Clark & Demill was founded 1901 by W. C. Clark and W. E. Demill, and made woodworking machinery. Clark and Demill were former employees of other woodworking machinery makers in Galt.

In early 1905 it appears that Messrs. Clark and Demill sold the company to a group of Hespeler-based investors, who relocated the business to that town and reorganized the business as Clark-Demill Co., Ltd.

In early 1909 the Clark-Demill Co. had ceased operations and a new business, Hespeler Manufacturing Co., was established to take over its factory and operations.

It is possible that W. C. Clark of Clark & Demill was also involved in Clark Machinery of London, Ontario, since London and Hespeler are only 65 miles apart.

Advertisement from August 1906 Canadian Machinery

Do you have more information?

I am especially interested in woodworking machinery manufacturers from Ontario, and particularly Cambridge, so if you have any information on relevant woodworking machinery companies and products, I strongly urge you to contact Jeff Joslin.

Information Sources

• The historical information comes in part from City of Cambridge archivist Jim Quantrell
• February 1905 Canadian Machinery & Manufacturing News.

  Clark & Demill, Galt, are moving their machinery to their new factory at Hespeler.

• February 1905 Canadian Machinery & Manufacturing News.

  Dowel Machine
  A double dowel machine has been invented and designed by Clark & Demill, Galt, Ontario, recently. With it is supplied a detached countershaft, which may be place wherever desired, giving a long belt and making the machine much more powerful.

  Column—The column is of near design, with cored centre.

  Gearing—Cut gearing is used on this machine, which insures an even, smooth feed, and produces very smoothly-finished dowels.

  Rolls—The rolls for discharging material are grooved in a perfect circle and will not dent or deface the finished rods in the least.

  Feed—The feed consists of an 1½-inch belt from cone pulleys on the countershaft to cone pulleys on the counter-worm and worm wheel to rolls. Cut gearing connects top and bottom rolls.

  Capacity—A sleeve passes through the spindle to within ¼ inch of the heads. This machine is made in several sizes, turning to 1½-inch diameter, and larger sizes if ordered, allowing dowels to be made on this machine as short as 6 inches.

  With each machine is furnished two heads with cutters and grooved rolls and sleeves to match the heads. Machine weighs 1,100 pounds and is design to run at 800 r.p.m.

• March 1905 Canadian Machinery & Manufacturing News.

  Clark-Demill, Hespeler, share capital, $100,000; purpose to manufacture machinery and tools. The directors are: G. D. Forbes, Z. A. Hall, W. H. Weaver, A. Oches, J. R. Phin and C. M. Shultz, all of Hespeler.

• December 1905 Canadian Machinery & Manufacturing News.

  The Canada Tap & Die Company has purchased the Clark-Demill building in Galt and will commence as soon as possible the manufacture of taps, dies, screw-cutting tools and other machinery. The promoters are interested in similar industries in the United States.

• August 1906 Canadian Machinery.

  Addition to Plant of Clark & Demill
  The addition to the plant of Clark & Demill, Hespeler, Ont., has now been completed, and the new machinery installed. This firm manufactures all classes of wood-working machinery and this addition to their plant will greatly increase their facilities for handling their rapidly increasing business.

• February 1909 Canadian Machinery. "The plant of Clark-Demill Co., Hespeler, Ont., has been sold to the Hespeler Machinery Co., a new concern, of which George D. Forbes is president, and W. G. Chater secretary-treasurer and managing director."
• Thanks to Simon Schofield for reporting his Clark & Demill 20" jointer.