The early years of the 1900s were a period of prosperity for Canada as the railways continued to expand and businessmen took advantage of the country’s abundant natural resources1. Doerr was a part of this overall growth. The company was incorporated in 1919 and underwent a large factory expansion, updating their equipment to take advantage of new manufacturing technologies on the market. With transportation and packaging technologies improving, companies could expect to reach a larger area of consumers.
Machine for biscuit cooling, conveying, and packaging. Transcript available.
Manufacturers operating during this period benefited from increased access to markets, technologies and materials. Costs of production were being reduced and efficiencies were generally increasing during this period.
Portrait of Carl Doerr (later Dare).
In 1933, shortly after Carl Doerr began working for the company, he personally collected recipes for Doerr products from the company bakers. Previously, bakers created and kept their own recipes and formulas that would be passed on to an apprentice and serve as job security for the craftsmen. However, as the company grew and looked for more structure in their organization, product quality and consistency became integral to their business strategy. Doerr was part of a larger trend where Canadian business had to seek innovative and new solutions to handle larger numbers of employees and increased production and distribution.
1 Taylor, Graham D., 1944-. The Rise of Canadian Business. Don Mills,
Ont.: Oxford University Press, 2009.
