Basket Manufacturer Longaberger’s Is Leaving Its Basket-Shaped Headquarters Behind

By Lindsay Friedman Feb 29, 2016
Longaberger | Twitter

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Moving is stressful. Stressful enough, in some instances, it can turn relocating employees into a bunch of basket cases.

But imagine if you literally had to leave the Big Basket?

In the coming weeks, that’s exactly what employees at Longaberger Co. will have to do, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Related: Market Basket’s Family Feud Risks a Loss of Its Loyal Following

Fittingly for a company that has manufactured and distributed baskets for decades, Longaberger’s seven-story, 180,000-square-foot Newark-based headquarters is built in the shape of a giant basket. CEO John Rochon Jr. told the outlet the decision to move on wasn’t an easy one, but consolidating all employees at the company’s manufacturing plant in Frazeysburg is the right decision.

The move may also have something to do with taxes, as the company has gotten behind on payments. If the delinquent taxes aren’t paid off soon, it could lead to foreclosure.

Despite the $570,000 backlog, a potential deal is underway to donate the building to its city, Newark, Ohio.

Related: Business Idea Center, Basket Weaving

In the meantime, if anyone wants a really big basket building, it’s possible you could have your very own with a bid worth less than $600,000.

Moving is stressful. Stressful enough, in some instances, it can turn relocating employees into a bunch of basket cases.

But imagine if you literally had to leave the Big Basket?

In the coming weeks, that’s exactly what employees at Longaberger Co. will have to do, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Related: Market Basket’s Family Feud Risks a Loss of Its Loyal Following

Fittingly for a company that has manufactured and distributed baskets for decades, Longaberger’s seven-story, 180,000-square-foot Newark-based headquarters is built in the shape of a giant basket. CEO John Rochon Jr. told the outlet the decision to move on wasn’t an easy one, but consolidating all employees at the company’s manufacturing plant in Frazeysburg is the right decision.

The move may also have something to do with taxes, as the company has gotten behind on payments. If the delinquent taxes aren’t paid off soon, it could lead to foreclosure.

Despite the $570,000 backlog, a potential deal is underway to donate the building to its city, Newark, Ohio.

Related: Business Idea Center, Basket Weaving

In the meantime, if anyone wants a really big basket building, it’s possible you could have your very own with a bid worth less than $600,000.

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Lindsay Friedman

Staff writer. Frequently covers franchise news and food trends.
Lindsay Friedman is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

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