abco Plastics Wholesale Limited, founded in 1962, has a 60-year-long history defined by its unique founding story and numerous acts of service to their community; and it all began in a garage.

Fabco Plastics Wholesale Limited Founder Meinhard Kehren.

After enduring years of a dangerous, transient life during World War II, the boys and their aunts made their way back to their family home in Langenfeld, Germany, a town just six kilometers from Kehren’s birthplace. With the war ending, Kehren was able to complete his high school education and enter the workforce as a carpenter’s apprentice.

After completing his apprenticeship, Kehren found his job to be tedious and yearned for more. He wanted to travel to a new country in search of a new job, but as a German citizen he faced barriers to immigrating to many countries. Kehren left his job and spent his savings on travel, in hopes of finding his next home.

In 1955, at the age of 23, Kehren immigrated to Canada with just CAD$43 to his name. His journey to Canada led him to odd jobs. From raisin washing to painting steel beams in a uranium mine, these jobs only fueled Kehren’s interest in building a business of his own. As a mine worker for a company called Tank Linings, Kehren took an interest in plastics, an industry which Tank Linings was trying to break into.

After eight months working in the mines and living in rural barracks, Kehren had saved enough money to return to Langenfeld, Germany. Upon his return he married his sweetheart, Marianne, enrolled in the plastics manufacturing course at The University of Aachen and began training at plastic manufacturing companies. After just four months, Kehren and his bride returned to Canada to continue his education in pursuit of his dreams of owning his own company.

Fabco Plastics Wholesale Limited sales and management teams pictured at their National Sales Meeting.

Kehren was a businessman at heart and still felt drawn to begin his own plastics business. Kehren began to build Fabricated Plastics Limited from the ground up in a garage in Toronto. The business quickly grew out of the garage and into an industrial building, then two, then eventually an 80,000-square-foot facility for plastic and FRP custom fabrication.

As the company grew, Fabco Plastics Wholesale was ultimately born as the supply mechanism for Fabricated Plastics Limited, creating the company’s current wholesale distribution model. The company, now known as Fabco Plastics Wholesale Limited, continued to grow and grow, becoming the first plastics distributor of its kind in Canada.

Left to right: John Kehren, Mickey Kehren, Marianne Kehren, and Bill Kehren.

Mickey Kehren passed away on September 8, 2020 at 88 years old.

Along the way, Fabco Plastics Wholesale Limited has become involved in philanthropy efforts in their Toronto community and beyond, supporting causes like animal safety, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, local athletics and more. Their greatest service involvement is with Water Ambassadors Canada, a charity dedicated to expanding access to clean water in Third World Countries through the funding and construction of freshwater wells.

Fabco Plastics Wholesale Limited has also partnered with Acheson Business Association in recent years to raise about CAD$18,000 and collect over 1,000 toys for families in need at Christmas time.

Now, as the company marks 60 years of business, their journey of growth and service is far from over. Fabco Plastics Wholesale Limited now has five branches across Canada and plans are underway to open Fabco Plastics Maritimes Inc. with even more growth on the horizon.