The Longaberger Company is an American manufacturer and distributor of handcrafted maple wood baskets and other home and lifestyle products. The company opened in 1973, was acquired in 2013 by CVSL, Inc., and closed in 2018. The following year, Xcel Brands acquired the intellectual property and relaunched the brand, expanding it to include home goods such as furniture, food, jewelry and other handcrafted products. Founded by Dave Longaberger, the family-owned and -operated company used multi-level marketing to sell its products. It was one of the primary employers in Dresden, Ohio, before it moved to Newark, Ohio, in 1997. At its peak in 2000, it had $1 billion in sales, employed more than 8,200 people directly, and had about 45,000 independent distributors (called Home Consultants) selling its products directly to customers. Along with baskets, the product line eventually included wrought iron products, pottery, wooden lids, and other products. Its former corporate headquarters on Ohio's State Route 16 is a local landmark known as the "Big Basket." Built to resemble the company's top-selling product, the "Medium Market Basket", the seven-story edifice is a well-known example of novelty architecture. History In 1919, J.W. Longaberger began an apprenticeship with The Dresden Basket Factory. After the company failed during the Great Depression, Longaberger continued to make baskets on the weekends. Eventually, he and his wife Bonnie Jean (Gist) Longaberger raised enough money to purchase the closed basket factory and start a business of their own. The fifth of J.W. and Bonnie's 12 children, Dave, opened J.W.'s Handwoven Baskets in 1973. Starting in 1978, the company began selling Longaberger baskets through home shows using a multi-level marketing model. Each basket, made in various sizes, was handmade and signed by the maker. At its peak, the company employed more than 8,200 people, not counting its direct sales consultants. A combination of a recession and changing tastes in home decor reduced sales, which dropped from 2000's peak of $1 billion, to about $100 million in 2012. In 2013, the company was taken over by a holding company CVSL, Inc., which later became JRJR Networks. The Academy Awards, the Emmy Awards, the NAACP Image Awards and others have used gift baskets made by Longaberger. In May 2015, Tami Longaberger, who had led the company since Dave died in 1999, resigned as chief executive officer and director of the company. In February 2016, the company said it would sell the