About Us
Welcome to Mary Maxim...
...the largest mail order merchandiser of exclusive needlework and craft kits in North America now offers secure internet ordering on the world wide web. Mary Maxim began with hand knit designs in the early 1950s. Influenced by the beautiful wildlife in North America, Mary Maxim designed bulky outdoor zippered jackets to knit using the first easy-to-follow graph-style charts. Designing has grown to include fashions, for all ages, in all weights of yarn, beautiful afghans, decorative hooked rugs and wall hangings as well as unique designs to needlepoint, embroider, cross stitch, quilt and sew. Other exclusive kits we carry include seasonal crafts, beading, paper crafts just to name a few. We also offer kits specially chosen from other design companies, many exclusive to our catalogue and web site.
The Mary Maxim Story
In the 1950's, no other company had its finger more firmly on the pulse of the Canadian knitter than Mary Maxim! Click here to view a short video on our rich history.
Our founders, Willard S. Mc Phedrain, a railway station agent, and his wife Olive, lived in Sifton Manitoba. Willard had an energetic and entrepreneurial mind that was never satisfied with doing just one job at a time. He and his wife also had a woolen mill business called Sifton Wool Products Ltd., with its' major items being woolen blankets and knitted woolen work socks. During one of his trips to department stores to sell his products, Willard was struck with the idea of the potential in the hand knitting market. With inspiration from the motifs of the Cowichan Indians of the west coast Willard put his designers to work creating unique Canadian sweaters using the famous Mary Maxim 'graph style patterns', another of his successful adventures. The first pattern, #400, is the Reindeer and is still sold by our company today.
As the demand for yarn and patterns grew Willard decided in 1954 to personalize the business and renamed it Mary Maxim, after a family employee, Mary Maximchuck. That same year he moved the company to Paris, Ontario to be closer to the larger Ontario market and his fibre supplier, Spinrite Yarns in Listowel. Mary Maxim's first home was the 'old town hall', from there we had a couple of other homes and finally ended up at our present location, 75 Scott Ave., Paris, Ontario. Willard and Olive resided in Paris for the rest of their lives. They are both missed by the employees and townspeople. Their grandson 'Rusty' is the present owner. Rusty and his family reside in Port Huron, Michigan where our American headquarters/store are located.
Our sweaters have had quite a history on their own. They have been sported by names like Bob Hope, Princess Ann and in recent years the Canadian singing group, BareNaked Ladies, for their 2004 album cover. It has been rumored, Sara Jessica Parker wore one on an episode of Sex in the City. With all this history one thing has not changed over the years and that is the commitment of the McPhedrain family and the Mary Maxim Staff to bring you the best products and service. We pride ourselves on being a reputable mail order company for over 50 years!!! Today we mail to over 3 million customers homes across Canada. Our web site offers much more than we could print in one catalogue. Enjoy surfing our site!
Our Staff
Introducing our Mary Maxim family. Our merchandising staff of buyers along with research and development bring you a unique selection of exclusive needlework and crafts. Our order entry and customer service departments will give you personalized helpful assistance with all your questions.
Brandie Smith
General Manager
Brandie joined our team in 2018.
Her passion, dedication and tireless
energy helps keep the wheels turning.
Brad Hines
Plant Manager
As warehouse manager,
Brad does everything possible
to ensure quick and accurate
handling of your orders.
Renate & Laurie
Retail Store Managers
They invite you to visit
our world famous 10,000 sq. ft.
store in Paris, Ontario.
Our friendly and experienced staff
will be happy to help you
with your shopping needs.
Lori
Office Manager
Lori oversees the office staff
so that our customers are
looked after in a timely
and professional manner.
Nicole
Customer Service
Notre personnel bilingue
sera disponibe pour vos
communication dans la
langue de votre choix.
Laura, Debbie and Carolyn
Customer Service
They will give you personalized
helpful assistance when
you call with questions
concerning your phone orders.
Kristi
Reception
Her cheerful voice
welcomes many
customers to
Mary Maxim.