The Longaberger Company's Big Basket: A Unique Headquarters With A Price Tag

The Longaberger Company has long been known as a major player in the basket-focused décor industry. Offering a wide variety of woven baskets—from picnic to ice, and practical to decorative designs—it seemed logical to reshape their Ohio headquarters into a massive woven picnic basket. This bold architectural choice made perfect sense for a company built on people's love for baskets. However, the challenges arose when they decided to sell this iconic building.

As the company began to undergo significant operational consolidations, workers in the basket-building facility were relocated entirely. This shift has left stakeholders to ponder the wisdom of allowing the late founder, Dave Longaberger, to remodel the office to his vision, as it has become increasingly difficult to find buyers for the unique structure. The question remains: why is it so hard to sell a building designed as a giant basket?

Known locally as "The Big Basket Building" and situated just 40 miles from Columbus, Ohio, this distinctive structure has struggled in the real estate market. Despite a price reduction, it has failed to attract interest. Initially built in 1997 and listed for sale in 2015 at $7.5 million, the asking price has since dropped to $5 million. Yet, the unusual design, resembling a giant picnic basket, has deterred potential buyers from making a move.

Built in 1997, the Big Basket initially hit the market in 2015. The asking price for the Longaberger-shaped offices initially stood at $7.5 million, but it seems it wasn’t the price tag that was deterring potential buyers. As its prolonged spot on the market has proven, it appears that not many companies are interested in a seven-story, 180,000-square-foot building that looks like it holds the world’s best Sunday afternoon picnic. Unfortunately, however, that’s exactly what then-CEO Longaberger wanted.

According to news reports from 1997, Longaberger— for whom the basket brand is named—brought the idea up while he was in talks with designers he had hired for the project. NBBJ, the architectural design firm chosen, has designed and continues to innovate many large, attractive office buildings elsewhere, but the company obliged when Longaberger picked up one of the company’s baskets and demanded, “This is what I want. Build it.”

Unfortunately, consolidation efforts pushed current Longaberger CEO John Rochon, Jr., to move the company’s Big Basket operations to another building entirely. Part of the reasoning behind the move, Rochon admitted, was that the energy and spirit of Longaberger wasn’t found in an office setting, but on the floor with the basket makers.

When the decision was finalized, the local auditor’s office announced that the company was behind on its taxes, an issue that could have initially allowed the Big Basket to be auctioned off for less than $600,000. It seems Longaberger has settled its dues, however, and while the company admitted an initial plan of donating the office building to the city of Newark, Ohio, plans to do so never fully transpired.

With no bites on the Big Basket, the Ohio office building remains on the market today for the discounted price of $5 million. Surprisingly, real estate listing comparisons show that this is about half the square-foot-price of other office buildings in the area. While it remains quite the steal, there is little hope that any potential buyers may be able to shed the Longaberger-shaped look of the building since it is narrower at the bottom than the top (just like the basket it is shaped after).

In conclusion, The Longaberger Company's decision to create such a distinctive headquarters has left them with a unique asset that currently struggles to find a buyer. The Big Basket stands as a testament to the company's innovative spirit but also highlights the challenges faced by unique architectural designs in the real estate market. Future developments will determine whether this iconic building can find new life or if it will remain an unsold curiosity on the Ohio landscape.