Harry C. Hatch
| Harry C. Hatch | |
|---|---|
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| Born | April 12, 1884 Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 1946 Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Businessman: Distillery & winery owner Racehorse owner/breeder |
Harold Clifford "Harry" Hatch (1884–1946) was a self-made millionaire industrialist from Prince Edward County, Ontario specializing in the business of wine and spirits.
Hatch started out with a small liquor store in Whitby, Ontario and prospered to the point where he was able to purchase the controlling interest of Gooderham & Worts Ltd. in 1923. Four years later, Hatch acquired Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd. based in Walkerville, Ontario, and in 1927 merged the two companies under the parent company of Hiram Walker-Gooderharn & Worts Limited. The company was one of a number of Canadian distillers who prospered by shipping their products into the United States during the Prohibition era from 1920 to 1933.
In 1935, Harry Hatch oversaw Hiram Walker's acquisition of a 51% controlling interest in the H. Corby Distillery Limited. The following year he expanded the company's operation with the acquisition of George Ballantine & Son Ltd. of Glasgow, Scotland.
Hiram Walker is best known for marketing top-selling brands such as Canadian Club whisky and Ballantine's Scotch Whisky.
Hatch was also known for playing a significant role in the pioneering of the Canadian wine industry, most notably in the Niagara Peninsula of Southern Ontario, where Hatch became majority owner of T.G. Bright & Co. Limited in 1933. At that time Canadian wineries typically made only ports and sherries, but Hatch pursued the development of a dry table wine and invested company resources into experimenting with different grape varieties not traditionally found in Niagara.
In 1927, Harry Hatch bought J.K.L. Ross's stable in Agincourt, Ontario and a year later bought Sweepster from Harry F. Sinclair's Rancocas Stable in Jobstown, New Jersey. Sweepster became one of the most successful sires in Canada, siring King's Plate winners Monsweep and Goldlure. Harry Hatch became one of the dominant owners and breeders of Thoroughbreds in Canada during the 1930s and 1940s. Among his many racing successes, in addition to Monsweep and Goldlure, he owned and bred three other King's Plate winners: Budpath, Acara, and Uttermost and owned three winners of the Canadian Derby.
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