HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1959-01-23, Page 9sr:
ar
THE,ATTRA,.CTIVE ail
pearance oto the new. Sea-
=.
forth Shoes_Lplait_-is_hown_
in the' artist's draw.ing'.
above: -
Brilliantly, lighted", . the
interior provides the late,<
est in ,pr-oduetion' facilties<""'
Top' left slows a line of
machines with: operator s --
busy helping ,.'.to produce.`:
xuore ,t=han 12,000 ,Lpaixs
shoed each day,;:
Lower:lef,t, Angus
Lean and Alvin. Sinale.are
admiring, the• output of a
new cutting machine. They'
are among the. more,;: ua,
f 6emp oyees :who bate a .=
pzrt`in producing Seaforth
Shoes in. town. In• addition
to the :'new' factory,'::'•Sea-
forth '" Shoes ::operates •a -;
large warehouse in • the
former .public 'school
"The completion: of the new Sea-
'forth -Shoes ',factory is: a great thing
MAYOR B. F. 'CHRIS'.
for the citizens of Seaforth;". May
4or B. F, - Christie said, as he ex
tended congratulations on behalf of,
the community to the Company.
'i`he industry brings a lot ..of
business here, and lots of people
Colne to Seaforth , to • Work in the.
plant': he Said. "That s means
there is more 'money in circulation
and everybody in town benefits,
Mayor, Christie, suggested one of,
the big benefits was that employ-
ment opportunities were 'available
in- the town. It provided employ-
.2rient. for young people,
_ -"One time a•=, yotng-fellow--•hail-
to go away top get work, : but that
ars ail -changed ".now." Mr. Christie
recalled themany hours that,ha:d
been spent by interested' groups
leading up to 'the decision of :the
company to build here.
Everyone concerned was anxious'
to do everything necessary to en-
sure that Seaforth would have the.
benefits of a new factory in town.
and of the increased Seaforth shoe
1preduction that would result, he
said; He paid tribute to the .CO -
ration that •w a s extended
roughout the negotiations."
Mr. Christie pointed out that in
providing_ streets and services for
the new factory, an entire new sec,.
tion acomes;available ;fordustry;when a:heating systernwas
'purposes: Se 'believed this.:in'turri .needed,. for ",the :new. shoe .factory"
mil
could.-: make ossible` a lowered they -didn't -have to�Iook�,an , farther
PY
crease in assessment. as new haus-.
:es were erected, which, in turn,. (Continued on Page 1>I)
'would - make possible a lowered
tax rate;
C. of C. President Comments
In; a statementissued in:'' con-
nection` with the , opening of the
:new Seaforth Shoes 'Plant, F. C.
J. Sills, president of the Seaforth"
Chamber of Commerce said:.
`With the recent erections of,the:
Seaforth -Shoes .Company plant a
new plateau .leas been. reached in
the industrial expansion of Seafor
And district, It started a few year
ago; when',Seaforth Shoes put 'a
new addition to'their' oldplant
Topnotch Feeds erected a fine: Ftew
mill after a,: di'sa'strous fire;' 'Sea
forth Sewer Tile cothntenced
'oper-
ations;the ' Co-op 'enlarged. their
mill. and • egg • "fa cilities, and all
around the district poultry houses
were. built °so •that We are now sec-
ond to none';.in this .field. "Our
other : industries have ',remained
quite :busy, with John..Boshart: and
fficialsStof
iew-Plant a
Informal
1a
SEAFORTH, ONTA IO FRIDAY ;TAW-TAR-Yr23; .1959 =SECOND . SECTION—Pages 9 to' 18
• Ceremonies in'connection with. the-ofhcial opening of the
e�w=,Seaforth.' hoes-Limited-plant•'on West' William Street
will > take place on Wednesday afternoon.: of next week'
three o'clock.. according to Fred R. P,ee1,'general mans er of_
the company, At the san e. bine, Mr.'Peel extended ail invi-
tation to the public to Visit the new factory and attend the
ceremony.. .Open.' honse is being held on ' two afternoons,
Wednesday- and -Friday January. 28 and. from two o'clock
to four o'clock,. *henthe publicwill have an, opportunity to
examine. the Modern facilities and to watch actual "Manufac-
ture of Seaforth:; Shoes. All ::phases:: -of :production be`
uncles• way:_ during the open house, periods.
An informal reception, and, dance:
,on ;the evening. of. December. 13th.'
-marked the npofficiall in
openg of=
the new; Seaforth :,Shoes Limited:
plant on West William Street.
Tlie event combined,the em:;
ployees' annual Christmas ,party
_with.: a preview=-of--the--iiew- facili,
ties to which 'were invited muni
cipal officials, ,.members' of the'
Chamber, of Commerce and local
service clubs and, representatives'
of Seaforth' industries' and
nessmen The `guests • were enter-`
tained a_ t ;receptikn in the • -Main.:
Street planta, laterj,attending a
dance in the new: factory,
Receiving -were. °,G R,—Johnston;;
of ' :Brockville, president of the
parent comps y; • J. A. Johnston'
Company Li„ ed; -H `'R., Peel, -of.
Preston •Fresident of •''•Seaforth.
Slides limited, and:. red R. Peel.
Others from out' of -town, whwere
present included: George, John.
ston, of Williams'. Shoes, 'Brame
ton, 2VIr slid Mrs.: •Robert Peel,
'Preston; Charles MacNaughton,
MLA,' Exeter; ...Frank, Loan and
Peter Hubert, of the United Shoe
Machinery- Co , of Galt; • E. R. Tay-
lor, . London; Norman Crombie,
AmericanBuilt-Rite , Rubber -Co -,
Toronto, William :Colville,~ Toron-
to.,.
oron-to, and Mr'. and :Mrs. Albert Hol
land„ of. ;Preston.
The 22'000square foot floor area
of the new -plant -Was attractively
decorated : for ' th-e occasion .The
guests were;accommodated at -the
perimiter of the finer,
PRESIDENT'OF'SE7A'F,ORTH SHOES LTD; 1s H
R :: Peel, :of- Galt, (left) , ' shown with G: R. Johnston;
Brockville president of the -Parent com • anY J.'A. John -
_p_.
stop Co Ltd.; as they attended the Christmas party and" -
reception in the new building in December.
Duncan'
stablished in
= It is just fifty ,years ago`.since
-the .business -that now -:has. become
Seaforth Shoes blinded- was begun
'fn'• Seaforth. The W. • J. Duncan
factory,. was, purchased by Seaforth
Shoes -<in 1951,
as started, in 1908
The � uusiness w a •. , d
by Mr: Duncan. in a' 'small • store
where ;the post': office is now'rloeat-
us ness
ed, and specialized in leggings
"and..... -spats for children. At that-
time
hattime there was one employee, and
Mr. Duncan sold his products to
retail outlets throughout"•Western
Ontario, .:returning after each trip
to makeup "the shiPments
In the intervening' years the busi
tContinued on Page '13)'..
he.public iscordially-invited to visit our new
ins inspect 'ourL-facilities
fac`korY and P modern
•
A Y , 8-
IEDNES FTER�100, J NU R 2 !
..DAY A �1. �+:,
ANDA
FRIDAY AfTERIV00N ,� Y30:h R
from `2 to'4nn•.m.
P -
The_ new ctory w ll -b opene
officially• at.' a brief ceremony at
YY
3' o'clock Wednesday afternoon'
' F. SixitS:._
Sons producing fine futniture, and
significant of our diversity in an
S`EA��RTN•° ;SHOES •
Seaforth, ' On .
LIMITE
the J. A; . Johnston Company
limited, parent cozrtlrany; of Sea-
forth Shoes ,Limited; has a. proud -
history rn the 'footwear. industry;
extending over "a period Of Mere.
an°fifty years : ,Tfie' :;completion.
of ahalf century of 'successful op-
eration Was marked in ;October;
1957,;; when _the Chamber of Com
merce of Brockville arranged a.
testaiYloival : dinaer�'m its ; ;honor:
Leaders,. in Canadian .finance and
ind'ustry'wer-e in attendance 'to -pay'
tribute-. to the Johnston 'organize -
The company was organized by
John,, A. Johnston '• in 1907 ; as • a
wholesale distributor of. footwear
and -since :that time the co -innerly,
has remained in the. Johnston far
ily 'with the third generation now
Assuming. executive: positions,
._.. Wholesaling. is -still a very im
portant part of,,the Johnston.opei-
atien', serying .more • than twelve
hundred
. retailers.tlrough
out
Ada., large -percentage :of C-tahnee-
merchandise-- • distributed -by
the.
company :is the product .of: Cana
dian. factories, but during ,recent
years' imports from the 'United
States, the United Kingdom; -italy,
Hong 'Kong,; and other European
countries,have been added' to the
wide• rage: •of footwear, rubber
footwear, popish andfindings that;
is carried -in °stock at Mi times in
the,',Brockville warehouse.
Itis the Proud boast of, company
officials that there are still a nuin-'
ber' of retailers doing':business with
Johnston's today who were, listed
on the -records as original Custom
ers, in"1907.
John A. J`ohnston' the' founder FRER.rR: ]PEEL
of this old'- Canadian company, ated`.Info the new Seaforth Shoes
spent his .entire life in -the foot,
wear industry as -+ha=ve the' follow. plant, designed' by Mr. Peel and
ing'twoa•generations: of• his, family.; Assistant:Ceneral.Manager;Joseph
2viacartney, in; consultation with .E.
He startetfi-1>,is career• as; a shoe ... ,, .
R . Taylor•. Cortstruction
clerk hi Ca m ion's retail store and:
later inanag d : clic ,shoe depart» -London,-; general.- designed
menu of D. W. Downey, Brockville,, "The plant was signed to, give
Ontario In 18.96 he: joined the :J. maximum, effnien[cy.:_atid.ase ...in
D. King. Company, 'shoe wholesal- `the fxow of production,'' Mr -e. feel
ors in' Toronto,' and covered: East- said-
ernv,Ontario• for, this. firm:: The plant is designed, in such a
...Prom this humble. ;beginning 'a: .way that additions may" -be added
:,
ivi h u di ni ' da Mighty ..•empire . within the foot= ix' future tot s ptmg y
wear;industry greiy in Canada The 'to -day operations. Reused in the'
last „half :century has placed. Can- machinery.. •the' latest in shoe building
ada
in an enviable_ position,. among Product oil s e is' briTliantl
the great nations of the world, and' Pae y
the J,' A, Johnston C'ompanyLtd.has ' tel Large tearea`s of .win
played, an important • part' rn the dews ensure maximum use of day -
growth of a great country, expand- light, Onitheleast side a projec-
ing year"after year to become' one:; tion contains`•• a servicing area l=and.
-of the largest-indepenuently own attractive office .accommodation.
ed companies in the industry. It The office area is finished in pan -
is one of the fewCempanies in ar}y elled. wppd: The entire arrange- :
Canadian industry which has re- meet is designed hot only to re-..
r�iainad m tl e hands of_thP original adlt-tii.d ittoce efficient -work- •flow, •
family otvrers. 'but also- •tot provide More space•,
The company continued •to• oiler- better lighting, heatnng,:ventilation :
ate aswholesalers until 1933, when and 'other facilities for the firm's
their first retail outlet was ' neer- employees.
ed. ' By 1941 the,niitnber ,of retail Located on• an eight-acre,site at ,
stores had •increased - td 34 when the northwest corner -of Seaforth,
wartime orders prevented further the factory, will centre a landscap-
expansion :In 1942 the retaildivi- ed area, Work- of grading and
sion was incorporated into 'a isep- planting ,the surrounding grounds
crate company, Reward' Shoe will be under way as soon as wear
Stores, Limited, and, the' number .cher permits; -
•of. retail stores. have continually
.increased and note number 60.• rhe E-xpasitorPhotos b� Phillips
latest addition to the eltpanding ;.
chain was':; opened 'on Danforth All photos In thisy Seafo 'ttii
Avenue .in Toronto' in August of Shoes special section were
this year.•taken : by Frank l hilli for
(Continued onPage 13) The .iii;on Expositor,
While •.there 'have been.' ad-
dltions to existing plants,'the
ne`cy: Seaforth.-Shoes buil.'ding
represents:"Ihe first! complete , ,
ly • new- factory; constructed in
Seaforth m many -:years.
Construction on ,the'' brick,steel
and concrete building began in ear=
Iy = Septeinher. Production in:; the
nearly,:.;20,000-foot building :began
four"months later, On January 5.•
The "company e.mploys'14O--nearly
•three tines 'the 'number who were
empkoyed when,Seaforth. Shoes.:. was
'formed eight years ago:: This •num
.her will contir;i e to -increase as
production moves . up, frons the_,
present' 2,000 pairs a day By June
cthe -daily, output is ."expected •tb
tea ch:4,000,pairs,•according to=Mr
Peel
"This new__plant " he said, ` "is
among the most modern and ;effic>
ent 'layouts ._ bi . _Qanada _ to ay -
•Scores. of shoe:, factories in, Canada
and 'the,U.S: Werei studied for -four .
years .before ,We, went ahead: to
build."
.A11.; the best features of other
production, layouts were incorpor ,