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CINCINNATI GALVANIZING COMPANY

Founding & Expansion Cincinnati Galvanizing Company was incorporated in 1905 with an initial investment of $20,000. It was established by the five sons of J. M. Schott & Sons Cooperage: Chris, John Jr., George, Louis and William. The cooperage business was established in the early 1870’s and was a prosperous concern. However, after their father died in 1903, the sons decided to create a galvanizing company to improve their barrels with galvanized rims and diversify into making galvanized metal cans. It was originally located near the cooperage firm, which was at 2724 McMicken Avenue, and the J.M. Schott saloon. While still operating the cooperage business, the Schott brothers became concerned that this business would decline with the advent of Prohibition in 1919. Therefore, in 1920, with the success of the galvanizing business, they decided to create a large galvanizing plant in the Cincinnati Mill Creek Industrial District located at 4879 Spring Grove Avenue.

Products & Clients Standard products for Cincinnati Galvanizing Co. were galvanized 30 gallon metal trash cans, buckets, waste baskets and wash bins. But the firm was also involved with specialized products, such as the King Seamless Potato Ricer and canisters for hand operated fire extinguishers. In addition, by the mid 20th century the firm expanded their product lines to include decorative waste paper baskets, including those with images of Disney characters. Clients included local and regional firms as well as some national chains such as Sears. It also had various government and military customers, not only for their standard products, but also for specific contracts such as 50 gallon water barrels used in fallout shelters during the early Cold War period. The name of the company on products was usually abbreviated as Cin'ti. Galv. Co. When their mother died in 1931, the positions of the brothers operating the Cincinnati Galvanizing company were listed as follows: Christian Schott, President; William C. Schott, General Manager; George Schott, Secretary; and, Louis Schott, Treasurer. In 1937, possibly around the time the cooperage business was dissolved, the aforesaid officers of the galvanizing company also acquired the Bavarian Brewing Co. The brewery operated across the Ohio River from Cincinnati in Covington, KY, until 1965.

Sale of the Company and the Spring Grove Plant The Cincinnati Galvanizing Co. was sold in the mid-1960s to a diversified industrial company that produced Bell Helicopters, industrial staplers and automotive parts. That firm later became known as Textron, which has become a large publicly traded company. Today the Cincinnati Galvanizing plant is one of the regional facilities for Clean Harbors Inc. (also a public company) known as Spring Grove Resource Recovery Inc. The original galvanizing, cooperage and saloon structures no longer exist.