John Davenport, owner & broom maker has been busy at his craft for nearly 30 years. He has been making the highest quality corn brooms step-by-step, carrying on the tradition of Hamel Brooms as the second owner outside of the Hamel Family.

 

Founded in 1908, I W Hamel started manufacturing corn brooms in Waterloo, ON. He passed his business along to his son, who sold it to longtime employee in 1969, Nick Sadowsky. John worked for him when he was a young boy,  glueing labels onto the broom handles after school. When Sadowsky was looking to retire in 1990, John purchased the business and moved it to St Jacobs, thinking it would fit well amongst the tourist shops and crafters. 

​

As the last surviving corn broom manufacturer in Canada, John has continued to use the best quality materials sourcing our wooden handles from Canada and our broom corn from the southern United States & Mexico. Our brooms are sold in stores across the country (see map for availability). We use the same machinery as Irvin Hamel did years back. Our oldest machine, a hand sewing vice from 1878 and the newest, broom sewing machine dated 1947.

 

John Davenport is often in the St Jacobs shop, making corn brooms and answering questions  about the process.  He is dedicated to making a better broom that will last longer and sweep better than all the others on the market!