Latta Family Collection:Alex Latta Limited

Date: 1900's

After the death of his father, Alex Latta Sr. left the company and started his own business in 1949. He took on the distributorship of the Lincoln Electric Company, and sold welding supplies. He had already studied welding, and held Ticket #1 in the Alberta Welding Society, which he founded along with Jack Spanky. He was the first President of the Society. This took place about 1935.

About 1952, he took the dealership of Dominion Oxygen Company to round out his supplies to the welding trade. The company continued to flourish, and the opportunity arose to purchase a used oxygen manufacturing plant, which was surplus to the construction of the first Tar Sands Project at Fort McMurray. This gave Alex freedom from the dictatorial policies of D.O.C. (now Linde). Next, he had similar problems with Lincoln Electric Company, and discarded them in favor of Hobart Welding Equipment. The company was the main supplier of welding equipment and gases to Brown and Root, contractors for the construction of the Celanese Plant in Clover Bar. The company continued for a number of years until Alex Latta’s death from Hodgekins disease in 1969. Management was then taken over by his oldest son David. After a short period, Alex Latta Jr. and Douglas Latta bought their brother out and Douglas took over management, Alex Jr. having already left to start his own business.

After two or three years, the shareholders of Alex Latta Limited decided to accept an offer from Matheson of Canada, and sold out about 1972. They are still operating the business today, but have abandoned the welding supply division, and continue with specialty gases.

At one time, Alex Latta Limited was the only privately held business manufacturing industrial gases in Canada.

After selling the company, Douglas Latta stayed with the company for about a year to assist in the transfer of operations. He then went to work for our third company, Gambit Products Limited.