Mary Maxim is the largest privately held craft and needlework mail-order company in North America. It has offices in
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately.
Located along the St. Clair ...
, and
Paris, Ontario, as well as a retail location in London, Ontario. It specializes in selling
crafts, knitting and other hobby related items.
History
Mary Maxim's roots can be traced back to
Sifton, Manitoba, Canada, where Willard and Olive McPhedrain purchased Spinwell Manufacturing Co who had been manufacturing and selling spinning wheels. Willard soon began a
mail order company titled "Sifton Products." In 1954 Willard began to search for new locations for his business and ended up in
Paris, Ontario. The name was changed to Mary Maxim, after a store employee: Mary Maximchuk. Willard decided to take
Betty Crocker
Betty Crocker is a brand and fictional character used in advertising campaigns for food and recipes. The character was originally created by the Washburn-Crosby Company in 1921 following a contest in the '' Saturday Evening Post''. In 1954, ...
's example by naming the company after a girl who helped around the household. Mary's name was shortened and the store name: Mary Maxim, was born. In 1956 after recognizing the customer potential in the United States, Willard's son Larry established an office in
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately.
Located along the St. Clair ...
.
Mary Maxim was first recognized for their quality knitting yarns. In the late 1950s they became increasingly popular for their bulky, knit sweaters with designs influenced by North American Wildlife. The first sweater pattern was designed in 1951 by Stella Sawchyn.
Celebrity attention
*
Bob Hope was photographed wearing a Mary Maxim totem pole design sweater in 1953 while visiting Canada.
*
The Barenaked Ladies wore Mary Maxim Sweaters on their 2004 holiday album.
*Miss Outdoors 1957 was photographed wearing a Mary Maxim sweater.
*
Angela Lansbury as
Jessica Fletcher
Jessica Beatrice "J. B." Fletcher (born Jessica Beatrice MacGill) is a detective show character and the protagonist on the American television series '' Murder, She Wrote''.
Portrayed by award-winning actress Angela Lansbury, Fletcher is a bes ...
wore a Mary Maxim sweater in Episode 2 of the first series of
Murder, She Wrote
''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
.
Mary Maxim today
Currently, Mary Maxim employs over 120 people in the Port Huron area and 60 people in
Paris, Ontario.
Ontario accounts for 15% sales from retail stores and 85% from the catalog division.
Mary Maxim has looked to the internet to increase profits. They can attribute 25% of their sales to internet selling.
Mary Maxim is now owned by the third generation of McPhedrains: Rusty and Jane. Rusty became vice president of operations in 1987 and president in 1995.
[Rouke- Barringer, Cathy. "Family Tradition". Mary Maxim 50th Anniversary June: 2006: 21] Mary Maxim celebrated their 50th anniversary in June 2006.
References
{{reflist
External links
Official American siteOfficial Canadian siteVancouver Observer article on history of Mary Maxim
Clothing companies of Canada