Dresden & Company Expands Welcome Center Following Two Year Anniversary

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on October 14 to celebrate Dresden & Company’s new Welcome Center located at 416 Main Street in Dresden, Ohio. The expansion is a huge step for the direct sales business as well as Dresden as it aims to make Dresden even more appealing to visitors, in turn bringing more tour buses to the area.

Offering high-quality products for the home as well as food and beauty products that support American jobs is a major mission for Dresden & Company (D&Co). All products are made in America and many are even crafted in Muskingum County. In addition, another focus for the company is to preserve Dresden’s basket-making heritage. The company is currently the second-largest employer in the village of Dresden. Some of those employed are artisans who weave baskets at the Dresden & Company Workshop on Main Street.

D&Co was founded in 2019 by long-time resident Jim Lepi.  Lepi is known for his entrepreneurial spirit and service to his community.  He served six years on Dresden Village Council, was a founding member of the Dresden Village Association, has served as President of a long list of community groups and organizations, was a Trustee of Muskingum County Board of Realtors, and an instructor of environmental classes at Muskingum Area Technical College. He has been the recipient of many awards including the prestigious Dick Johnson Civic Leadership Award which he was presented in 2020 alongside his wife of over 40 years, Bobbi.  He has been involved in the startup of many small businesses founding or, co-founding some such as Lepi and Associates Real Estate Services and Lepi Enterprises Inc., and has supported the dreams of other small businesses owners in the area, helping any way he can. 

Located just a block away from the Dresden & Company Workshop where you can see the weavers hard at work, neighboring the famous World’s Largest Basket, and being positioned near existing beloved shops is a wonderful move for increasing D&Co’s presence. The new space was once Popeye’s Soda Shop and most recently an auction house. The facility has been beautifully renovated leaving a touch of history still intact. One notable example is the tile floor with the word Popeye that still remains in the entryway.  The large building is a multi-use facility allowing for employee offices, a photo studio where their talented photographer works to create the images used in their promotional materials and marketing, a large showroom to get an up-close view of the latest and upcoming products, and a meeting space that will accommodate up to 50.

Contrary to what the naysayers claim, Dresden is still a shopping destination with visitors coming from outside the area and state on a regular basis. Of course, it is not the same as it once was in the nineties and early two-thousands, there is still much to see and do in the quaint village of Dresden and the village is always growing and changing, lately for the better. There are eight shops to browse (one of these is really four shops in one), several options for dining, beautiful parks to explore, historic landmarks to discover, and a six-mile bike trail.

To help increase traffic, D&Co is encouraging its proprietors to host events in Dresden. They just rolled out their pilot Proprietor Event Perks Program that allows proprietors to use their Welcome Center for events where they will be treated to perks that vary depending on the size of the group. One really interesting opportunity is the chance to weave their own basket alongside D&Co artisans. There are already five tour buses scheduled over the next month and two groups bringing 85 people in total are visiting on October 22.

The synergy between Dresden & Company and many of the other shops in the Main Street area is evident in the Dresden Basket collection that was introduced in the fall of 2019.  These special baskets measuring 10.5”l x 7”w x 5”h were created in a different color for each partnering business giving them a unique basket to sell exclusively at their store.  There are currently nine baskets to choose from and collect. A portion of the proceeds from the Dresden Basket goes towards the upkeep of The World’s Largest Basket.

Dresden & Company’s motto, “Life Made Better”, could not be more perfect.  From the high-quality products that they sell to the opportunities that they provide for their employees and the community, they truly live by every word.

Welcome Center Hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can learn more about D&Co by visiting their website at dresdenandcompany.com. For more information about visiting Dresden go to destinationdresden.com.