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The front of the Ten Thousand Villages building, as seen from Main Street in Akron. PHOTO/HIGH REAL ESTATE GROUP
Lancaster’s Ten Thousand Villages lists HQ for sale
Listen to this articleTen Thousand Villages has listed the organization’s headquarters for sale.
The nonprofit’s headquarters in Lancaster County have been listed for sale in response to changing retail industry trends and flexible work models, according to a press release.
“Our industry is undergoing rapid change, and we are exploring new opportunities to build upon our organization’s rich history of supporting global artisans,” Ten Thousand Villages CEO Dan Alonso said in a statement. “The Miller Hess Building is a local landmark, and we are thankful for the community we have built and supported from this space. “
Ten Thousand Villages have operated at 704 Main Street in Akron, site of the former Miller, Hess, & Company shoe factory, for over 35 years. The new headquarters location will remain in the Lancaster area and will be announced after an Akron property buyer has been identified. The organization’s warehouse and fulfillment operations will continue from its Ephrata location.
Edna Ruth Byler began Ten Thousand Villages in 1946, and the business has become one of the most recognized fair-trade retailers in the world, per the release.
“Edna Ruth Byler originally began operations from her own home, and it is incredible to see how far this organization has come,” said Alonso. “As we continue to enhance development experiences for artisan entrepreneurs around the world, we are excited to share our efforts with the local community through partnerships like our new holiday pop-up shop in Lancaster.”
Open Monday-Saturday, 7 am to 4 pm, the holiday pop-up shop is in Downtown Lancaster at the Neighbors Community Center at Hub450 on North Prince Street. Ten Thousand Villages continues to operate its store at Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse, with in-store presence at the Mennonite Life Visitors Center on Route 30 East in Lancaster.
