Archive for the ‘Longaberger Basket’ Category
Longaberger Basket
The Longaberger Company is an American manufacturer of handcrafted maple wood baskets and offers other home and lifestyle products, including pottery, wrought iron, fabric accessories and specialty foods. It is one of the primary employers in the southeastern Ohio area near Dresden, Ohio[citation needed]. Started in Dresden, the company is now headquartered in Newark, Ohio. A family-owned and operated business, the Longaberger Company was started by Dave Longaberger, and after his death is owned by daughters Tami Longaberger and Rachel Longaberger. Although Longaberger is a family-owned business, there are approximately 45,000 independent home consultants located in all U.S. states who sell Longaberger products directly to customers.
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Picnic Basket for 2 - Piccadilly |
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Wrought Iron Basket Stand 5 Ft Tall! Sturdy Hand MadeReviewsI had seen this product prior to purchasing and knew it was exactly what I wanted. Average Rating: |
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Wrought Iron Basket Hanger 8 Arms |
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Weaving Dreams: The Joy of Work, The Love of Life |
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The Longaberger Story: And How We Did ItReviewsGreat read, especially if you are interested in business. Easy read with a touch of humor. I would recommend this to friends This true story of one man's triumph over so MANY hurdles to keep a dream alive is very inspiring...I was considering becoming a consultant for Longaberger baskets and after reading this book, I couldn't wait...To be a part of this company would truly be an honor. A must read for all Longaberger basket lovers.... Average Rating: |
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Longaberger: An American Success StoryReviewsVery inspiring story of someone who made it big with just hard work and great people skills. Easy read. Liked it so much I sent a copy to my brother. As stated by another reviewer, this is a book for "Longaberger fans" (pretty much a waste of time and money for anybody else). The wholesome, made-in America image that the Longaberger family is trying to convey seems ironic to me now, since the company is outsourcing a large amount of their products in China. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone except the die-hard Longaberger enthusiast! That was Mr.Longaberger's problem. He knew that handcrafted baskets had a place in Americana, but he didn't know how to make it profitable. But he never gave up. While it was running in the red, he was taking money from his business that was running in the black.Those entrepreneurs that are working full time jobs, as well,know the feeling.I picked up this book to gain perspective on how to not get discouraged in my own business. It worked.I have never had to work in a building that had no roof. I have never had to pay employees with IOUs. I have never had to go into a store and see my handmade baskets tossed in the back of a shelf collecting dusts while cheaper made, inferior baskets go whizzing by.What I took away from this book is to constantly persist and innovate. The cliche "Where there is a will there is a way" readily applied to Mr.Longaberger. He gained my utmost admiration as a businessman and as a philanthroper. From day one he shared is wealth, with his employees, with his community, and with strangers. I am shopping around to purchase one of his baskets, solely as an inspiration piece, and if you do the same, after reading this book, you will find out what I found out, they are expensive and you have stiff competition among the collectors. He created a $7billion company from an abandon building. Could you do the same.Do you have what it takes to get through your hard times, up beat, to really see your business blossom? I do. I look forward to seeing you at the top. If a book's name is success story it will not be a business textbook to explain business strategy or corporate finance. In this book you can see the optimism (which we need right now), persuasion(every entreprenuer needs), and a soft touch to people ( key element to create successful business). So as you understand this book do not make you understand hard business issues but make you understand that the realization of dreams are not restricted to business educated people... It shows you a person who has learning disabilities can create a company of 1 billion dollar worth... it shows you the importance of caring customers and touching customers and caring their families... So people who needs business books they need to go text books not success stories... ... if i need a screwdriver and if i get a hammer, hammer will be useless for me but this does not change the effectiveness of the hammer for the person who needs it... so only problem is the person who selects it... thanks If you are looking for a book celebrating the life and times of David Longaberger, this is the book for you. If you are looking to learn more about how he built his businesses, look elsewhere. I was very disappointed in this book. Hindsight is supposed to be 20/20, not wear rose colored glasses.I'm surprised at all the ultra positive reviews here for this book, but I guess they are all "Longaberger Fans". I enjoy reading about successfully business people and looked forward to reading about how Longaberger built his unique marketing method. Ask any entrepreneur and they'll tell you that they learned far more from their failures than their successes. Either Dave Longaberger is the luckiest business person ever or he has really selective memory. The history of the Longaberger company and his earlier businesses is written as a series of successes with no discussion of any failures.The working conditions of the early basket production were horrible. Unpaid employees working in a dilapidated building without even bathroom facilities. While this may sound like something out of the turn of the century, this OSHA nightmare happened in the mid 70's. Still, Longaberger writes lovingly about it recalling his "devoted" employees, even patting himself on the back for allowing these workers flexible time.The "business tips" other reviewers have referred to are nothing new or interesting nor are the anecdotes on how practices like "listening to your employees" contributed to the success of the company. After reading this book I do understand the cult-like following that Longaberger enjoys. The selective history, overly positive attitude, and constant emphasis on a team attitude that Longaberger runs his businesses with are very similar to methods used by religious and other cult leaders. Average Rating: |
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Longaberger Medium Market Basket in Rich Brown |
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Longaberger 2000 Century Celebration Tie-On |
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Collapsible Rolling Cooler with Wheels - 32 cans |
Check out these other great items Picnic Baskets.
The Longaberger corporate headquarters on State Route 16 is a local landmark and a well-known example of novelty architecture, since it takes the shape of their biggest seller, the "Medium Market Basket". Originally, Dave Longaberger wanted all of the Longaberger buildings to be shaped like baskets, but only the headquarters was completed by his death. After his death, further basket-shaped buildings were vetoed by his daughters.
Each basket is signed and dated by the maker and the company's stamp is placed on the bottom.
Basket-making started with Dave's father J.W. Longaberger in 1919 when he took an apprenticeship with The Dresden Basket Factory. Eventually J.W. came to love and perfect the art of basket making. Even when The Dresden Basket Factory closed as a result of The Great Depression, he still made baskets on the weekends. He and his wife Bonnie Jean Longaberger (Gist) eventually raised enough money to purchase the closed basket factory and start a business of their own.
Longaberger's handcrafted baskets and other home and lifestyle products, including pottery, wrought iron, fabric accessories and specialty foods, are sold across the nation through nearly 60,000 independent home consultants, a method of direct marketing similar to Tupperware parties.
Longaberger's sales peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, concurrent with "country" home decorating trends. Longaberger has seen a decline in sales in recent years. In 2004, many consultants and district sales coordinators were forced to accept a reduction in their commissions.