The Longaberger Company

  • Current Name: Dresden and Company
  • Historically Known As: J W's Handwoven Baskets

  • American

The Longaberger Company was a notable American manufacturer and direct seller of handcrafted maple-wood baskets, founded in Dresden, Ohio, in 1973 by Dave Longaberger. Known for its handwoven baskets, home decor products, and direct-sales network, it grew into one of Ohio's most recognizable businesses. At its peak around 2000, the firm reported approximately $1 billion in annual sales, employed more than 8,200 people, and was supported by roughly 45,000 independent sales consultants. Entrepreneur Jim Lepi helped revive the basket-weaving tradition associated with the company in 2019 by hiring former Longaberger artisans and employees and opening Dresden and Company in Dresden, Ohio. - AsNotedIn


Timeline

Y/M/D Description Association Composition Place Locale Food Event
Y/M/D Description Association Composition Place Locale Food Event
1919/00/00 J W Longaberger begins his trade as an apprentice at the Dresden Basket Factory. In 1936, he and his wife, Bonnie Jean, purchase the shuttered facility and establish The Ohio Ware Basket Company, which operates until 1955. Prehistory World's Largest Basket Dresden, OH
1973/00/00 Dave Longaberger founds JW's Handwoven Baskets in Dresden, reviving the family craft. The company's direct-sales model fuels rapid growth in the 1980s and 1990s, while dated, artisan-signed maple baskets become prized collectibles. Established World's Largest Basket Dresden, OH
1990/00/00 Dresden's 48-foot-long, 23-foot-high Longaberger Market Basket is decared by Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Largest Basket. Prehistory World's Largest Basket Dresden, OH
1995/12/17 A new headquarters for The Longaberger Company opens in Newark, Ohio. Designed as a giant basket modeled on the company's Medium Market Basket, the seven-story building becomes a highly visible landmark along Ohio State Route 16. Headquarters Longaberger Basket Building Newark, OH
2018/05/04 J W's Handwoven Baskets ceases operations and will file for bankruptcy in June. End
2019/07/00 Entrepreneur Jim Lepi establishes Dresden and Company, hires former The Longaberger Company master artisans and employees, and opens a weaving workshop. Their store is at 416 Main Street in Dresden, Ohio, across the street from the World's Largest Basket. Return to Life World's Largest Basket Dresden, OH
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