Jones Industries Ltd.

In 1887, Sidney Jones started up a business in Toronto selling barber supplies under the name Jones Bros. Company.  The business expanded to include showcases to display hair oils, shaving lotions, etc.  In 1904, the manufacturing operations moved to Head Street in Dundas, which had previously housed Crossland & Brown’s Woollen Mill, Littler & Maw’s machine shop, and Thomas Mealey’s Stair Pad and Mattress Works.  Jones continued to produce fancy and elaborate display cases.  During the First World War, the company made boxes for ammunition and other war goods.  In 1920, Jones formed the Dundas Plate Glass Company to supply glass for plate glass windows which were becoming popular for barber shops.  Business expanded to the manufacture of counters and displays for goods in department stores such as Kresge’s, Metropolitan, Zeller’s and Woolworth’s.  Soon they were receiving orders from major stores such as Eaton’s, Morgan’s and The Hudson’s Bay Company.  In 1929, just as the economy collapsed, the plant was enlarged and the head office was moved to Dundas as well.  However, the company was able to weather the storm, adding wall paneling and booths for ice cream parlours to their business.  The Second World War brought additional business, making auxiliary fuel tanks for airplanes and landing barges.  After the death of Sidney Jones in 1945, the Company was re-organized under the name Jones Industries Limited.  The business continued for another ten years, switching their operations to the importation, packaging and distribution of beauty products.  Including the plate glass factory, in 1954 Jones Industries were employing 100 workers.  Two years later, in 1956, the company closed down and the factory contents were sold.