The business started in a backyard workshop in 1916 located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. In 1917, the original company known as O.S. Hammond and Son was established in Guelph. O.S. Hammond and Son began making tube radio sets, battery chargers and other related products between 1919 and 1927. In the early 1930’s Hammond became the first company in Canada to manufacture a line of 2-post racks and a narrow cabinet to support the growing broadcast and communications industries. The explosive demand for electrical products of all kinds during the 1950's and 1960's created many opportunities for new products and diversification. During these years Hammond became a leading supplier of transformers, racks and cabinets as well as enclosures for the electrical and electronic industries.