A
transaction of interest to all Norfolk County and Simcoe in particular
was completed this week, when F. W. M. Ross, former owner of the St.
Williams Fruit Preservers plant, parted with his interests in that
concern to a newly-formed company, the St. Williams Preservers
Limited, whose officers are as follows:
Jas. E. Johnson, president;
Harold M. Jackson, vice-president; William G. Jackson,
secretary-treasurer; F. W. M. Ross, managing director; Harvey L.
Johnson, director.
Mr. Ross has been owner and
superintendent of the business for many years, during which time he
has made the name of St. Williams Preserves famous.
An exceptionally
large staff of employees are retained on the payroll throughout the
year, and even during the winter months at least 25 or 30 men find
employment there.
The business has increased by
leaps and bounds with the result that sufficient capital was not
available to enable the owner to buy in the raw product locally in
sufficient quantities at the most opportune time.
The new owners contemplate
investing considerable additional capital in the concern, in order
that they may secure practically all of the small fruit requirements
in Norfolk County.
This will be possible through
the enlarged cold storage capacity, by storing all the fruits in
season, and by manufacturing Norfolk products in jams and preserves
twelve months in the year instead of importing strawberries and red
raspberries, as is in vogue at the present time.
Business enterprises in Simcoe
now under the management of the above-named men are:
-- J. B. Jackson,
Ltd., dealers in butter, eggs and manufacturers of Norfolk ice cream;
-- Union Garage, doing the repair work for their own fleet of two-score
motor trucks and cars;
-- St. Williams Preservers Ltd., manufacturers of
Norfolk grown fruits;
-- Norfolk Fruit Growers' Association, growers and
shippers of Norfolk apples;
-- Norfolk Co-operative Co. Ltd., growers and
shippers of Norfolk small fruits and vegetables, and dealers in
farmers' supplies.
The combined weekly payroll of
the above-named organizations totals over $1,200.
[Balance
of article not transcribed]
