History

Ornamental Bronze was established in 1928 in Bellingham Washington by Mr. Fred Shilling.  Initially the company cast and finished bronze lamp standards for the gas lighting used in that era.  As cities moved toward electrical applications, Fred decided to move his foundry to Vancouver to pursue other opportunities and products.

Products included bronze statues, ornamental grilles, store fronts, entrance and elevator doors, bronze mail boxes, chutes, stair rail components and signage.   A number of heritage buildings in Vancouver and Seattle are showcases for the fine quality architectural and ornamental work produced by OBCO.
The advent of World War 2 saw the production facilities of the foundry diverted to castings critical to the war effort including impellers, propellers, pump and gear housings, gear blanks and valve array bodies for torpedo guidance systems.

After the war years the foundry continued to concentrate on architectural castings, introducing dedication, memorial and bronze grave markers to its product line.

OBCO’s involvement in fabrication and installation of store front entrances led to the creation of a new architectural division specializing in extruded bronze, brass and aluminum curtain walls, store fronts and sunscreen components.  The ‘STYLINE’ product line would be found in projects across Western Canada. Complete curtain wall and sunscreen systems have been installed as far away as Hong Kong, Singapore and India.

The largest curtain wall project completed in Canada was the Edmonton Airport in 1968.

During the 70’s the company moved back to its roots and focused on industrial and architectural projects including handrails, elevator interiors, storefronts and office interiors in bronze, brass, stainless steel and aluminum.  Projects were many and varied even including design and creation of massive pressure stablilzation doors for the W.A.C. Bennett and Revelstoke Dams.

The foundry division continued to evolve as well, concentrating on architectural castings, cast letters and numbers, dedication plaques, memorials and grave markers. 

In 2000 OBCO expanded its foundry facilities to create a new division concentrating on industrial castings in bronze and aluminum alloys.

The foundry of 2010 is truly a full service facility offering a diverse and varied line of products and castings.