Bernardin History

The first years of Bernardin

Bernardin was originally just a bottle cap and lid company. It transitioned into a mason jar lid company making lids for other companies’ jars, then a Canadian company. It did not actually start selling its own mason jars until possibly as late as the 1990s.

The company was started in 1881 by Alfred Louis Bernardin from France. (Note: Ball was started a year earlier, in 1880.)

Alfred and his wife Emma settled in the 1870s in Evansville, Indiana:

Alfred Bernardin, president of the Indiana Canning company, and also of the Bernardin Bottle Cap company, two of the leading industries in Evansville, Indiana, and a prominent citizen, is a native of France, born in 1845. Coming to America in 1856 he located at Portsmouth , Ohio, where he remained until 1873, since when he has been a citizen of the place [Ed: Evansville]. He was married in 1870 to Emma Keough, of Oho, and to their union two sons and one daughter have been born.”  ^[1] Brant & Fuller. History of Vanderburgh County, Indiana: From the Earliest Times to the Present. 1889. Page 413. Accessed March 2015 at https://books.google.ca/books?id=SUXWAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

He was trying his hand at several businesses, one of which was importing wine from France to the United States. He had a lot of product loss from corks blowing off bottles during shipments [Ed: on sparkling wines, presumably], so he invented a metal clamp lid to hold the corks in place.

He set up a company to make the caps and called it the Bernardin Bottle Cap Company, Inc. It was located on Northwest Fourth Street, in Evansville, Indiana.

He filed a patent application for the metal clamp lid at the end of 1884, and received the patent in 1885.

The company went on to make many other types of metal bottle and jar closures and invent the standard beer bottle cap (aka “crown cap”) still used on beer and pop bottles today. ^[2]The patent for inventing the Crown Caps went to William Painter in Baltimore in February 1894. Bernardin maintained in subsequent lawsuits that the caps had actually been invented at Bernardin — with the idea stolen and carried to Painter by a factory superintendent who defected to him. In fact, eight months before Painter’s patent, in July 1893, Bernardin was awarded the patent for an opener to use on Crown Caps — which would seem to indicate that Bernardin had in fact come up with the caps for the openers to be used on sometime before Painter’s patent. Bull, Donald A. 2009. The Virtual Corkscrew Museum. Accessed January 2017 at https://www.bullworks.net/virtual/infopages/crowncork.htm

In 1908, Alfred Bernardin was elected second vice-president of the Indiana Manufacturers’ and Merchants’ club, and took up the fight against prohibition, which would have done his beer bottle cap business no good: “Business interests of Indiana, allied with the brewery industry, have organized under the name of the Indiana Manufacturers’ and Merchants’ club, for the purpose of ‘protecting the business interests of its members against the injurious effects of the prohibition movement and to use its moral influence against legislation which may affect them injuriously.’  ^[3] Liquor League Makes New Move. Fort Wayne, Indiana: Fort Wayne News. 14 April 1908. Page 1.

Alfred died in 1916. There was $4,560 inheritance tax on his estate.  ^[4]”and Alfred L. Bernardin, Vanderburg County, $4,560.” Inheritance Tax Returns, Col 3. Francesville Tribune May 3, 1917. Page 3 .

Bernardin starts transition into canning supplies company

Alfred’s son, Alfred Louis Bernardin II, ran the business until 1922, when he died.

It was sometime between 1916, when Alfred Sr died, and 1922, when Alfred Jr died, that the company began making the Bernardin two-piece metal mason caps for home canning.  ^[5] The Daily Screw. 8 February 2004. Accessed March 2015 at https://www.bullworks.net/daily/04feb08.htm . Attributed to book: Indiana: From Frontier to Industrial Commonwealth , 1954.

In 1933, Alfred Louis Bernardin, III (born in 1910 – he was still alive in 1982 at least), took over the business as its president.

In 1937, the first ad that HealthyCanning.com (as of March 2015) is aware for Bernardin mason jar lids directed at consumers appears in newspapers.

After 1937, ads for Bernardin mason jar lids become quite common in American newspapers.

In the 1940s, Bernardin often referred to its lids as “caps.”

Bernardin starts transition into a Canadian company

In 1945, the first ad in Canada that HealthyCanning.com (as of March 2015) is aware for Bernardin mason jar lids appears in newspapers. They mention that their Canadian office is in Vancouver.

In 1947, Bernardin proudly advertised themselves to Canadians as an American company.

In 1960 Bernardin of Canada, Limited was incorporated as a private company in 1960.” But it was still wholly owned by Bernardin Inc. of Evansville, Indiana.  ^[6] Canadian International Trade Tribunal. Inquiry: Caps, Lids And Jars Suitable For Home Canning, Whether Imported Separately Or Packaged Together, Originating In Or Exported From The United States Of America. Inquiry No.: NQ-95-001. October 1995. Page 3. Accessed March 2015 at https://www.citt.gc.ca/en/dumping/inquirie/findings/archive_nq95001_e#I1

In the 1970s, Bernardin sold freezer bags as home preserving moved solidly in favour of freezing.

In 1980, Bernardin (both the US and Canadian branches) were bought by the American National Can Corporation of Chicago, Illinois:

Companies merge

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — National Can Corp. said Tuesday it has signed a letter of intent to purchase Bernardin Inc. and the affiliated Bernardin of Canada, Ltd. The amount of purchase was not disclosed. Bernardin officials said company sales in 1979 were about $24 million. Bernardin, a privately owned company based here, produces metal and plastic caps by a method known as injection molding. The company is also known in the food, pharmaceutical, detergent and chemical industries for its home canning lids. Bernardin of Canada is in Toronto. National Can, based in Chicago, announced A.L. Bernardin, now president, will become chairman of the subsidiary. Final agreement on the sale is expected to be signed by the middle of next month.”  ^[7] Companies Merge. Kokomo, Indiana: Kokomo Tribune. 9 January 1980. Page 8.

Alfred Louis Bernardin, III, is still alive and president at time of this 1980 acquisition.

In 1990, Laurie Westover was the home economist for Bernardin of Canada.   ^[8] “Update old pickle and relish recipes”. Shoal Lake, Manitoba: Shoal Lake Star. 18 September 1990. Page 13.

In 1992, the “home economist [was] Tara Fainstein at Bernardin of Canada Ltd.”   ^[9] Creighton, Judy. Trendy fruit vinegars add distinct taste to many dishes. Winnipeg Free Press. 22 July 1992. Page 23.

In the 1990s, Consumers Glass, which made jars, and Bernardin, which made lids, may have made products for each other, so that each could sell jars and lids packaged together to consumers:

These goods were Consumers Glass’ production of jars in 1995, which were sold to Bernardin to be packaged and resold with Bernardin’s bacon packs [Ed: apparently a “bacon” pack is a “12-pack”] , and Bernardin’s production of bacon packs prior to 1995, which were sold to Consumers Glass to be packaged and resold with Consumers Glass’ jars….. Bernardin sold bacon packs to Consumers Glass which, in turn, marketed the bacon packs with its mason jars. Bernardin marketed, and continues to market, caps and lids to the replacement market under its own name. Consumers Glass, with the acquisition of Domglas Inc. in 1989, became the sole domestic supplier of mason jars. In 1995, the marketing arrangement between Consumers Glass and Bernardin was reversed so that Bernardin now purchases and markets jars produced by Consumers Glass, although the jars with bacon packs are still packaged and held in inventory by Consumers Glass.” ^[10] Canadian International Trade Tribunal. Inquiry: Caps, Lids And Jars Suitable For Home Canning, Whether Imported Separately Or Packaged Together, Originating In Or Exported From The United States Of America. Inquiry No.: NQ-95-001. October 1995. Page 11 – 12.

In 1994, the public face of Bernardin is Mary Bewick (sic): “Mary Bewick, a spokeswoman for Bernardin of Canada Ltd., a Toronto-based canning supply manufacturer…”  ^[11] Creighton, Judy. Jam-making popular after all these years.  Brandon, Manitoba. Brandon Sun. 7 July 1994. Page 11.

In 1994, Bernardin was hurt in a trade war with Ball and Kerr, whom a trade tribunal later found guilty of price dumping in Canada:  “Counsel noted the decline in Bernardin’s profitability, its inability to meet yearly budget targets, the increase in unabsorbed fixed overheads and lost margins. Finally, with respect to Bernardin, counsel claimed that its employment and hours worked took a substantial hit in 1993 and 1994 as a result of lost production”  ^[12] Canadian International Trade Tribunal. Inquiry: Caps, Lids And Jars Suitable For Home Canning, Whether Imported Separately Or Packaged Together, Originating In Or Exported From The United States Of America. Inquiry No.: NQ-95-001. October 1995. Page 4.

At the time, Ball was owned by Jarden, which at the time was called “Alltrista.”

Later in 1994, Alltrista just bought Bernardin Canada outright from the American National Can Corporation: “On November 1, 1994, Bernardin was sold to Alltrista Corporation of Muncie, Indiana.”  ^[13] Canadian International Trade Tribunal. Inquiry: Caps, Lids And Jars Suitable For Home Canning, Whether Imported Separately Or Packaged Together, Originating In Or Exported From The United States Of America. Inquiry No.: NQ-95-001. October 1995. Page 3. Accessed March 2015 at https://www.citt.gc.ca/en/dumping/inquirie/findings/archive_nq95001_e#I1

MUNCIE, Ind., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ — Alltrista Corporation (Nasdaq: JARS) today completed the purchase of Bernardin of Canada, Limited from American National Can Company. No purchase price was revealed.  Bernardin is a Toronto-based marketer of home canning products and a producer of metal closures for home canning. The acquisition is complementary to Alltrista’s consumer products business. That operation markets brand home canning and other consumer products in the U.S.  ‘The Bernardin brand is an important one in Canada and we look forward to expanding the business,’ commented William L. Peterson, Alltrista chairman and chief executive officer. Mr. Peterson said the Bernardin operation will remain in its current location and will become a part of Consumer Products Company, a division of Alltrista. That division will also manage the marketing of Fruit-Fresh, which Alltrista acquired in October. Fruit-Fresh is a fruit protector, high in vitamin C, that prevents fruit from discoloring and from losing flavor. It is used for canning, freezing and drying, as well as for serving fresh fruit.  Alltrista Corporation has interests in metal, plastics and consumer products and industrial equipment. The company had 1993 sales of $279 million and employs approximately 1,400 people.  -0- 11/1/94  /CONTACT: Larry Miller of Alltrista, 317-281-5099, or after hours, 317-286-5856   ^[14] ALLTRISTA CORPORATION COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF CANADIAN HOME CANNING COMPANY.” The Free Library. 1994 PR Newswire Association LLC 18 Feb. 2015 https://www.thefreelibrary.com/ALLTRISTA+CORPORATION+COMPLETES+ACQUISITION+OF+CANADIAN+HOME+CANNING…-a015876757

Following Alltrista’s (aka Jarden’s) purchase of Bernardin in November 1994, Alltrista had Ball withdraw from the Canadian market and cede the territory to Bernardin.   ^[15] Canadian International Trade Tribunal. Inquiry: Caps, Lids And Jars Suitable For Home Canning, Whether Imported Separately Or Packaged Together, Originating In Or Exported From The United States Of America. Inquiry No.: NQ-95-001. October 1995. Page 3. Accessed March 2015 at https://www.citt.gc.ca/en/dumping/inquirie/findings/archive_nq95001_e#I1

On June 6, 1995, the name of the company was changed to Bernardin Ltd.  ^[16] Canadian International Trade Tribunal. Inquiry: Caps, Lids And Jars Suitable For Home Canning, Whether Imported Separately Or Packaged Together, Originating In Or Exported From The United States Of America. Inquiry No.: NQ-95-001. October 1995. Page 3. Accessed March 2015 at https://www.citt.gc.ca/en/dumping/inquirie/findings/archive_nq95001_e#I1

In the fall of 2001, all Canadian manufacturing was shut down completely and moved to the Ball plant in Muncie, Indiana.  ^[17] “Alltrista shut Bernardin’s lid plant in Toronto in the fall of 2001 and consolidated production at its Muncie, Ind., plant.” Chipello, Christopher J. Canadians Blow Their Tops As Canning Lids Get the Can. Wall Street Journal. 21 January 2003. Accessed March 2015 at https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1043099833887518344

Further reading

The Daily Screw. 8 February 2004. Accessed March 2015 at https://www.bullworks.net/daily/04feb08.htm

Bernardin, Robert G. The Bernardin legacy. Accessed March 2015 at https://robbernardin.com/Custom.aspx?apId=66979