Brantford's Varnish Industry Pioneer
Scarfe & Company was a cornerstone of Brantford’s industrial district and helped to strengthen the city’s manufacturing capabilities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A company built on creativity and superiority, it produced high-quality varnishes, shellacs and oil finishes that became very popular across Canada. The history of Scarfe & Company began in 1877, when William J. Scarfe bought an interest in a varnish firm in Windsor, Ontario. Scarfe relocated the firm to Brantford the following year, originally opening up on Victoria Street. Brantford’s strategic location as a transportation hub and its direct access to distribution facilities was the motivation behind the firm’s relocation. The firm, formerly called Whiting & Co., was later renamed Whiting, Scarfe & Co. in Scarfe’s honour. The company expanded steadily under his leadership, making fine varnishes and finishes that became known for durability and quality.
Scarfe & Co. had outgrown the original location by 1885 and occupied a larger store on Greenwich Street. The new site included upgraded machinery and procedures that maximized the volume of production at the highest quality level. The business’s range of products grew to include architectural varnishes, japans, and finishes for agricultural tools, wagons, and railway carriages. Its varnishes became a cornerstone of Canadian commerce, and it practically monopolized the agricultural and wagon varnish market. Scarfe & Company’s manufacturing process showcased industrial innovation. Turpentines and oils were brought to England in huge tank cars with some holding up to 8,000 gallons. Such raw materials were heated up in portable copper and steel kettles equipped with chimneys to keep fires at bay. The varnishes, once filtered, were bottled up for 18 months to guarantee their best quality before being sold.
William J. Scarfe’s influence went beyond the plant as he became mayor of Brantford in 1884 and 1885, and demonstrated both public service and his mind for business. He stepped down as mayor in October 1885 to become the Sheriff of Brant County, serving until his untimely death in April 1891. In 1898, his sons Reginald and Gordon Scarfe took over, boosting the firm into unprecedented fortune. Through their influence, Scarfe & Company pioneered innovations and conquered new markets, such as the car and coach varnish market. Their strategic leadership ensured that the company would continue to deliver high-quality products for a large range of applications.
With growth, the business adapted to different times and ownership structures. The company was bought in the 1960s by Rished Mason of Canada Ltd, who operated the Greenwich Street plant until 1977. That year, the firm moved into a new building at 10 Craig Street as part of a continued effort to be efficient and up-to-date. Inmont Canada renamed itself BASF Inmont Canada in the mid-1980s. Despite these efforts, the plant shut in December 1996, ending Scarfe & Company’s longtime home in Brantford. The reason for the closure was the facility’s failure to meet productivity expectations in a competitive market. Scarfe & Company closed its doors in 1896, but its name remains etched in Brantford’s industrial past. The company was a fine example of how regional enterprises could use innovation, leadership and quality to reach national heights. Not only did Scarfe & Company cement Brantford’s standing as a manufacturing centre, but it also helped to define the industrial province of Canada.
References
https://history-api.brantfordlibrary.ca/Document/View/c35a2046-4306-441e-ab2f-3fade46ce2f3
Brantford Expositor. (1909, October). Greater Brantford Number. Brantford, Ontario. Public Domain.
Warner, Beers, & Co. (1883). The history of the County of Brant, Ontario (p. 297) [PDF]. Warner, Beers, & Co.