Krasco Basket Factory, Coshocton

On February 23, we toured the production facility for Krasco Baskets in Coshocton. This is a very nice little factory, still operated by the original family who began building these baskets. I'm sure you've heard of Longaberger Baskets. Well, these baskets are very similar in style, but with one major difference: all of the baskets are made of recycled materials which do not break down the way most wooden baskets do. Plastic baskets can handle outdoor weather and retain their beauty year after year.

You might think that plastic baskets look cheaper or less beautiful than the wood, but if you think so, you haven't seen Krasco's baskets. It took some time, but the founder of the company developed with a partner a plastic strip that resembles wood in texture and added some beautiful colors that don't fade in the sun or turn black in the rain. They are often referred to as "basket sleeves" because the outdoor ones are bottomless so that your plant can sit on the ground. They do offer other models of baskets as well as basket mailboxes and birdhouses (my personal favorites).

We were treated fabulously on our tour. The founder of the company actually gave the tour because his son, who usually gives the tours, was sick. After a brief history of the factory and seeing some early examples, we were shown through the warehouse and factory, where workers were busily creating big beautiful baskets. The children got up close and personal with the workers, and were able to take home scraps of the baskets as samples along with an official sample that had 5 basket colors clamped together. As a special bonus, they had a drawing among all of the tour attendees for 4 of their baskets to take home free! I was not expecting such a nice surprise.

You can find more info about the products and where to purchase them by checking out this website Krasco Basket Sleeves. If you're interested in a tour, which was free, call them at 740-623-2953 to schedule.