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Perfect Pairings: Dresden & Company Curates a Collection of American-Made Goods and Puts a Small Town Back on the Map
I am overjoyed to introduce you to Dresden & Company, a small Ohio basket maker that hand-weaves heirloom quality baskets made with real maple hardwood. In addition to handwoven baskets, Dresden & Company curates American-made pottery, gourmet foods, and other home goods made in the USA.
The 125+ years-in-the-making Dresden & Company story is one of restoring American jobs, creating an opportunity for individuals to earn extra income, and believing in the power of community.
The Story Behind 125+ Years of Basket Making
Ohio Basket Weaving is Rich in History
Basket making in Dresden, Ohio has been a part of American manufacturing history for over 125 years. The exact date is unknown, but we begin to get a good grasp on Ohio basket-making history in 1896 when John and Carrie Longaberger moved to Dresden, and John Longaberger started working at the local basket factory. In 1919, his son John Wendell Longaberger joined him. However, the basket factory didn’t make it through the Great Depression, so J.W. went to work at the Dresden Paper Mill until 1936, when he and his wife purchased the closed Dresden Basket factory and started making baskets for pottery companies. The Ohio Ware Basket Company lasted nearly 20 years, closing in 1955.
The Legacy of Longaberger Baskets
In 1972, J.W.’s son Dave was in a department store and saw they were selling imported baskets. Dave asked his father to make a dozen baskets, which they quickly sold. J.W. made more, and they sold out again, so in 1973, Dave opened J.W.’s Handwoven Baskets with five weavers.
J.W.’s Handwoven Baskets eventually became the iconic Longaberger Company, and its first sales convention was held in 1981. The basket company now had 50 employees, not including the team of direct sales associates, and by 1985, Longaberger grew to 400 employees with independent sales associates in all 50 states. In the mid-90s, Longaberger began constructing the now famous, basket-shaped headquarters in Newark, Ohio, and by the turn of the century, the Longaberger Company was one of the 500 largest privately held companies with 8,200 employees, 45,000 independent sales associates, and $1 billion in sales.
Photo Credit: Heritage Ohio
Unfortunately, Longaberger didn’t make it through the early 2000s, when America experienced the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. By 2012, Longaberger’s sales were reduced to $100 million, and in 2013, the Longaberger Company was taken over by a holding company. By April 2016, the company had less than 75 employees, and in 2018, Longaberger filed for bankruptcy. Its intellectual property was purchased by XCel brands, which reached a licensing agreement with Dresden & Company, which now makes baskets for the Longaberger brand alongside Dresden & Company baskets.
The Basket Weaving Tradition Returns to Dresden, Ohio
When Longaberger closed its doors in 2018, the last of Dresden, Ohio’s basket weavers were out of work, and the village was losing its legacy. Jim Lepi, a native of Dresden who served on the village council, wanted to preserve the history of basket-making in his community and create a place where basket weavers with decades of experience could return to gainful employment. He sought like-minded entrepreneurs who wanted to keep the handmade basket-making tradition alive in their community, and Dresden & Company opened its doors in 2019.
In addition to its own handmade baskets, Dresden & Company also makes baskets for Longaberger, as mentioned above, and contracts with Ohio Stoneware of Zanesville, Ohio, to bring Dresden & Company customers signature pottery made in the USA. Additionally, all D&Co Kitchen gourmet food items are curated in the USA.
The Art of Quality and Craftsmanship: Discover Why Dresden & Company Stands Out
What Makes Dresden & Company Baskets Special?
Craftsmanship
Dresden & Company baskets are handwoven one at a time by talented artisans who take great pride in their work. The American craftsmen and women who hand-weave Dresden & Company’s heirloom-quality baskets sign each completed basket before it is packaged and shipped to the customer.
Heirloom Quality
Dresden & Company baskets are made with real maple hardwood and, with proper care, can be cherished for generations. Like hardwood furniture, direct sun for extended periods and damp environments can cause premature aging of real wood baskets. Never use water to clean your baskets. A dusting with a soft bristle brush will do.
Limited Edition Collectibles
With every season and holiday comes the anticipation of Dresden & Company unveiling an all-new, never-seen-before collection of baskets, woven home decor, and pottery. No two seasons are ever alike. The collection is available for a limited time, sometimes only a month, and is highly sought-after by collectors. Past collections have offered snowmen, Santas, Christmas trees, and stockings at Christmastime, colorful berry baskets and patriotic themes for summer, apple, pumpkin, and football collections in the fall, and of course, pretty pastel baskets in the spring. Additionally, Dresden & Co. curates coordinating pottery, table linens, and gourmet food items with each seasonal theme, so giving a gift basket or updating your holiday decor is easy.
Customizable
New to the Dresden & Company lineup is D&Co. By You. By You offers customizable baskets in various color options and combinations. Customers love that they can design baskets to match their wedding colors, team colors for game day parties, or school colors for graduate gift baskets. It’s also a great way to add a pop of color to the nursery, kitchen, laundry area, or any room in the house.
Handmade in the USA
When you buy a Dresden & Company basket, you get an heirloom-quality product made in the heart of the USA. Each American-made basket is crafted with the highest-quality hardwood by an artisan basket weaver in Dresden, Ohio.
From the Ohio Valley to Your Kitchen
70 years have passed since the Ohio Ware Basket Company made its last basket for a pottery company, and after all those years, baskets and pottery are together again in Ohio. Dresden & Company collaborates with Ohio Stoneware to bring customers an exclusive collection of clay pottery from one of America’s last remaining commercial pottery manufacturers’.
The American Potters Collection and Coupe Classic Dinnerware Collection are crafted in Zanesville, Ohio, once the world’s pottery capital, when in the 19th and 20th centuries, people in the Ohio Valley area relied on the region’s natural resources to create a thriving ceramics epicenter.
Ohio Stoneware pottery is fired at 2,200 degrees and designed to withstand everyday use. The American Potters Collection is offered in two colors, with a hand-applied stripe and finishing glaze that nods to the pottery styles of yesteryear. The Coupe Classic Collection is offered in white and onyx and fits both traditional and modern aesthetics well.
Ohio Stoneware and Dresden & Company also collaborated to create the Onyx Bakeware Collection, which, with its deep gray color, resembles cast iron. Onyx Bakeware is made to fit into Dresden & Company baskets for easy carrying and beautiful serving.
Because Ohio stoneware is handcrafted in the USA with clay that contains naturally occurring minerals, no two pieces of dinnerware, serving ware, or bakeware will ever be exactly alike.
Gourmet Food
In addition to Dresden & Company’s already delightful collection of handmade baskets and pottery made in the USA, the D&Co. Kitchen line offers unique spreads, original jam flavors, distinctive condiments, dip mixes, cheese ball mixes, quick bread, no-bake pies, and easy-to-make foods that will transform your everyday meals into gourmet experiences.
As American as Apple Pie
Dresden & Company made it their mission to bring handcrafted basket-making back to Ohio, recreating jobs that were once lost and offering the opportunity for individuals to earn commissions as independent proprietors. When we support companies committed to their communities and American manufacturing, we are putting our money where it matters, back into the United States economy and into the people and communities that make America. And that’s as American as apple pie.
Where to Buy Dresden & Company Baskets and Pottery
Independent sales proprietors offer Dresden & Company baskets, pottery, gourmet foods, and other home goods via the Dresden & Company website, as well as direct sales to friends and neighbors, parties, local markets, and more. As someone committed to buying products made in the USA who enjoys collecting baskets and pottery, it made perfect sense that I would become a proprietor and share Dresden & Company with other like-minded people. I’d love for you to shop with me.
Are you interested in earning income as an independent proprietor?
Dresden & Company is FREE to join as a proprietor. You don’t have to purchase a kit to join, or anything else, for that matter. There are no monthly sales requirements, no monthly or annual fees, and no shady business. Additionally, Dresden & Company allows you to choose how you earn your commissions. Whether you want to share on social media, tell your friends about the website, or build a flourishing party business, it’s entirely up to you.
The proprietor portal offers a quick start guide, training videos, digital sales and marketing tools, product information, and everything you need to get started. You’ll also get a free website and access to discounted products.
If you’re ready to earn money working from home, follow this link, then click the JOIN FOR FREE TODAY button. You’ll be on your way to unlimited earning potential.
Michelle Barto, Proprietor ID # 4572
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