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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-07-08, Page 19The assembly line at Volvo Motor Graders was winding down the last week in June as the last graders made their way through final assembly. Pictured are Gary Hugill and Archie Mason, who had worked in the plant for over 36 years. Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, July 8, 2009 - P; • : A19 Goderich became known as the 'Grader Town' The story of Volvo Motor Graders ironically began in 1886 in Kennet Square, Pennsylvania. The American Road Machinery Company of Kennet Square pioneered and introduced the Baby Winner, a horse- drawn grader, a company and product that became the beginning of the Champion story. In the early 1900s, the Good Roads Machinery Company of Hamilton became a subsidiary of American Road Machinery Company. Besides the Baby Winner, the American company began to diversify and introduced new machines to meet the growing needs of the day. As the 20th century approached, there was good reason for optimism in Canada as work had taken place on a nationwide railway link and a series of roads were under construction across the land. Steam operated and powered equipment made it possible to build a highway system in Ontario as automobiles started making a presence. The American Road Machinery subsidiary remained in Hamilton a few years and then because of labour problems, the Good Roads Machinery Company Ltd. was moved to Goderich. The Town of Goderich was a bustling and prosperous town then and plans were in the works to improve the port and harbour facility and construct new buildings. In fact, government figures released for 1909 included provision of $80,000 for improvements to the Goderich harbour and extension of the breakwall and $10,000 to improve the post office building. It was February 17, 1910 that the American Road Machinery Company began the move to . Goderich and machinery was anistalled in a factory .on East Street. The plant was locatedin what had been known as the Goderich Engine and Bicycle Works. Six carloads of machinery were delivered to Goderich and the company had enough orders at the time to keep the plant running at full capacity tor about four months with about 30 employees. The business opened under the management of R. F. Mancill. In March 1910, the town prepared to lobby the federal government to undertake an ambitious expansion program of the Goderich Harbour. Mayor Cameron was dispatched to Ottawa, along with representatives of the Elevator Company and Western Canada Flour Mills, to petition the government to construct breakwalls north and south of the harbour entrance and add wharves and docks. Local busi- nessmen and merchants were interested in Goderich becoming an important port of call. That same year, plans were to extend telephone service to Auburn, Dungannon, Benmiller and other rural points in the area. Also at that time, there were plans for new rail lines connecting the harbour to lines leading away from town, but land disputes and charges of fraud and embezzlement put the matter to rest. However, that year the Western Canada Flour Mill announced a $200,000 development to construct new ele- vators within six months. As Canada and the Goderich area progressed, Champions played a key role in the development of the road system. In 1912, the company manufactured street cleaners, handcarts, sidewalk snowplows, rock crushers, horse-drawn graders, road rollers, street water sprinklers and heavy plows drawn by horses. Employees at the grader plant were earning 15 cents per hour or $8.85 per week based on their 10 hours of work each day from Monday to Friday and nine hours on Saturday. Their typical work week was 59 hours which jumped to 68 hours during busy times. In 1914 the company developed the highway Patrol model which featured steel wheels and a blade which could be lowered, raised and rotated. During World War I, Good Roads built water tanks, ammunition carriers and transporters as well as machines parts for lathes and drills. The factory operated 24 hours -a - day and seven days -per -week during the war. In 1915 the company became Dominion Road Machinery Company and in 1921 it began exporting for the first time, sending horse-drawn graders to Argentina. In 1925, local man T. H. Mitchell bought controlling interest in the company and in 1928 the company built and introduced the first power grader and tested it on Huron Road which was vacant land at the time. That first power grader was shipped to Peterborough. Subsequent orders for this new machine came from Regina, Sarnia, St. Thomas Toronto and the Department of Northern Development. With a new prcxluct on the market, Dominion Roads had to expand to meet increased production and a new building was constructed on the corner of Cambria Road and St. David Street. Despite the harsh reality of the Great Depression, it was during the 1930s that Dominion Roads made its mark in the industry with the introduction of several new products. In 1930, Huron County purchased a power grader and in 1932 the company introduced the Power Maintainer, a model that featured a closed cab, improved gear controls and pneu- matic tires. The company was sold in 1934 to W. K. Whipple of Florida and introduced the first road grader with with hydraulic controls, the Model I-30. It found a home in Churchill Ontario. continued ... RBC Royal Bank' The staff of the Goderich Royal Bank would like to thank Volvo for Its many years of supporting our community. We also want to extend our best wishes to all Volvo employees, both past and present, for your tireless devotion to excellence. At RBC we offer personal, tailored financial advice for all your banking needs, and Invite you to pay us a visit. RBC Royal Bank, 158 Court House Square, Goderlch, 519-524-2888.