Our Mission
Mission Statement: Bringing the world a better way to clean through innovation, design, quality, and brand leadership.
For over 125 years, the Libman family has prioritized quality. William Libman started The Libman Company in 1896 with one mission: to make the finest, most durable wire-wound corn brooms. William’s sons, grandsons, and great-grandchildren have since expanded that mission to include the finest mops, brooms, brushes, and cleaning tools.
Starting Up
William Libman left Lithuania for the United States in the 1890’s. He landed in Chicago and started life in the New World by peddling sundries from a pushcart. He sold everything from brooms to clothespins. The old-fashioned corn broom was always a top seller. Seeing a need and an opportunity, William Libman opened a corn broom factory on Kinzie Street in Chicago, the commercial heart of the Midwestern broom corn market.
Advancing in Tough Times
During the height of the Great Depression, William’s three sons, Clarence, Sam, and Ben, joined their father in the broom-making business. They added a new generation of ideas and energy. Although times were hard, the sons looked to the future. They modernized operations and built a second plant in Detroit, Michigan.
Wartime Production
During World War II, The Libman Company joined the effort with wartime production. From 1942 to 1945, they produced over 2,500 brooms a day for the War Department. Made to specification, these brooms cleaned the decks of aircraft carriers and troop ships in the Atlantic and Pacific.
Bigger Economy, Bigger Move
The great economic boom of the '50s found The Libman Company looking for a bigger location. In 1957, Libman moved into a converted red brick schoolhouse in Arcola, Illinois.
Innovating, Expanding
Two of the founder’s grandsons, William and Robert, joined the company in the mid-1960s. Like their father and uncles before them, Bill and Robert looked to the future and expanded to create radical new production lines utilizing modern technology. They invested heavily in injection molding, blow molding, fiber extrusion, and steel tube fabrication. By 1980, all major production was pulled under one roof. The Libman Company became one of the largest vertically integrated houseware facilities in the country. During the past 15 years, the company has expanded its product line to become the leading manufacturer of high-quality brooms, mops, and brushes in the U.S.
Libman in The 21st Century
Twenty years later, the 4th generation, Andrew, Rachel, Aaron, and Jared, have come aboard. Like their predecessors, they are looking towards the future. They are focused on expanding distribution in the retail and commercial markets with the Libman High Power line and expanding into the international market with the entire Libman line. While working on growing distribution, they continue to focus on quality, national advertising, service, and product innovation.