In October 1927, five companies (McClary Manufacturing Company, London, Ontario; Sheet Metal Products Company of Canada Limited, Toronto; Thomas Davidson Manufacturing Company Limited, Montreal; E. T. Wright Limited, Hamilton, Ontario; and A. Aubry et fils Limitée, Montreal) merged to form General Steel Wares (GSW) Limited with John C. Newman becoming the company’s first President. The newly formed company, producing housewares and appliances, became a significant Canadian manufacturer. Expansion soon followed, notably, in 1920 with the acquisition of the Happy Thought Foundry Company of Brantford, Ontario, and in 1958 with the purchase of the Easy Washing Machine Company Limited.
Beatty Brothers Limited, a metal farm implement company established in 1873 at Fergus, Ontario, gained a controlling interest in GSW in 1962 through a reverse takeover, thereby merging these two companies under the GSW name. The company changed significantly at this time under the direction of Ralph M. Barford and Robert A. Stevens. Among other acquisitions by GSW between 1965 and 1975 was the Moffatt Company in Canada, a large appliance manufacturer, in 1971. Negotiations between GSW and Canadian General Electric Company Limited resulted in 1976 in the formation of the joint venture Canadian Appliance Manufacturing Company (CAMCO). More recent acquisitions have included the American Water Heater Company in 2002.
Published
RC0205
There have been several accruals. The first accrual consists of annual reports, ledgers, catalogues, minutes of meetings, bulletins, circulars, correspondence, photographs, news clippings and other items. The second accrual consists of annual reports, speeches, news clippings, and other printed materials. The third accrual consists of company records, media records, records pertaining to the publication of a company history, and photographs.
The first accrual was acquired in 1970 and contained only materials dating up to 1940. There have been a number of further accruals which have been included in the description of the first. The second accrual (14-2000) was acquired from Robert A. Stevens in March 2000. The third accrual (10-2006) was acquired in January 2006 from Ralph M. Burford.
No further accruals are expected.
There are no access restrictions.
[Finding Aid](https://library.mcmaster.ca/finding-aid/gsw)