Hamilton Brothers marks 150 years
The reason Hamilton Brothers is still thriving in Glen Huron after 150 years is their willingness to adapt and evolve, according to Fred Hamilton, the forth generation to run the feed store and lumber yard. These days, the family enterprise has expanded to include 2,000 acres of farmland – growing corn, wheat and soybeans – a large poultry operation, and a heating oil business.
Hamilton’s great-grandfather emigrated from Ireland in the 1850s, eventually settling in Glen Huron, attracted by available water power for the mill. The farm store originally opened in 1874. Hamilton grew up in the business. He recalls driving a tractor on the farm from the time he was about six years old. By 14 or 15, and without a licence, he was a steady driver on the delivery truck. He eventually enrolled in Shaw Business College in Toronto, completing an 18-month program over three years so he could help out with the store. In the early days, the clientele was mostly local farmers.
“We were always a farm supply store that handled a bit of building material to meet the needs of the farming community,” said Hamilton. “The lumber business really started in the 1960s and the building that currently houses the building centre was erected in 1972.”
“There used to be a lot of farmers,” he said. “Now there are very few. Devil’s Glen (ski resort) had a big impact, attracting lots of people who were new to the area.”
Those “city people” are now a huge part of the community, he said. Hamilton still does most of the purchasing for the business. On the day we spoke he was in the office by 7 a.m. and helping a customer load lumber before daylight. He has no plans to retire, although he does confess that he has scaled back his work week to six days.
The product mix has changed over the years.
“There was no such thing as pressure treated lumber when we were younger, now it’s a big part of our sales,” said Hamilton. “Years ago, most houses were stick framed. Now everyone uses trusses… We used to sell cement in 100-pound bags, now they’re 50 pounds. The same goes for fertilizer and everything else.”
Hamilton says that while they do have a loyal clientele, loyalty only goes so far.
“I had an uncle who said, ‘You can’t be overconfident, and you have to stay as humble as possible.’ We have found that the big box stores concentrate on being competitive on only 10 or so key items, then have bigger markups on everything else,” he said.
Hamilton Brothers works hard to stay competitive on those key items, and to be a trusted, reliable supplier.
“We stock steel culverts in sizes from six to 48 inches,” said Hamilton. “When the township needs a culvert they just drive in because they know we’ll have what they need.”
The building store has been a Timbermart affiliate since the 1970s, stocking everything from tools and lumber to windows and siding. Across the road at the farm supply store the product mix ranges from seed and fertilizer to boots and workwear.
Hamilton’s three sons John, Jamie and Joseph are all involved in the business. Jamie’s two sons Austin and Aiden are continuing the tradition. A seventh generation, a baby boy named after Hamilton’s father Jack, has yet to indicate whether he’ll join the familyfirm.
Hamilton Brothers marked its 150th anniversary in 2024 but with bridge construction closing the road from Smithdale to Creemore, a decision was made to postpone the celebration until summer of 2025.
