The Historical Society publishes a monthly column, Tales of our Town, in the local newspaper, The Strathroy Age Dispatch.
Local writers are invited to submit stories and ideas for future columns. Any story with local interest will be considered. All you need to provide is the five "W’s" and how—who is it about?, what happened? where, when, why and how did it take place? Contact email talesofourtown@gmail.com with subject line Tales of Our Town idea.
Local writers are invited to submit stories and ideas for future columns. Any story with local interest will be considered. All you need to provide is the five "W’s" and how—who is it about?, what happened? where, when, why and how did it take place? Contact email talesofourtown@gmail.com with subject line Tales of Our Town idea.
Newest Tales of Our Town Article
Vampco’s legacy by Bill Groot
The name Vampco has passed into history now. But for about 36 years it was a major employer in Strathroy, leaving behind architectural gems in many provincial capitals and Canadian cities. Former employees remember the names of the buildings they worked on and are proud to have played a part in the construction of such beautiful and significant cityscapes that still stand decades after they were built. They may even have visited the buildings while on vacation.
In May 1956, Valley Metal Products Ltd. of Plainwell, Michigan opened their newly- completed Vampco plant on Albert Street. The company produced aluminum window frames and copper fittings for the refrigeration trade. An agreement was negotiated with the Fabrication Division of Canadian Pittsburg Industries, a Toronto company, to install Vampco’s aluminum products. Along with its standard series of products, Vampco had the expertise to design and manufacture special projects. Their first big job was to supply windows for Ottawa City Hall.
On March 17, 1960, the Age Dispatch ran the headline, “Vampco Gets $1,000,000 Contract.” The company had won the bid to tsupply aluminum “curtainwall” for Place Ville Marie, a 47-storey cruciform-shaped office tower in the heart of Montreal. It was one of the first buildings to use curtainwall as the outside skin of a building. Each window frame was connected to the one beside it and to those above and below it. Today this remarkable building stands out clearly on the Montreal skyline and often appears in flyers, postcards and advertisements.
Vampco soon employed over 110 people and became a major player in the architectural landscape. Former employees Maynard Smid and John Grogan recall other successful projects: Chateau Champlain, Place Bonaventure and Place Victoria in Montreal; the Toronto Dominion Centre; the Bentall Centre in Vancouver; and Habitat 67, built for Expo 67. This latter complex is still known as “Montreal's architectural icon”.
In 1967, Canadian Pittsburgh Industries purchased Vampco’s plant and its aluminum assets from parent company, Mueller Brass Ltd. The copper fixture business was relocated to become Streamline Copper and Brass on Ellor Street, Strathroy. Vampco became known as CPI Vampco.
I was hired in 1974 to work on CPI Vampco’s latest contract, the 13,000-window curtainwall for the Royal Bank Plaza in the financial district of Toronto. It was my first job as a mechanical drafting technician. This gold-mirrored building is beside the Royal York Hotel and across from Union Station. The Bank had two towers, one 42 floors, the other 27, joined by a 13-storey open space called the “Urban Room”. The towers were triangular in shape, with each window joining the next at a 90-degree angle.
Using layout drawings, I learned how to do a “material take-off”. I made lists of all the aluminum extrusions with their ideal order length, as well as panels, insulation, screws and gaskets. Once the material was ordered, I drew up “shop tickets” for each part, detailing all machining and location information. Ray Wilton, Lee Bowman and Brian Hartung were part of my team.
Because Toronto was nearby, frames were assembled in-house. They were shipped to a warehouse in Toronto, where double-pane glass was installed before they were lifted on skids to the appropriate floor. The project took two years to complete.
I worked on other CPI Vampco contracts in the next few years: Colonia Place, and parts of the Eaton Centre and Roy Thompson Hall, all in Toronto; Central Towers in Winnipeg; and buildings in Vancouver and La Ronge, Saskatchewan. In 1979 I left the company to pursue further education.
Three employees in particular helped my career: Adriaan Beckmann, design engineer, who recognized my potential while I was attending college; John Vander Velden, production manager, who agreed and called me in for an interview; and Ray Wilton, engineering, who hired me and shared his extensive knowledge of the aluminum fabrication industry.
In 1989 CPI Vampco was sold, then relocated to London in 1991. The Albert Street building became the home of Columbia Sportswear and later London Tire Sales Ltd. Just a piece of Strathroy history that shouldn’t be forgotten.
The name Vampco has passed into history now. But for about 36 years it was a major employer in Strathroy, leaving behind architectural gems in many provincial capitals and Canadian cities. Former employees remember the names of the buildings they worked on and are proud to have played a part in the construction of such beautiful and significant cityscapes that still stand decades after they were built. They may even have visited the buildings while on vacation.
In May 1956, Valley Metal Products Ltd. of Plainwell, Michigan opened their newly- completed Vampco plant on Albert Street. The company produced aluminum window frames and copper fittings for the refrigeration trade. An agreement was negotiated with the Fabrication Division of Canadian Pittsburg Industries, a Toronto company, to install Vampco’s aluminum products. Along with its standard series of products, Vampco had the expertise to design and manufacture special projects. Their first big job was to supply windows for Ottawa City Hall.
On March 17, 1960, the Age Dispatch ran the headline, “Vampco Gets $1,000,000 Contract.” The company had won the bid to tsupply aluminum “curtainwall” for Place Ville Marie, a 47-storey cruciform-shaped office tower in the heart of Montreal. It was one of the first buildings to use curtainwall as the outside skin of a building. Each window frame was connected to the one beside it and to those above and below it. Today this remarkable building stands out clearly on the Montreal skyline and often appears in flyers, postcards and advertisements.
Vampco soon employed over 110 people and became a major player in the architectural landscape. Former employees Maynard Smid and John Grogan recall other successful projects: Chateau Champlain, Place Bonaventure and Place Victoria in Montreal; the Toronto Dominion Centre; the Bentall Centre in Vancouver; and Habitat 67, built for Expo 67. This latter complex is still known as “Montreal's architectural icon”.
In 1967, Canadian Pittsburgh Industries purchased Vampco’s plant and its aluminum assets from parent company, Mueller Brass Ltd. The copper fixture business was relocated to become Streamline Copper and Brass on Ellor Street, Strathroy. Vampco became known as CPI Vampco.
I was hired in 1974 to work on CPI Vampco’s latest contract, the 13,000-window curtainwall for the Royal Bank Plaza in the financial district of Toronto. It was my first job as a mechanical drafting technician. This gold-mirrored building is beside the Royal York Hotel and across from Union Station. The Bank had two towers, one 42 floors, the other 27, joined by a 13-storey open space called the “Urban Room”. The towers were triangular in shape, with each window joining the next at a 90-degree angle.
Using layout drawings, I learned how to do a “material take-off”. I made lists of all the aluminum extrusions with their ideal order length, as well as panels, insulation, screws and gaskets. Once the material was ordered, I drew up “shop tickets” for each part, detailing all machining and location information. Ray Wilton, Lee Bowman and Brian Hartung were part of my team.
Because Toronto was nearby, frames were assembled in-house. They were shipped to a warehouse in Toronto, where double-pane glass was installed before they were lifted on skids to the appropriate floor. The project took two years to complete.
I worked on other CPI Vampco contracts in the next few years: Colonia Place, and parts of the Eaton Centre and Roy Thompson Hall, all in Toronto; Central Towers in Winnipeg; and buildings in Vancouver and La Ronge, Saskatchewan. In 1979 I left the company to pursue further education.
Three employees in particular helped my career: Adriaan Beckmann, design engineer, who recognized my potential while I was attending college; John Vander Velden, production manager, who agreed and called me in for an interview; and Ray Wilton, engineering, who hired me and shared his extensive knowledge of the aluminum fabrication industry.
In 1989 CPI Vampco was sold, then relocated to London in 1991. The Albert Street building became the home of Columbia Sportswear and later London Tire Sales Ltd. Just a piece of Strathroy history that shouldn’t be forgotten.
