Eddy Match Company
Encyclopedia
The Eddy Match Company is a Canadian
company whose main product was originally wooden match
es.
The company began manufacturing matches in Hull Quebec in 1851 as the E.B. Eddy Company. EB Eddy sold off its match division in 1927 and it was merged with World Match Corp. Ltd., Dominion Match Co. Ltd. and Canadian Match Co. Ltd.. Ezra Butler Eddy
had started off in business making matches in Hull, Quebec
by hand from wood discarded by local sawmill
s. The company became the first manufacturer of book matches in Canada in 1929 and was the largest producer of this product in Canada. Its operations included a second plant in Mission, British Columbia
.
Eddy Match had a capital structure where 2/3 of the stock were held by British Match Corporation in London, England and 1/3 by Diamond Match in the United States. In the 1950's, Diamond Match sold its shares to the public in Canada by listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
J Alex Lawrason became President and CEO in June 1969 in Toronto, Ontario. He had joined the company in Vancouver, BC as a salesman of the match company in 1949.
The company operated a match factory in Pembroke, Ontario
until 1998. During the 1960s and 1970s, other operations included:
Eddy merged with Atlas Match of Euless, Texas
but still operates as Eddy Match in Canada.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
company whose main product was originally wooden match
Match
A match is a tool for starting a fire under controlled conditions. A typical modern match is made of a small wooden stick or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by frictional heat generated by striking the match against a suitable surface...
es.
The company began manufacturing matches in Hull Quebec in 1851 as the E.B. Eddy Company. EB Eddy sold off its match division in 1927 and it was merged with World Match Corp. Ltd., Dominion Match Co. Ltd. and Canadian Match Co. Ltd.. Ezra Butler Eddy
Ezra Butler Eddy
Ezra Butler Eddy was a Canadian businessman and political figure.Although born in the United States, Ezra Butler Eddy who was one of Canada's most progressive manufacturers, became one of its most loyal citizens and few men of his time were more devoted to his Sovereigns institutions and more...
had started off in business making matches in Hull, Quebec
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
by hand from wood discarded by local sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s. The company became the first manufacturer of book matches in Canada in 1929 and was the largest producer of this product in Canada. Its operations included a second plant in Mission, British Columbia
Mission, British Columbia
Mission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
.
Eddy Match had a capital structure where 2/3 of the stock were held by British Match Corporation in London, England and 1/3 by Diamond Match in the United States. In the 1950's, Diamond Match sold its shares to the public in Canada by listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
J Alex Lawrason became President and CEO in June 1969 in Toronto, Ontario. He had joined the company in Vancouver, BC as a salesman of the match company in 1949.
The company operated a match factory in Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
until 1998. During the 1960s and 1970s, other operations included:
- Ideal Vendor Company in Deseronto, OntarioDeseronto, OntarioDeseronto is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, in Hastings County, located on the shore of the Bay of Quinte. The town had a population of 1,824 in the Canada 2006 Census.The town was named for Capt...
which manufactured vending machines. Ideal Vendors made a variety of soft drink vending machines. The Sales office (& HO) of Ideal was in the Sun Life Building in Montreal. The last president was Dudley Sutherland. He traveled the world selling these machines, and spent a lot of time doing so in Africa. The machine was unique in that it was a top-opener - the bottles were held on a rack by the neck. There were a number of parallel racks. The bottles were more air-cooled than cold. Inserting a coin allowed one bottle to be moved down the rack and out the dispensing end. - Steel Equipment in Pembroke which manufactured steel office furniture
- Grant Industries in VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
which distributed building products. This company was identified as one of the Canadian distributors of zonolite products contaminated with asbestosAsbestosAsbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
which originated from Libby, MontanaLibby, MontanaLibby is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,626 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Libby is located at , along U.S. Route 2....
. The company was purchased in the mid 1950's and had branches right across Canada. The company was shut down and liquidated in 1971. - Kootenay Forest Products in Nelson, British ColumbiaNelson, British ColumbiaNelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the extreme West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Known as "The Queen City", and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional silver rush,...
- Harrow Lumber Company in Nelson, British ColumbiaNelson, British ColumbiaNelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the extreme West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Known as "The Queen City", and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional silver rush,...
- Insulation Industries
- Eddy industrial Products. Started as a machine shop and in due course was manufacturing high speed packaging machinery for light bulbs all of which were shipped to customers in the United States.
- W. W. Powell in Nelson, British ColumbiaNelson, British ColumbiaNelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the extreme West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Known as "The Queen City", and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional silver rush,...
. The company manufactured match blocks. The company was purchased in 1949 and closed in approximately 1954
Eddy merged with Atlas Match of Euless, Texas
Euless, Texas
Euless, known as "Tree City USA," is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Fort Worth. Euless is part of the Mid-Cities between Dallas and Fort Worth...
but still operates as Eddy Match in Canada.