WADE Drains Canada

Wade finished his apprenticeship and became an accredited master plumber. Many of Chicago's early skyscrapers were Wade jobs, and a few still stand today. Some of his jobs were destroyed in the great Chicago fire of 1871, but he helped both as a maker and installer of drainage materials in the subsequent years of re-building. Wade & Sons became one of the largest contracting firms in the Chicago a

rea, and Wade himself helped write the city's first plumbing code. With projects in both residential and commercial areas, Wade was an industry leader at a relatively early age. In 1884, he served as an officer of the NAMP (National Association of Master Plumbers.) One of the organizers of the Chicago Plumbing Contractors Association, Wade served as its president in the 1890's. Plumbing products of a century ago left much room for improvement. Wade was not satisfied with available materials, and soon turned his talents to product design. One specialized item followed another, patent after patent was issued, and soon other plumbing contractors offered to buy Wade's products. Gradually, Wade became more and more a product manufacturer than a contractor. Wade was manager of the production division, Wade Iron Sanitary Manufacturing Company. Within a few years, the contracting business had been absorbed by the burgeoning production operation. The company employed factory salesmen to implement sales of Wade Drains and plumbing products. Wade entered the 20th century as a forerunner of specification products and special castings. In the thirties, Wade Manufacturing Company was born as the company struggled out from under the depression. Still based in the Chicago area at the outbreak of World War II, the company produced government specialties during the war years. In 1963, Wade, Inc., was purchased by Tyler Pipe and re-located in Tyler, Texas. Assimilation of the Wade organization as a part of the Tyler Pipe Industries was the best possible assurance that the standards of J.J. Wade would be maintained, and that still holds true today.