History
- The John B. Stetson Company was established in Philadelphia in 1865. Stetson acquired a controlling interest in the Wolthausen Hat Corp. in 1930 and took over the Brockville factory in 1935 so they could avoid high Canadian tariffs by manufacturing their hats for the Canadian market in Canada. The Brockville Stetson factory was the first established outside of Philadelphia, but plants in Mexico and Australia soon followed.
The Brockville Stetson plant made a variety of hats, particularly fine dress hats under their "Sovereign" and "Royal Stetson" lines, as well as youthfully-styled hats for their "Playboy" line. Brockville’s Stetson plant also exclusively produced the hats for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Hats manufactured in Brockville were shipped all over Canada and the United States. The production of high-quality hat boxes was also associated with the Stetson name.
The John B. Stetson Company plant closed May 21st, 1970, ending an almost 70 year hat making history in Brockville. At the time of its closure, the plant employed 158 workers. The major reason for the plant’s closure was a decline in demand, with local business falling off by 50% in the 15 years preceding the closure. Plant president, Alex Higginson, explained at the time, "It is no mystery why we are closing the plant, just take a walk down the street and you'll see the answer: most people just aren’t wearing hats anymore".
|
