For much of the Meckley's family history, they did not sell their hand-crafted brooms.
“The problem became, what do you do with all these brooms? You can give them to a neighbor, a friend, a family member, but there’s only so many of those,” Brett Meckley said.
Brett and Briana Meckley are sixth-generation broom makers. The craft has been in their family for over 100 years. The couple, along with Brett’s father, Randy, own and operate Meckley Brooms, a small business based in Lopez in Sullivan County. They opened a shop in May to sell their brooms, just feet away from their house.
“It only became a business in 2017,” Briana said.
After Brett’s father retired, he rediscovered the family tradition.
When the overflow of brooms became too much for the family, they decided to begin selling them. They went to craft shows around Lancaster, where they lived at the time. Briana eventually expanded their market to online sales, where they now do the majority of their business.
When the leaves begin to change, the Meckleys get busier. During the fall months, they see a major increase in sales. Their custom decor brooms often resemble those seen in “Harry Potter.” Brett, a retired electrician, uses a high-voltage electrical process called fractal burning to give each broom a unique pattern that stretches up the handle. The Meckleys are one of a few, to their knowledge, who use this technique. These designs are a big hit for cosplayers and Halloween fanatics.
A minivan drove up the Meckley’s long driveway early one July morning.
“This is our favorite mail lady,” Briana said as the car parked in front of their house.
About 10 long cardboard boxes were placed in the minivan. For the Meckleys, this is the calm before the storm.
“She’s happy today,” Brett said. “But in another four weeks, we won’t be her favorite… in the fall… Monday or Tuesday morning, she’ll get 30-40 packages.”
Due to demand, custom broom orders are cut off beginning in September. Long days follow for the Meckleys and more packages for the mail lady.
The minivan drove off after promises of making egg sandwiches the next day. In a town with only a few hundred residents, the mail lady is one of a few people the Meckleys see regularly.
Inside the Meckley’s workshop, rows of drying broomcorn, used for the heads of their brooms, line their wall. A myriad of blue, red, green and yellow bundles sat, waiting to be used. They use a special process to dye their broomcorn, which helps set them apart.
“Once we added the color… it just took off,” Brett said.
A rusted machine, dating back to the 1800s, sits in the back of the workshop.
“This is called a kick winder because you use your foot to turn it,” Briana explained.
The kick winder is still used by the Meckleys to attach and tighten the broomcorn to the handle. Brett said most artisan broom makers still use machines from the 1800s to craft their product.
Brett’s father uses his own kick winder that has been in their family for over 150 years. With it, he has made over 10,000 brooms since the Meckleys began their business. The machine in the workshop, Brett said, has only made about 150.
Adjacent to the workshop is the Meckley Brooms retail shop where an array of brooms line the walls. Located just a few miles away from Ricketts Glen State Park, the store attracts tourists and campers when the weather is less than ideal.
Briana also offers “Make and Take” classes for those interested in learning about the broom making process.
“I enjoy teaching people to make brooms, and I get to interact up here with people in a place where you don't have a lot of interaction because the population up here is so low,” she said.
Teaching others about their craft is as much of a Meckley tradition as making the brooms.
Brett and Briana are parents and grandparents. They hope one day the next generation will continue the business.
“It’s tough to get a four year old to want to make a broom or a 10 year old, or even a 20 year old. They're living life, they're going to school, they're starting their family,” Brett said. “Maybe when they get a little older… I would assume it’s something you're gonna have to be a little older to appreciate.”
Until then, Brett and Briana will continue making brooms, just as their family has for decades.
“We've built it to this point and we'll continue to grow it until we can't handle it – Hopefully by then, the next generations are ready to step in. So, hopefully… fingers crossed!” Briana said with a laugh.
The shop in Lopez is open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If the Meckleys are on site, they will put the open flag out nearly every day of the week.
For more details, visit https://www.meckleybrooms.com/