Document ZjXz82R5x8X6JQmY4Ld3Q24V

The BAKELITEAJnion Carbide World 1909-1940 As Reported, by the BB Site Tabloid, "The Trefoil" manufacture of cast resins was discontinued two years ago. Bakelite Sesellschaft is in constant contact with its foreign associated companies, particularly with Bakelite Corporation, New York, for an exchange of experience gathered and progress made. Organization - The board of directors of Bakelite Sesellschaft includes four men who are directors of Bakelite Corporation, New York. Looking into the future, it is to be expected that with its numerous products, Bakelite Sesellschaft will remain a substantial factor in the economic life of Sermany and in Serman exports to countries where Bakelite plants do not exist. . JTarmory 1937 Bakelite Corporation of Canada Limited When Dr. Baekeland was granted his patents in 1909, there was in Toronto a partnership between Dr. Vandelinde, eminent rubber chemist, and Dr. Cohoe, Professor of Chemistry at McMaster University. They operated a company called `Chemical Laboratories Limited" to produce fine chemicals. They secured a license to produce resins from Dr. Baekeland and built a plant on Van Horne Street. This new plant, under the name `Plastics Limited", produced at first the old `Solid A" soda catalyzed resins from which they made only asbestos-filled molding compounds. Later, they produced the No. 1 varnishes and undertook coil impregnating in addition to the molding operations which had been practiced from the beginning. On The Move - Bakelite production continued on the Van Horne Street property from 1910 to 1916, when the plant was moved to Junction Road and Weston Road. During this period (1911-1915) Mr. Harry P. Mills came with the company. He was later associated with the Bakelite Corporation in Europe. After about one year's operation in the last named location, Plastics Limited was moved to Weston, Ontario, where it was housed with the Vandelinde Rubber Company. About this time, probably in an effort to increase business or to forget past errors, the name of the business was changed to `Electrical Hard Moulding Company Limited". This title persisted from 1918 until the beginning of 1920. In June 1919, W.M. Davidson--the present Manager-and his associate, J.B, Rathbun, had taken over the company ond on November 1 of the same year, T.B. Jones, the Mechanical Superintendent, joined the organization. Under the new management the plant wos moved to Mount Dennis and production of varnishes and resins continued as formerly. The stillroom foreman and chief (and only) operator, George Wort, trusted firmly in the deity which watches over the destiny of all resins makers, and turned out of his ten-gallon still any required amount of whatever was needful. By following a fixed routine and holding his mouth in a certain way, somewhat more than half of the varnish was good. Early in 1920, Mr. Davidson arranged with the Cutler-Hammer Company of Milwaukee that the company should produce C-H cold mold compounds. The relatively large production of cold mold products, together History-Section 1 13 11/17/00 SC-EEI-0226 UCCS 0053755 The BAKELITE/Uxiioxi Carbide World 1909-1940 As Reported, by the BB Site Tabloid, "The Trefoil" with the few hot mold parts, permitted the plant to operate for about 18 months. In the late winter of 1922, the company went into liquidation and ceased operation until May 1922. Change and Disaster - At that time the late Harry Corey interested Dr. L.V. Redman in the affairs of the company which was reorganized under the title, "The Electroplax Company of Canada, Limited". In this setup, Mr. Corey was President and General Manager, Mr. Davidson was Manager of Sales and Mr. Rathbun was Factory Manager. In July 1922, Mr. Davidson joined the organization as Chemist. In addition to the production of cold and a very small amount of hot molding compound, August 1922 witnessed the first real attempt to produce laminated oroducts on a commercial scale. The impregnated paper was imported from Formica and pressed in Toronto. The finished product left much to be desired. On November 13,1922, the plant wos completely wiped out by fire and in the eight months following, during which there was no production, unfilled orders were taken care of by the Cutler-Hammer (Milwaukee) plant. A New Start - February 1923 marked the reorganization of the company as `Electroplax Limited" under the Bakelite Company. Mr. Davidson became General Manager and Mr. Campbell, Factory Manager. The new plant was located at 163 Dufferin Street, Toronto in a disused wartime aeroplane plant. The only production at first in this new company was cold mold compounds and parts. Instead of C-H compounds, however, a compound based on a formula of Mr. V.H. Turkington, was produced, The manufacture of this class of goods persisted until 1929. Later in 1923, hot mold presses were set up and a general custom molding shop in hot and cold mold was established. In August of that year, John Buchan was transferred from the Chicago plant to toke charge of the molding operations. During the latter part of this year and into 1924, Clarence Nash of the Bloomfield plant, was located at Toronto. In 1924, the laminating department was started under the guidance of Harry P. Mills. Expansion At Last - In 1925 it was found necessary to secure extra space and the north half of the building at 163 Dufferin Street was leased. The added floor space was utilized to take care of the expansion in the laminating department and the installation of a hot mold plastic department. The installation of this department and the commencement of manufacture of plastic under the able tutelage of Mr. Frank P. Brock was the end of this type of building development. From then on, development consisted chiefly of expansion or curtailment of existing processes. In 1928 Mr. Buchan took over the supervision of the laminating production and fabricating in place of Mr. Mills who had been sent to Europe. The cessation of cold mold production in 1929 was followed in 1931 by that of hot molding. Laminating fabrication continued to 1935 as did the tool shop for custom production molding tools. Shrinking markets due to the depression, coupled with the effect of trade wars in the United States, have militated against any spectacular advance in the affairs of the Canadian Company. With the return of some hope for increased prosperity, however, the business outlook has Hlatopy-Sectlon 1 14 11/17/00 UCCS 0053756