Established in 1889 in Port Credit, Ontario, by John Gray, St. Lawrence Starch was a private, family owned corn wet milling company that became one of the leading Canadian manufacturers of corn-based starch, glucose and feed products.
In turn, these products were used in the pulp and paper, textile,
alcohol, grocery/food products and pharmaceutical industries,
among others. St. Lawrence Starch products included the well-known
Bee Hive Golden Corn Syrup, Durham Starch and St. Lawrence Corn
Oil, which were sold across Canada and also in Europe and Japan.
It also later produced ethanol and conducted research into the
development of a corn-based biodegradable plastic.
The company was a key sponsor of Canadian sports. It was also a major employer and benefactor in Port Credit (now part of Mississauga), Ontario, from the early twentieth century up until the plant closing in 1990. The company ceased domestic production at that time but still exists as an import-export firm specializing in corn products. It continues to be owned and operated by the Gray family.
The company donated virtually all of its corporate archives to
the Archives of Ontario, from the earliest days until the 1990s,
in several accruals between April 2001 and June 2003. St. Lawrence
Starch has also provided financial support to assist with the
processing, description and preservation of the records. The full
descriptions and listings will be accessible through the Archives
Descriptive Database sometime in 2004. |
