The world-famous
Wrigley chewing gum
company built this
imposing factory
in 1915.
The world-famous
Wrigley chewing gum
company built this imposing
factory in 1915.
The world-famous Wrigley chewing gum company built this imposing factory in 1915.
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.
Location:
245 Carlaw Ave.
Year:
1915
Architect:
Prack & Perrine
Made:
Chewing gum
Left: Wrigley factory, 1952.
Wrigley
Right: Wrigley Building, June 2018.
Image by Herman Custodio
Architects Prack & Perrine styled it after the main Wrigley plant in Chicago, and for a time this was the tallest factory in the neighbourhood.
Fast Fact
Wrigley factory, Chicago, 1915
The Central Manufacturing District, 1915
A unique legacy
Wrigley’s historic Chicago factory was partially demolished in 2013, leaving Toronto with a unique piece of North American industrial architecture.
Wrigley factory, Chicago, 1915
The Central Manufacturing District, 1915
Workers made Wrigley’s famous
Doublemint, Spearmint, and
Juicy Fruit chewing
gum here.
The raw materials — chicle, sugar, and essential oils — were processed into sheets of gum, packaged, and shipped across Canada by rail.
In 1915, Wrigley extensively documented the manufacturing process using an exciting new technology — moving pictures.
Inside the Wrigley factory, 1915
Wrigley
The factory was technologically advanced to meet the demand of chewing gum manufacturing. The building had to be kept cold at all times to stop the gum becoming too sticky during manufacturing.
Inside the Wrigley factory, 1915
Wrigley
Living Memory
“There was one woman
[who worked on the gum-making
machines] … even before you
expected to see a woman
in that role.”
Denise White
who had a summer job at Wrigley
in the early 1960s and whose family
also worked at the factory.
Fast Fact
Turner Mushroom System, A. A. Barthelmes factory, April 1909.
Construction journal
Turner Mushroom System
The Wrigley and Palmolive factories were built using the popular Turner Mushroom System, which maximized interior space by eliminating the need for horizontal supporting beams. The floors were held up by reinforced concrete columns that flared at the top like mushrooms. One of the first buildings to use this system in Canada, 349 Carlaw was built on this street in 1909 by Toronto engineers Clarke and Monds.
Turner Mushroom System, A. A. Barthelmes factory, April 1909.
Construction journal
Living Memory
“The day they made Doublemint
and Spearmint it would clear your
sinuses. There was sugar in the air …
I only worked there three summers
and I got cavities at my gum line.”
Denise White
Wrigley was
famous for its
creative
marketing
techniques.
The founder of the company, William
Wrigley, owned the Chicago Cubs and
the baseball team’s stadium is still
known as Wrigley Field.
In Toronto, the company sponsored sporting events and raised its profile between the wars with neon signs located around the city.
Wrigley’s neon advertising
sign, Bloor and Yonge St., circa 1936
City of Toronto Archives
Wrigley’s neon advertising sign, Bloor and Yonge St., circa 1936
City of Toronto Archives
Wrigley’s marketing
skill was so strong that
even a major setback
could be turned into
an opportunity.
Wrigley’s marketing skill was so strong that even a major setback could be turned into an opportunity.
Due to shortages of natural ingredients late in the Second World War, Wrigley stopped selling its most popular products in North America and sent them to soldiers instead. The company developed the “plain and honest” replacement gum, Orbit, for people at home using available materials.
Streetcar advertisement for Wrigley’s Orbit gum, Second World War
Wrigley
This move created brand loyalty because it gave people a way to support the troops.
Wrigley’s “Remember This Wrapper” advertising campaign urged customers not to forget their favourite Wrigley products while they were absent from shelves.
Second World War “Remember This Wrapper” streetcar advertisements.
Wrigley
Employees in the Carlaw factories had a wide range of skills and were not all manual labourers.
Products were often designed and made in the same building. The plants also employed engineers, accountants, creatives, and management staff.
Wrigley moved to a new factory in the Don Mills suburb of Toronto in 1962. The new facility was home to a state-of-the-art production line that made chewing gum for sale in North America and beyond.
In 2016, Wrigley stopped making gum in Canada. Wrigley is now part of Mars Wrigley, a leading confectionery company in Canada.
Check
it out ...
Spot the difference
Although the two wings of the Wrigley building appear to match, they were built several years apart and are now under separate ownership.
Read the plaque
The plaque is located in front of the building.
WM. WRIGLEY JR. CO. FACTORY
1915 (with additions)
The Wrigley chewing gum company opened this five-storey factory in 1915. Designed by the architecture firm Prack & Perrine, the building was styled after Wrigley’s main plant in Chicago, Illinois. A freight track at the rear aided shipping and receiving, and the factory had its own fire hall on nearby Boston Avenue (now a private home). Wrigley made its successful Doublemint, Spearmint, and Juicy Fruit products here for sale in Canada. Technological advances allowed the company to package its gum in airtight wax papers that prevented it drying out and losing its flavour. Wrigley soon added a northern wing to the factory, doubling its size and creating space for lease. Known for its innovative marketing techniques, Wrigley boosted its profile between the wars with neon signs located around Toronto. Amid shortages late in the Second World War, the company stopped selling its most popular products at home and sent them to soldiers instead, creating brand loyalty. Wrigley moved to Don Mills in 1962.
Ready to hit the next stop?
Continue north on the west side of Carlaw Ave. The next stop isn’t far! Keep your eyes peeled for a small plaque about Crown Cork and Seal Co. located at 326 Carlaw Ave. This is your next stop.
Full steam
ahead!
