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IMICO - The History
The International
Malleable Iron Company opened its foundry on Beverley Street in 1912. The
Guelph plant was a branch operation with its affiliate, the Illinois
Malleable Iron Co, located in Chicago. IMICO was owned by the Carver
family, who were originally from England, and for 75 years it remained in their
possession.
IMICO
specialized in producing malleable and cast iron pipe fittings, including
such items as "Tees, Elbows, Couplings, Plugs, Bushing and Unions . .
. and all sizes of and kinds of Flanges and Flanged fittings."
Products were shipped all over Canada, and throughout the British
Commonwealth. During the earlier years, IMICO also produced for the local
market by doing jobbing work from customer supplied patterns. Usually,
these castings were produced for the agricultural and transportation
industries.
The
industrial site initially occupied 10 acres, and included a foundry and a
machine shop. The foundry had two furnaces for melting air-refined
malleable iron, as well as a cupola for grey iron. Capacity was 2,500 tons
of malleable iron fittings, and 1,500 tons of grey iron fittings annually.
By 1927, the industry occupied 13 acres, employed 450 hands, and produced
6,000 tons of cast iron fittings and 3,000 tons of grey iron fittings per
year. During its peak years in the 1950’s, IMICO employed more
than 575 people.
The foundry shut down in 1989 owing the city more than
$1million in unpaid property taxes, hydro payments and worker’s
compensation premiums, plus a debt to the Bank of Montreal for another
$1million. IMICO also failed
to clean the site of extensive pollution, preferring to leave the costs to
community members.
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