Iconic Longaberger headquarters to close


A building that's shaped like a huge basket that served as the corporate headquarters for the Longaberger company is now going to be empty.

The "Big Basket" building in Newark, Ohio, is being shuttered as the remaining staff are moved to the company's manufacturing plant about 18 miles away in Frazeysburg, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

There is no word on what will happen to the basket building.

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A deal to donate it to the city has not been done and may not come to fruition, John Rochon Jr., Longaberger CEO told the Dispatch.

The company is behind on taxes and if it doesn't pay the bill, the building could be foreclosed and offered at sheriff's sale.

The minimum bid would be $570,000 plus court costs, Licking County auditor Mike Smith said.

The seven-story headquarters opened in 1998 with 500 employees, the Newark Advocate reported.

Last year, there were only 68 employees at the headquarters.

Longaberger hit its peak sales in 2000 at $1 billion and 8,000 employees.

A decade later, the company is struggling, with sales coming in at $100 million and staff being slashed to 230 employees, the Newark Advocate reported.