Thomas Kay and Co.

THOMAS KAY & Co., Wrights, Builders, Packing-case Makers, & Manufacturing Tinsmiths. Wright Works: 14, Hopetoun Place; Packing-case & Tin Works: 21, Cathedral Street, Glasgow.

    Amongst the numerous large and important industrial undertakings which form such a prominent feature of Glasgow’s commercial supremacy, the old-established business of Messrs. Thomas Kay and Co., Wrights, Builders, Packing-case and Manufacturing Tinsmiths, certainly holds a pre-eminent position, fully meriting special distinction in these records of the successful enterprises of the City.

    The business was originally established as far back as 1817 by Mr. Matthew Reid, who continued the trade down to 1847, when it was acquired by Messrs. McCraw and Kay, who were succeeded in the control by the present sole proprietor, Mr. Thomas Kay, nephew of the late Mr. Thos. Kay, trading under the style indicated above. The business premises were formerly located at North Hanover Street, from whence they were removed — in consequence of the site being required by the Underground Railway — the wright and building department to Hopetoun Place and the packing-case manufactory to Cathedral Street.

    The Hopetoun Place establishment comprises extensive accommodation, including spacious builders’ yard, with large joinery works, fitted throughout with improved plant and machinery of modern type for facilitating the execution of the contracts and orders in hand ; and here is held the large stock of timber and other materials used in the trade.

    The Cathedral Street Works are devoted to the manufacture of tin and wood cases for shipping goods, including also tins for preserves, confections, tea, coffee, biscuits, paints, &c., and are replete with all the necessary appliances for this department of the business. The Works employ a total number of hands exceeding 200 in all departments and present at all times a scene of busy industrial activity.

    The building operations of the firm include the execution of important contracts for the erection of public and private edifices, one of the latest being the Citizens’ Building, which, we may safely add, is about the finest building in the City in which Messrs. Kay have been successful in obtaining numerous orders of the most extensive character.

    The business is admirably organised in each department under the skilful management of the principal and an efficient staff, the perfection of order and system prevailing throughout the Works, which are conducted with that clockwork regularity so essential to the successful administration of an undertaking of this magnitude. In addition to the duties devolving upon him in the direction of this business, Mr. Kay finds leisure for conducting the valuation, assessment, and appraisement of fire losses, in which his wide experience, sound judgment, and strict impartiality render his professional services invaluable, and in which he enjoys a rapidly increasing practice. The Works are placed in telephonic communication in connection with the National Telephone Exchange (No. 514), and the workshops are connected by a private wire. The telegraphic address of the firm is “Hopetoun, Glasgow”.

    In concluding this brief notice we may add that the firm have been successful in gaining the esteem of a numerous business clientele throughout the district, and that the skill and care displayed by them are held in estimation by the leading authorities in the City — sufficiently indicated by the fact that for the past five-and-twenty years they have been entrusted with the important duty of collecting and hanging the valuable works of art at most of the fine art exhibitions in Glasgow during that period, and were selected to perform this work by the Executive Council of the Fine Art Sections of the recent International Exhibition of Glasgow ; also the recent East End Exhibition.

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