General Motors of Canada (McKinnon Industries Limited)
St. Catharine's, Ontario - History
1878: McKinnon and Mitchell Hardware
was formed on St. Paul Street making saddlery and wagon hardware.
1888: L. B. McKinnon assumed control
under the name McKinnon Dash and Hardware Co.
1900: The plant moved to Ontario Street, tne present Axle Plant
site, expanded and became "McKinnon Dash and Metal Work Ltd."
1901: A malleable foundry was added to
the plant.
1905: A drop forge shop was erected and
manufacture of chain began.
1914: Outbreak of war - saddlery and hardware supplied to Canadian, British and
French armies.
1916: Shell and fuse making began in a
three-storey building erected at the Axle Plant.
1917: Reorganised under the name "McKinnon
Industries Limited".
1918: Chain business sold and McKinnon
entered the automobile field,
producing radiators and pioneering production of differential and
transmission gears in Canada.
1923: L. E. McKinnon died leaving his
estate to be sold.
1925: Messrs. Gideon Grant and Neil
Sinclair purchased the company, the new name to be The McKinnon Industries
Limited and Mr. B. W. Burtsell became President.
Manufacture of rear axles progressed vigorously.
1929: The radiator business was sold to
make room for the gear division. On March 29 the company became a subsidiary of
General Motors Corporation with Mr. H. J. Carmichael as President and General
Manager.
1930: Erection of the Delco building on
the east side of Ontario Street and an expansion program began with the
manufacture of starting motors, generators, shock absorbers, steering gears and
wheel cylinders.
1932: Further expansion to manufacture
fractional horsepower motors for washing machines, refrigerators and truck and
car transmissions.
1936: W. A. Wecker, became Vice
President and General Manager succeeding H. J. Carmichael who was appointed
Vice President and General Manager of General Motors of Canada in Oshawa. A
Grey Iron foundry was installed to make engine cylinder heads, blocks and brake
drums.
1939: World War II - The government
called upon McKinnons to produce army 4 wheel drive
trucks, percussion fuses, dynamotors, for 2-way radios, fire control mechanism,
gyro gun sight motors, torpedo drives, elevating units for 3.7 anti-aircraft
guns. Floorspace was doubled.
1943: T. J. Cook was McKinnon President
and General Manager succeeding W. A. Wecker who was
appointed to President and General Manager of General Motors of Canada, Oshawa.
1944: The manufacturing of anti-friction
ball and roller bearings was started.
1945: The Bearing Division was expanded
to make parts for agricultural and general machinery industries.
1948: The manufacturing of fuel pumps for
Canadian car manufacturers began.
1950: 141 acres of land was acquired to
build a new foundry.
1952: The foundry was officially opened
having the largest and most modern malleable and grey iron foundry in the
British Commonwealth. [CLOSED END OF 1995]
1953: Contract to build an Engine Plant
at this site was released on March 31st. Mr. T. J. Cook retired and
on April 1st E. H. Walker was appointed President and General Manager. The
assembly of radios for cars and trucks was started.
1954: V-8 engines for Chevrolet, Pontiac,
and Oldsmobile Rocket engines were made and assembled in the newly completed
Engine Plant.
1957: On April 1st E. J. Barbeau was named President and General Manager of The
McKinnon Industries Limited succeeding E. H. Walker who was appointed
President and General Manager of General Motors of Canada, Oshawa, succeeding
W. A. Wecker who retired.
1963: McKinnon’s acquired the
Windsor Engine Plant. Inline 6 cylinder production was transferred to St.
Catharine's with local transmission production transferred to Windsor.
Commercial fractional horsepower motors were transferred to G.M. Diesel,
London, Ontario.
1964: As a result of the General Motors deproliferation program and to subsequent approval of the
Canada-U.S. Trade Agreement, the 1967 following changes occurred in the product
program.
1964: - Radio to Frigidaire, Toronto; Horn to
Frigidaire, Toronto; Shock Absorber to Frigidaire, Toronto
1965: -
Deletion of Rear Axle Assembly for Buick and Oldsmobile 'B' Car and 1-1/2 Ton
Truck; Deletion of Front and Rear Brake Assembly for Buick and Oldsmobile 'B'
Car; Front and Rear Brake Drum Assembly for 1-1/2 and 2 Ton Truck.
1966 - Propshaft to Frigidaire; Deletion of Ignition Coil, Voltage
Regulator, Distributor, Master Cylinder, and Oldsmobile-Buick Engine Assembly.
1967 -
Deletion of Ball and Roller Bearing, Power Steering, Manual Steering.
1965: Administration Building on Glendale
Avenue was finished.
1966: Engine Plant tooled for '327' CID
VS Engines.
1967: Engine Plant tooled for '307' CID
VS Engines (dropped 6 cylinder)
1968: V-8 capacity increased to 2,400
Engines/Day
1969: Engine Plant tooled for '350' CID
VS 2/4 Barrel (dropped '283'). McKinnon Industries changed from subsidiary
status to become General Motors of Canada Limited, St. Catharine's.E.
J. Barbeau was transferred to G.M. Oshawa as Director
of Manufacturing Operations. Grosvenor Swift named
Area Plant Manager St. Catharines.
1970: Engine tooled for 100% '350' CID VS
(dropped '307, 327')
1971: V-8 Engine capacity increased to
2,600 Engines/Day.
1972: Rear Axle capacity increased from
2,400/Day to 2,800/Day with the inclusion of the 6-1/2" 'H' Car Vega Rear
Axle. Grosvenor Swift retired. Ivan S. Kaye named
Plant Manager, General Motors of Canada Limited, St. Catharine’s.
1973: Rear Axle capacity increased to
3,200/Day.
1974: 7-½ " 'H' Car and 7-½"
'X' Car Axle production added.
1975: Engine Plant began producing '350'
and '305' CID VS production with full flexibility.
1978: Rear Axle capacity increased to
3,600/Day. 8-½" G-Van Rear Axles added. Approved to manufacture '267' Cu.
In. V-8 at 1,400/Day. Ivan S. Kaye retired. Ron Migus
named Manager - St. Catharine's Plants.
1979: Welland
Avenue Plant purchased from Columbus McKinnon. Corporation
approval for manufacture of THM125C Differential Carrier and Output Shaft for
1981 Model Year at 4,000/Day. Corporation approval to manufacture V6 60
2.8L Engines at 1,600/Day and V-8 4.4 & 5.0 Litre ('267' and '305' CID)
Engines for 1982. Corporate approval to convert Starting
Motor production from 10MT to 5MT at 5,000/Day capacity.
1980: Full production of Delcotrons and Starting Motors at the Welland
Avenue Plant. Capacity increase on '267' CID Engines from
1,400 - 1,800/Day. Corporate approval to manufacture
THM440T4 Final Drive Assembly and Output Shaft at 10,000/Day for 1983 Model
Year. Corporate approval to manufacture 1983-½ 'B-C' Drive Axle Shaft
Forgings at 4,250/Day (revised to 'C' Car only at 2,400/Day).
1981: Corporate approval to manufacture
1983-1/2 'B-C' Independent Rear Suspension at 5,000/Day (revised to 'C' Car
only at 2,400/Day). Corporate approval to manufacture 1983
Commercial C-10, G-10-20 Truck Front Suspension at 2,700/Day (revised to
1,600/Day C-10 only). Corporate approval to make all
Oldsmobile forgings. Corporate approval to provide
R.W.D. V6 600 engine flexibility. Mr. F. Allan Smith is replaced as
President & General Manager of G.M. of Canada by James Rinehart on January
5, 1981. Mr. Smith becomes an Executive Vice-President in charge of
finance.1982 Donald E. Hackworth becomes President
& General Manager of General Motors of Canada Limited on January 1, 1982
replacing James R. Rinehart who resigned. Delcotron
and Starting Motor production was transferred from Welland
Avenue to U.S.A. GM Fanuc Robotics Corporation formed.
1983: Corporate approval of C.V.T.
Differential Carrier assembly. NUMMI, a joint venture with Toyota formed.
General Motors 75th Anniversary
1984: Donald E. Hackworth
becomes General Manager of Buick on January 10th ,
1984 and John F. Smith Jr. becomes President &
General Manager G.M. of Canada Limited. Mr. Smith was formerly Director of
Worldwide Product Planning. North American Passenger Car Operations reorganized
into CPC-BOC. October 18th General Motors acquires Electronic Data
Systems (EDS). Corporate approval to change 2.8L V6 to TBI for SIT truck and
MPFI for passenger cars with aluminum heads.
Automotive Component Group (ACG) Divisions established strategic business units
by product line.
1985: Corporate approval to make GM-10
Front & Rear Disc Brakes. Corporate approval to make
'C/H' Car leading trailing brakes.Corporate approval
to make 5.7 Litre V-8 truck engines. General Motors forms Saturn
Corporation in January. December 31 General Motors acquires Hughes Aircraft
Company.
1986: Corporate approval to make
8-1/2" 'C/K' Rear Axles for trucks at 1,500/Day. George A. Peapples becomes President & General Manager of General
Motors of Canada Limited February 3, 1986 replacing John F. Smith Jr. who becomes Executive Vice President - Operations &
Engineering General Motors Europe - Passenger Cars. Manufacture of ground and
cast aluminum pistons set up in the Welland Avenue Plant. Ground pistons transferred from
Engine Plant. Cast pistons - completely new installation. General Motors
acquires Group Lotus PLC. GM/Volvo joint venture formed to market heavy-duty
trucks. GM of Canada/Suzuki joint venture formed.
1987: Corporate approval to make 3.1
Litre V-6 Engines. Corporate approval to make F-7 Final Drive
& Output Shaft. Corporate approval to make GM-10
Rear Brakes & Front Rotors. Robert C. Stempel
replaces F. James McDonald as Corporation President.
1988: Corporate approval to make 3.4
Litre V-6 Engine. Corporate approval to convert 440 transmission
to F-31 design.
1989: Built last V-6 2.8 Litre Engine. Began building V-6 3.1 Litre APV and W-Car (Buick Regal, Chevrolet
Lumina) Engine. The St. Catharine's Plants are realigned into Strategic
Business Units (SBU's) as part of the Automotive
Components Group (ACG). The St. Catharine's Plants continue to report through
the GM of Canada operating structure, but work closely with the planning and
operational groups of the SBU's who have engineering
and sourcing responsibility for the St. Catherine's factories' products. St. Catharine's
Plants are affected as follows:
Foundry aligned to Central Foundry Division - Engine
SBU Engine Plant reports to CPC.
Axle Plant
aligned to Saginaw Division - Final Drive and Forge
Hydra-matic Division - Automatic Transmission
Delco Moraine
- Wheel Brake
A.C. Rochester
- Spark Plug
1990: Start of Production - V-6 3.4 Litre
DOHC Engine. The Axle Plant is officially renamed to Components Plant.