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The Longaberger brand was revived in 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.dispatch.com/business/20191113/longaberger-brand-to-live-again-on-qvc |title = Longaberger brand to live again on QVC |last = Weiker |first = Jim |work = The Columbus Dispatch|date = November 13, 2019|access-date = November 14, 2019 |language = en }}</ref> Xcel Brands now owns Longaberger.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/sharonedelson/2020/07/30/xcels-dloren-sees-1b-potential-for-newly-digitized-longabeger/#75c0bf4910cd |title = Beyond Baskets: Xcel Launches A New, Digitized Longaberger |last = Edelson |first = Sharon |work = Forbes | date = July 30, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
The Longaberger brand was revived in 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.dispatch.com/business/20191113/longaberger-brand-to-live-again-on-qvc |title = Longaberger brand to live again on QVC |last = Weiker |first = Jim |work = The Columbus Dispatch|date = November 13, 2019|access-date = November 14, 2019 |language = en }}</ref> Xcel Brands now owns Longaberger.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/sharonedelson/2020/07/30/xcels-dloren-sees-1b-potential-for-newly-digitized-longabeger/#75c0bf4910cd |title = Beyond Baskets: Xcel Launches A New, Digitized Longaberger |last = Edelson |first = Sharon |work = Forbes | date = July 30, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>


In 2019, Xcel Brands (Nasdaq: XELB) acquired The Longaberger Company and is committed to reimagining Longaberger into the world's largest and most engaged social commerce community. With a digital-first approach, Xcel Brands has transformed Longaberger's traditional multi-level platform into a state-of-the-art peer-to-peer social commerce community with expanded home and lifestyle categories.
In 2019, Xcel Brands (Nasdaq: XELB) acquired The Longaberger Company and is committed to reimagining Longaberger into the world's largest and most engaged social commerce{{buzzword inline|date=October 2020}} community. With a digital-first approach, Xcel Brands has transformed Longaberger's traditional multi-level platform into a state-of-the-art{{buzzword inline|date=October 2020}} peer-to-peer social commerce community{{buzzword inline|date=October 2020}} with expanded home and lifestyle categories.{{Vague|date=October 2020}}


"Transforming the heritage of the Longaberger brand into a digital-first company for our engaged community was our top priority," said Robert W. D'Loren, Xcel's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We aim to build upon the rich history coupled with our new digital social selling business model to become the world's largest, and most engaged, social commerce community."
"Transforming the heritage of the Longaberger brand into a digital-first{{buzzword inline|date=October 2020}} company for our engaged{{buzzword inline|date=October 2020}} community was our top priority," said Robert W. D'Loren, Xcel's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We aim to build upon the rich history coupled with our new digital social selling business model{{buzzword inline|date=October 2020}} to become the world's largest, and most engaged{{buzzword inline|date=October 2020}}, social commerce community.{{buzzword inline|date=October 2020}}"


Longaberger has a deep mission to support and empower artisans across the United States and around the world by curating a selection of products that are hand-made, hand-crafted and hand-selected. Current categories offered include: baskets, cookware, tabletop, drinkware, serve ware, storage, décor, ceramics, linens, furniture and gourmet foods. Longaberger will be entering new categories, including new launches and artisan partnerships in pottery, wine, jewelry, apparel, home fragrance, essential oils, skin wellness and more.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/longaberger-reimagines-social-selling-for-the-millennial-generation-in-new-chapter-for-the-company-301103171.html |title = Longaberger Reimagines Social Selling For The Millennial Generation In New Chapter For The Company |work = PR Newswire | date = July 30, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
Longaberger has a deep mission{{Vague|date=October 2020}} to support{{Vague|date=October 2020}} and empower artisans{{buzzword inline|date=October 2020}} across the United States and around the world by curating a selection of products that are hand-made, hand-crafted and hand-selected. Current categories offered include: baskets, cookware, tabletop, drinkware, serve ware, storage, décor, ceramics, linens, furniture and gourmet foods. Longaberger will be entering new categories, including new launches and artisan partnerships in pottery, wine, jewelry, apparel, home fragrance, essential oils, skin wellness and more.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/longaberger-reimagines-social-selling-for-the-millennial-generation-in-new-chapter-for-the-company-301103171.html |title = Longaberger Reimagines Social Selling For The Millennial Generation In New Chapter For The Company |work = PR Newswire | date = July 30, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>


== Basket Building ==
== Basket Building ==

Revision as of 03:31, 26 October 2020

The Longaberger Company
Company typePublic
XELB
FoundedDresden, Ohio, USA (January 1, 1973 (1973-01-01))
FounderDave Longaberger
Headquarters
New York, New York
,
United States
Key people
Robert W. D’Loren (CEO)
ProductsBaskets, Home Décor, Furniture, Wellness, and Jewelry.
OwnerRobert W. D’Loren
ParentXcel Brands www.xcelbrands.com
Websitewww.longaberger.com

The Longaberger Company is an American manufacturer and distributor of handcrafted maple wood baskets and other home and lifestyle products. Its old corporate headquarters on Ohio's 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".[1] Having been sold, the building is slated to become a luxury hotel.[2]

Longaberger was one of the primary employers in the area near Dresden, Ohio, where it was founded; at its peak in 2000, it employed more than 8,200 people and had $1 billion in sales. The company later moved to 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 about 45,000 independent distributors (called Home Consultants) in the United States who sold Longaberger products directly to customers.

History

In 1919, J.W. Longaberger accepted an apprenticeship with The Dresden Basket Factory. Although the Dresden Basket Factory closed during the Great Depression, Longaberger continued to make baskets on the weekends. He and his wife Bonnie Jean (Gist) Longaberger eventually raised enough money to purchase the closed basket factory and start a business of their own.[3]

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 was handmade, signed, and dated by the maker.[citation needed]

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.[4]

In 2013, the company was taken over 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.[5]

In February 2016, the company said it would sell the Basket Building and move its employees to Longaberger's factory in Frazeysburg, Ohio.[6]

As of April 2016, there were fewer than 75 full-time and part-time employees; about 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.[7]

The Longaberger brand was revived in 2019.[8] Xcel Brands now owns Longaberger.[9]

In 2019, Xcel Brands (Nasdaq: XELB) acquired The Longaberger Company and is committed to reimagining Longaberger into the world's largest and most engaged social commerce[buzzword] community. With a digital-first approach, Xcel Brands has transformed Longaberger's traditional multi-level platform into a state-of-the-art[buzzword] peer-to-peer social commerce community[buzzword] with expanded home and lifestyle categories.[vague]

"Transforming the heritage of the Longaberger brand into a digital-first[buzzword] company for our engaged[buzzword] community was our top priority," said Robert W. D'Loren, Xcel's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We aim to build upon the rich history coupled with our new digital social selling business model[buzzword] to become the world's largest, and most engaged[buzzword], social commerce community.[buzzword]"

Longaberger has a deep mission[vague] to support[vague] and empower artisans[buzzword] across the United States and around the world by curating a selection of products that are hand-made, hand-crafted and hand-selected. Current categories offered include: baskets, cookware, tabletop, drinkware, serve ware, storage, décor, ceramics, linens, furniture and gourmet foods. Longaberger will be entering new categories, including new launches and artisan partnerships in pottery, wine, jewelry, apparel, home fragrance, essential oils, skin wellness and more.[10]

Basket Building

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.[11] The basket handles weigh almost 150 tons and can be heated during cold weather to prevent ice damage.[12] 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.[13] Employees moved out in 2016.[13]

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.[14] By November 2018, the pair had put it up for sale.[15] In 2019, the building had not sold and Coon announced plans to turn the building into a luxury hotel and has been working toward having the building added to the National Register of Historic Places.[16]

On October 20, 2019, Heritage Ohio – the state's official historic preservation organization – held the first tour of the building since its 2016 closing as part of fundraising efforts. More than 600 people participated. Executive director Joyce Barrett said, “People were in tears and hugging each other” because "they were so happy to be back in the Basket.”[17]

References

  1. ^ Sullivan, Mary Ann. "Longaberger Company Home Office". Art History Webmaster Association. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
  2. ^ Hunter, Marnie. "Basket-shaped building to become a luxury hotel". CNN. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  3. ^ The Longaberger Company (n.d.). "The History of The Longaberger Company". The Longaberger Company. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
  4. ^ Tim, Feran (April 25, 2013). "Longaberger's new owner intends to fill basket with more direct-sales companies". The Columbus Dispatch.
  5. ^ Mallett, Kent (May 5, 2015). "Tami Longaberger resigns as company CEO". Newark Advocate. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ Feran, Tim. "Longaberger said to have gone out of business". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  8. ^ Weiker, Jim (November 13, 2019). "Longaberger brand to live again on QVC". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  9. ^ Edelson, Sharon (July 30, 2020). "Beyond Baskets: Xcel Launches A New, Digitized Longaberger". Forbes.
  10. ^ "Longaberger Reimagines Social Selling For The Millennial Generation In New Chapter For The Company". PR Newswire. July 30, 2020.
  11. ^ The Longaberger Company (n.d.). "Longaberger Facts & Features". The Longaberger Company. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  12. ^ Zurcher, Neil (2008). Ohio Oddities (2nd ed.). Cleveland: Gray & Company. ISBN 978-1-59851-047-8.
  13. ^ a b Mallett, Kent (July 8, 2016). "Longaberger empties famous basket building next week". Newark Advocate. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  14. ^ Bruner, Bethany; DeVito, Maria (December 29, 2017). "A 'big vision' in store for Longaberger basket building". The Newark Advocate. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  15. ^ Feran, Tim (November 27, 2018). "Giant Longaberger Basket Building Again For Sale". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  16. ^ "Longaberger's Big Basket building to be turned into hotel, owner says". WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio | Columbus News, Weather & Sports. October 21, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  17. ^ Imbler, Sabrina (November 5, 2019). "The Strange Second Life of Ohio's 'Big Basket' Building". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
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40°3′49″N 82°20′48″W / 40.06361°N 82.34667°W / 40.06361; -82.34667

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