Jacob S. Kaufman
Inducted In
1972
Jacob S. Kaufman was born July 15, 1847 on a farm near New Hamburg, Ontario and died in Kitchener on April 20, 1920.
He started his career in the lumber industry in Gadshill. He married Mary Ratz in 1877 and moved to Berlin where the larger community offered more opportunity for this aggressive, pioneering manufacturer.
He built a mill for the manufacture of doors and window sash, and eventually incorporated this company as Jacob Kaufman Limited. In 1899 he encouraged George Schlee in the organizing of The Berlin Rubber Company and was heavily involved financially. In 1903 Jacob Kaufman was instrumental in the organization of the Merchants Rubber Company, assisted in this venture by the dynamic management of T.H. Rieder.
When Merchants Rubber was absorbed by the Canadian Consolidated Rubber Company in 1907, Jacob Kaufman established and built in 1908 the Kaufman Rubber Company which was ably directed by his son, Alvin R. Kaufman.
In addition to his intense activity in manufacturing, he was conscious of civic responsibilities, being a member of the Water Commission, a member of the Light Commission and the donor of a grant to the Twin Cities in 1920 to build the original nurses’ residence of the K-W Hospital.