mallett, Kent (May 5, 2015). "Tami Longaberger resigns as company CEO". Newark Advocate. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
^ Feran, Tim. "Longaberger said to have gone out of business". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
^ Sullivan, Mary Ann. "Longaberger Company Home Office". Art History Webmaster Association. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
^ The Longaberger Company (n.d.). "Longaberger Facts & Features". The Longaberger Company. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
^ Zurcher, Neil (2008). Ohio Oddities (2nd ed.). Cleveland: Gray & Company. ISBN 978-1-59851-047-8.
^ Mallett, Kent (July 8, 2016). "Longaberger empties famous basket building next week". Newark Advocate. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
^ The Longaberger Company (n.d.). "The History of The Longaberger Company". The Longaberger Company. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
^ "Iconic Longaberger headquarters to close". Dayton, OH: WHIO-TV. Cox Media Group National Content Desk. February 27, 2016. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
^ Bruner, Bethany; DeVito, Maria (December 29, 2017). "A 'big vision' in store for Longaberger basket building". The Newark Advocate. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
External links
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Longaberger Company. |
- Official website
- The Travel Channel "John Ratzenberger's Made In America".
- World Collectors Net Longaberger Information and Message Board
Coordinates: 40°3′49″N 82°20′48″W / 40.06361°N 82.34667°W / 40.06361; -82.34667
