Basketmaking has been deeply woven into the community of Dresden, Ohio. Nearly everyone who lives in or near Dresden knows someone who has worked in the basket business or maybe they have themselves. With a desire to preserve the art of basketmaking and keep knowledgeable employees who have honed their craft in the industry working in Dresden, Jim Lepi set on a course to establish Dresden & Company (D&Co.). In 2019 a fresh, contemporary, and extremely innovative direct sales business was born. With an all-star lineup of experts at the helm, D&Co. has brought basketmaking back to the place where it all started.
“I started the business for two reasons,” explained Lepi, “one was that I can’t envision the purpose of Dresden without baskets, I just can’t imagine this community if we don’t have this basket notoriety. Many people depend on it, … and that’s a big part of it because I love Dresden and Bobbi (Lepi) does two. But probably even more important was when I got involved in November of 2017 and right off the bat I got involved with Michael (Kennedy), Andy (Wolfe) Tina (Smythe), Brenton (Baker), Sharon (Wood), and Ryan (Lepi), and I fell in love with them, I couldn’t let them down, I had to give them an avenue to at least try it on their own, our expectations were enormous, you know nobody could predict COVID, the timing was just terrible for us, but they were the all-star team, they are the best in the business, no one knows more about the basket business. … The truth is, if the equipment went away and you had the people, you could build the equipment, but without them, you can’t do anything. You don’t go to basket school or have a basket machine shop or anything like that, these people deserved another chance they were working their tales off.”
D&Co. is continuing to bring tourism to Dresden as the Basketmaking Capital. Plus events like the annual America’s Basket Festival organized by the Dresden Community Association and other opportunities that strengthen the branding and recognition for the village are hugely impactful to the success of D&Co. and the community as a whole.
“And we are starting to kind of see that, we’re doing private label work for high-end hotels, and along with that, they’re recognizing that Dresden is the Basketmaking Capital and they’re reminded of that and that will only grow, it’s just word of mouth, that’s recognition that we’re the best in the country,” shared Kennedy.
“I think it’s important to note that for fifty years now, baskets have delivered a lot of prosperity to Muskingum County and all of the surrounding counties and to a lot of people. At one point baskets employed 8000 people at one time, and did 1 billion dollars in revenue, that was all money that washed through Muskingum County and adjoining counties. When we found out that they were not going to continue we felt like some of this, the skills, and the knowledge would be irreplaceable in the future,” said Lepi.
There are many aspects to the process of making baskets and each one of those took many years to perfect. The company mixes its own stains ensuring that they are accurate with each batch. The innovative designs that you see with each new product line are from the creative minds of designers Andy and Michael. They have conceptualized some of the most unique baskets on the market including baskets shaped like food, leaves, gnomes, and most recently the company is introducing lamps with woven lampshades. No detail is left unchecked. Randy, “the handle guy” has 35 years of knowledge and Ann is an expert in prototyping. There are so many details involved and with each someone with the talent and experience to do it well.
“There was a time when I thought, well we’ve done everything that can be done in baskets, well that was a silly idea because there is all kinds of room for innovation,” Lepi said.
With the D&Co. celebrating half a decade of basketmaking they are looking to the future, setting goals and plans for the next five years and beyond. Of course, adding new products including expanding on other home decor offerings is one of many goals on the horizon for the company. With the new Home Life Catalog introduced in July, there is a plethora of additions that D&Co. has rolled out, one of the most notable being “D&Co. By You”. This designed by you line of products is completely customizable down to the color of stain, pattern, and tag. There are currently six basket styles and two lamps that can be custom-made to fit your preference. Whether you are styling a basket after a sports team, a special occasion, or just to fit your personality “D&Co. By You” allows you to become a basket designer.
The company is also wanting to attract new talent. Some of the veterans in the company have already begun mentoring others but more talent will be needed to continue to grow.
“The biggest thing we have to do in the future is that we have to attract young, creative talent, we have to be the kind of company that they want to work for we have to be prosperous so we can afford to pay them what they need to make,” explained Lepi.
Over the past five years, D&Co. has partnered with several organizations to help raise money for their causes. Some of those include the Ronald McDonald House, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, Friends of the Dresden Parks, and Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation. The community-minded, and giving nature of the company is nothing less than inspiring.
Lepi stated, “Dresden is, and I think, wants to remain the go-to community for baskets in the United States. It’s ours to win, it’s ours to lose.”
For more information about D&Co. visit dresdenandcompany.com.
