More of on Hycroft Story .  .  .  .

Hycroft China was originally founded by Harry Yuill as Medicine Hat Potteries Ltd. in 1937. Built down the road from Medalta, Medicine Hat Potteries soon emerged as the older company’s main competitor. Its 100 workers were almost all former Medalta employees, attracted away by the modern working conditions and higher pay.

The factory complex built for the new company was equipped with the latest in modern technology and equipment. It featured what was then the largest tunnel kiln in Canada, measuring 70 feet in diameter. Many of the factory’s features were designed to improve the working environment such as: abundant windows and skylights providing maximum natural light; modern safety devices were included in the building’s design; loudspeakers placed throughout the plant broadcast radio programs and records at intervals during the day; and a soft drink cooler and water fountain were installed on the factory floor.

As technical advances continued in the ceramics field, Yuill re-invested in the plant to keep its production methods current. One of the company’s major acquisitions was a Miller’ Automatic Jigger Machine, acquired around 1947. This was an elaborate piece of equipment which single-handedly transformed soft clay into finished wares ready for glazing and firing. The machine was regarded as a mechanical wonder which offered manufacturers two big advantages: production speed, and labour reduction.

Increased production and reduced costs were part of Medicine Hat Potteries’ approach to efficiency. However, modern management methods were considered just as important as modern equipment. A handbook on company policies outlined the importance of treating employees well, and providing leadership and encouragement on the job. In addition to maintaining high efficiency standards, promoting economy and enforcing safety regulations, the foreman was instructed to build morale and be a good listener.

Medicine Hat Potteries then began by making dishes in direct competition to Medalta’s dinnerware lines. The new company produced lighter, more decorative wares, which proved more popular with customers than Medalta’s. Within months of opening in 1938, Medicine Hat Potteries had taken over Medalta’s distributors in Toronto and Québec. By 1939, they were shipping wares to Australia. Over the next 15 years, the company continued to produce stoneware and art ware lines in addition to the popular dinnerware.

Medicine Hat Potteries sold out in 1955, and was re-named Hycroft China by its new owners. Hycroft struggled to find a market niche in the face of stiff competition from Japanese and British manufacturers. Souvenirs and commemorative plates became a mainstay of Hycroft’s production from 1955 through the 1960s. In 1960, Hycroft began manufacturing toilets. The plant had changed hands again in 1956, this time to Harry Veiner, mayor of Medicine Hat. By completely re-directing the company’s production, Veiner managed to keep Hycroft in operation until 1989. Profits from "sanitary ware" funded the limited manufacture of dishes and souvenirs until about 1985.