Home About Us Board of Directors Nomination Criteria Nomination Form Contact Us R. Samuel McLaughlin Founder, General Motors of Canada You must have Windows Media 9 or above to see the video above. Click here to download the free player. Robert Samuel McLaughlin was an important Canadian businessman, philanthropist and founder. In 1887 Robert started his career at the age of 16 as an apprentice upholsterer in his father's company, McLaughlin Carriage Workers, a manufacturer of horse-drawn buggies and sleighs. Mr. McLaughlin's talents and willingness to work hard moved him up the company ladder, and he began designing carriages. Samuel took his first car ride in 1904 and was fascinated by the "horseless carriages". The McLaughlin Motor Car Company was founded in 1907, and in its first full year of operation, they produced 154 cars. In 1910, Mr. McLaughlin became a member of the Board of Directors of General Motors. He sold his company to General Motors in 1918 and it was incorporated as General Motors Canada, with Mr. McLaughlin as President. Mr. McLaughlin retained this post until 1942, and continued to serve as Chairman of the Board until 1967. In his youth, Samuel competed in cycling and yachting and was an equestrian show jumping champion at competitions in Canada and the United States. His love of horses led to the establishing of Parkwood Stables, a thoroughbred horse racing and breeding farm located a few miles north of Oshawa, Ontario. After being made an Honorary Colonel of the 11th Ontario Regiment, he was thereafter affectionately called "Colonel Sam". In 1967 Samuel was made a companion of the Order of Canada. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1963 and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1977. Induction Category: Founder Home | About Us | Board of Directors | Nomination Criteria | Nomination Form | Contact Us © Canadian Manufacturing Hall of Fame: 2000 Talbot Road W.- Box 43, Windsor, ON N9A 6S4 Phone: 519-972-2382 - Fax: 519-972-2733 - E-mail info@cmhof.ca Premier Sponsors: Cocktail Sponsor:

Announcing the 2009 Canadian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Inductees: (click the names below for their biographies) John L. Bragg Oxford Frozen Foods Ltd. Oxford, Nova Scotia Steve F. Krar Educator, Trainer, Author Welland, Ontario Dr. John S. MacDonald MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Burnaby, British Columbia Placide Poulin MAAX Inc. Sainte-Marie de Beauce, Quebec Peter Lymburner Robertson* Robertson Inc. Milton, Ontario * Deceased Gavin Semple Brandt Group of Companies Regina, Saskatchewan An induction ceremony and dinner will be held Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts in Windsor, Ontario Click here for 2006 & 2007 Inductees