Canadian-based Clock Manufacturing Business: Snider Clock Company
The Snider Clock Company, a home-grown Canadian brand, played a significant role in the nation's clock manufacturing industry from 1950 to 1976.
Origins and Founding
Founded around 1950, the Snider Clock Company specialized in manufacturing clocks, targeting both domestic and commercial markets. With a few other Canadian clock manufacturers, it contributed to the nation's manufacturing industry in a niche segment dominated by larger American and European companies.
Growth and Development (1950s - 1960s)
During the 1950s and 1960s, the Snider Clock Company grew and diversified its product line, producing a variety of clocks, including wall clocks, mantel clocks, and possibly alarm clocks or commercial clock systems. Their designs often reflected mid-century aesthetics, blending functionality with modern styling typical of the post-war era.
The company served not just Canadian customers but also penetrated some neighboring markets. They employed both traditional clockmaking techniques along with emerging methods to improve productivity and product reliability.
Challenges and Competition
By the 1960s and early 1970s, the clock industry faced mounting challenges. The advent of quartz clock technology, mainly led by Japanese manufacturers, revolutionized timekeeping with cheaper, more accurate clocks. This technology shift made traditional mechanical clock manufacturing less competitive worldwide.
Increasing imports from lower-cost producers, particularly from Asia, pressured local manufacturers like Snider Clock. Consumer preferences shifted towards electronic clocks and watches, reducing demand for traditional clocks.
Decline and Closure
In the mid-1970s, Snider Clock Company struggled to compete against electronic and quartz clock producers. Around 1976, the company ceased operations due to the inability to keep up with new technology, rising production costs, and intense international competition.
Legacy
Snider Clock remains a notable part of Canadian clock manufacturing history. Collectors and enthusiasts value Snider clocks for their craftsmanship and as examples of mid-20th-century Canadian manufacturing. The company represents a chapter in Canada's industrial past, illustrating the challenges faced by local manufacturers during periods of technological disruption.
For those interested in more specific details such as product catalogs, founders' biographies, or factory locations, those might be found in Canadian industrial archives or local historical societies specializing in manufacturing history.
In its peak years, the company made 50,000 clocks, had 20 employees, and used mainly Canadian components. In 1960, the Snider Clock company focused on wall clocks, which were in high demand due to the Sputnik satellite, space adventure, and the "Atomic age".
The Canadian Clock Museum, located in Deep River, Ontario, focuses on Canadian clocks or clocks with a Canadian connection. A Snider Starburst clock was discovered in a boutique hotel in downtown Quebec City during a 2016 summer travel. The Snider Clock Company is a must-see for clock fans and museum lovers.
- The Snider Clock Company, known for its manufacturing of wall clocks, mantel clocks, and other clock varieties during the 1950s and 1960s, represented a significant part of the fashion-and-beauty and home-and-garden lifestyle trends of the post-war era.
- The legacy of Snider Clock is celebrated today, with vintage clocks being highly sought after by collectors, reflecting an appreciation for the company's contribution to the nation's manufacturing past.
- Despite the advancements in technology and the global shift towards electronic timekeeping, the Snider Clock Company continued to innovate, even incorporating elements of technology into its clock designs, such as the wall clocks of the 1960s that were inspired by the Sputnik satellite and the Atomic age.
