Harry C. Hatch | |
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| Born | April 12, 1884 Ameliasburgh, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | May 8, 1946 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman: Distillery & winery owner Racehorse owner/breeder |
Harold Clifford "Harry" Hatch (1884–1946) was a millionaire industrialist from Prince Edward County, Ontario, specializing in the business of wine and spirits.
Hatch started out with a small liquor store in Whitby, Ontario, and prospered to the point where he was able to purchase the controlling interest of Gooderham & Worts Ltd. in 1923. Four years later, Hatch acquired Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd. based in Walkerville, Ontario, and in 1927 merged the two companies under the parent company of Hiram Walker-Gooderham & Worts Limited. The company was one of a number of Canadian distillers who prospered by shipping their products into the United States during the Prohibition era from 1920 to 1933.
In 1935, Harry Hatch oversaw Hiram Walker's acquisition of a 51% controlling interest in the H. Corby Distillery Limited. The following year he expanded the company's operation with the acquisition of George Ballantine & Son Ltd. of Glasgow, Scotland.
Hiram Walker was best known for marketing top-selling brands such as Canadian Club whisky and Ballantine's Scotch Whisky.
Hatch was also known for playing a significant role in the pioneering of the Canadian wine industry, most notably in the Niagara Peninsula of Southern Ontario, where Hatch became majority owner of T.G. Bright & Co. Limited in 1933. At that time Canadian wineries typically made only ports and sherries, but Hatch pursued the development of a dry table wine and invested company resources into experimenting with different grape varieties not traditionally found in Niagara.