Milton in Halton Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
The P.L. Robertson Manufacturing Company
Photographed by Tim Boyd, August 17, 2025
1. The P.L. Robertson Manufacturing Company Marker
Inscription.
The first firm in the world to produce socket-head screws, the P. L. Robertson Manufacturing Company was formed in Hamilton in 1907 and relocated here the following year. It was established by an Ontario inventor Peter Lymburner Robertson and using an ingenious process he had developed to punch square holes into cold metal, it manufactured the innovative new screw for industrial markets. In its first two decades the company steadily expanded operations. By 1930, when the last patent on the Robertson screw and the equipment used in its manufacture expired, the firm had already begun to diversity its products. Now operated as the Robertson Whitehouse Company, it has become one of the largest manufacturers of light fasteners, including the original Robertson screw, in North America.,
The first firm in the world to produce socket-head screws, the P. L. Robertson Manufacturing Company was formed in Hamilton in 1907 and relocated here the following year. It was established by an Ontario inventor Peter Lymburner Robertson and using an ingenious process he had developed to punch square holes into cold metal, it manufactured the innovative new screw for industrial markets. In its first two decades the company steadily expanded operations. By 1930, when the last patent on the Robertson screw and the equipment used in its manufacture expired, the firm had already begun to diversity its products. Now operated as the Robertson Whitehouse Company, it has become one of the largest manufacturers of light fasteners, including the original Robertson screw, in North America.
Première firme au monde à produire des vis à tête creuse,
la compagnie P. L. Robertson ouvre ses portes à Hamilton en
1907, puis s'établit ici l'année suivante. Fondée par un inventeur ontarien, Peter Lymburner Robertson, qui avait mis
au point un ingénieux procédé pour percer des trous carrés
dans du métal froid, elle fabrique cette
Click or scan to see this page online
nouvelle vis pour l'industrie Pendant les vingt premières années, la compagnie
connaît une expansion progressive. Avant 1930, date d'expiration du dernier brevet pour la vis Robertson et l'équipement employé dans sa fabrication, la firme commence déjà à diversifier ses produits. Connue maintenant sous le nom de Robertson Whitehouse, elle est devenue en Amérique du Nord l'un des plus importants fabricants d'attaches légères, dont la vis Robertson originale.
Erected by Ontario Heritage Foundation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1907.
Location. 43° 30.7′ N, 79° 53.525′ W. Marker is in Milton, Ontario, in Halton Region. It is on Bronte Street North 0.3 kilometers north of Victoria Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 125 Bronte St N, Milton ON L9T 2N8, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Toronto, specifically on the Golden Horseshoe, in the Hamilton-Halton-Brant Area, and specifically in the Toronto Metropolitan Area. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
4. The P.L. Robertson Manufacturing Company Marker
Facing northeast on Bronte Road
Photographed by Tim Boyd, August 17, 2025
5. The original Robertson Manufacturing plant, in 2025
Credits. This page was last revised on August 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 18, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 113 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 18, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
![The P.L. Robertson Manufacturing Company Marker [français] image. Click for full size.](Photos8/891/Photo891104.jpg?818202521100PM "The P.L. Robertson Manufacturing Company Marker [français]. Click for full size.")
