The history of Volta Manufacturing
From foundation to modern days, Volta Manufacturing Co. and its former facilities found success through the reputation garnered over its years of service.
The company’s foundation lay with John Young, one of the early pioneers and founders of the ferroalloy industry in Welland. A longtime Welland resident of Fitch Street, he was born in 1882 in Hawick, Scotland, to John and Mina Smith Young.
At age 18 he undertook a five-year apprenticeship as a mechanical engineer and later attended West of Scotland University of Glasgow, where he studied electrical engineering.
For the next several years, he worked in this field in his native country, until he was called to Canada circa 1907 together with Robert Turnbull, a well-known metallurgical engineer, to help establish the Electro Metals Ltd. company in Welland. Together they used their experience dealing with electric furnaces when low-cost power encouraged industrial entrepreneurs to choose Welland as a site for electric furnace operations.
In 1909, Young married Jemima B. Somerville of the Somerville family, and by 1914, when he left Electro Metals to develop his own company with Turnbull — Volta Manufacturing — he was a permanent resident of Canada.
The Volta plant was built at 120 Burgar St. on the southeast side of the Burgar and Welland streets intersection, about the same year as the company was founded.
Specializing in electric arc furnaces, regulators and other related equipment and being one of the first companies in Canada to provide them, Volta Manufacturing’s line soon expanded to include winches, capstans, current transformers and water heaters.
Besides being the company owner and general manager, Young travelled widely in a consulting capacity, and for furnace installations.
Aside from being involved in Welland’s industrial development, Young was interested in contributing to the city’s community, much like other prominent entrepreneurs. He campaigned for the establishment of Welland County General Hospital, and later became involved with education, introducing vocational training facilities to Welland High and Vocational School. He served as chairman of the industrial advisory board for the board of education, and chairman of the high school board.
Despite being an associate early on, Turnbull did not stay with Volta. Later on, Young was joined by W.K. Leach, who subsequently bought and managed the company after Young’s retirement.
In 1930, the company plant and office would shift to the end of Alexander Street, where it would remain.
The company that would buy Volta in 1955, Whiting Equipment, was founded as a small metallurgical company in 1884 in Harvey, Ill., and later gained its reputation as a prominent designer and manufacturer of foundry and heavy industrial equipment. It came onto the Canadian industrial scene in 1930, when it opened its office in Toronto as a subsidiary of Whiting Corp. Whiting subsequently announced plans to consolidate all of its Canadian production in Welland.
Today’s historical photo shows the staff and facilities of the joint Volta/Whiting plant as it was in 1956, just a year after the deal.
The Whiting Equipment Co. plant as it is known today remains as busy and prosperous as its 1956 and 1914 predecessors, and its modern facility a dominating feature of Alexander Street.
This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the words listed in the diagram. They run in all directions forward, backward, up, down and diagonally.
Amber
Bergamot
Cedar
Cinnamon
Clove
Eucalyptus
Ginger
Jasmine
Lavender
Myrrh
Nag champa
Patchouli Sandalwood
Vanilla
White sage