K-D Manufacturing - History

 

K-D Manufacturing was located cheek-by-jowl along Montreal Street just north of Railway Street. (That house is 13 feet south of K-D's property line.) Producing picture frames and other wood and decorative products on the site for over 70 years, its sprawling, rambling operation was a fixture in that part of the city. This 1984 satellite view shows (R)ailway Street, (M)ontreal Street and (Q)uattrocchi's with K-D's multiple long Quonset hut manufacturing buildings, with the 'M'  just in front of the office pictured in the top photo:

1937 city directory ad (above).

1921 Whig article and ad, published one year after the founding of the factory by Howard Kelly and a Mr Driver, the latter leaving the business shortly thereafter.

The plant site was a frequent fire-call destination, often due to sawdust piles and kids playing with matches! A major fire made the Ottawa Citizen on December 19, 1945:

Two aerial views of the K-D Property:

Lumber piles around the K-D buildings in 1948 (above - Queen's University Archives, George Lilley Aerial Photographs V25.6-9-23). 

This April 21, 1951 view interestingly shows the old (crossing centre) and new (left) CP alignments. (Below - Queen's University Archives, George Lilley Aerial Photographs V25.6-5-30):

High employment at the plant was 100 workers. 1955 Whig ad and article:

A shop floor worker in 1983 could expect to make $7.55 hourly. The average length of service for the 60 workers was 20 years. More than two million frames were produced at the plant yearly. Howard Kelly, grandson of one of the company's founders, served as Vice-President for 15 years becoming President in late-1988 when his father, President W.A. Kelly entered semi-retirement.

In 1989, the plant's potential move to Watertown was made public. A Watertown want ad for a shop foreman didn't help! The new 50,000 sq,ft., $2.4 million plant was aided by a New York regional economic development loan of $400,000. Neither plant manager Peter Schmitt nor President Howard Kelly would comment on the future of the Kingston plant. The new plant would employ 25, the Kingston plant employment was dropping steadily from 50 toward 25.

Howard Kelly was the third-generation owner of the operation, living in Watertown at the time. The last 20 Kingston employees were laid off as production wound down in June-July1990, the plant closed due to lack of profitability and outdated 1940's equipment. Free-trade and cheaper non-union labout definitely contributed. A contract had just been signed between the plant's union, the Carpenters and Joiners of America and management.

A 1997 fire ripped through the 60,000 square feet of manufacturing space.