Georges-Élie Amyot was a French Canadian businessman and politician, and founder of Dominion Corset. He was worth $8 million in 1930, at the time of his death.
Early life
Amyot was born on January 28, 1856 to parents Dominique Amyotin and Louise Nolin in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, where he lived and worked on a farm until he was 10 years old. In 1866, his family moved to Sainte-Catherine, where he would live and attend school until he was 14 yearsof age. In 1870, Amyot moved to Quebec City and was apprenticed to a saddler, Louis Girard. Eventually, Amyot joined into a partnership with Louis Tanguay. In 1874, Amyot moved to New Haven, Connecticutto live with his brother, Bernard, subsequently moving to Springfield, Massachusetts in search of better business opportunities. Three years later, in 1877, Amyot returned to Quebec, and in Montreal was employed as a clerk in wrought iron and boot/shoe businesses. After two years in Montreal, Amyot moved back to Quebec City and was employed by his cousins Joseph and George-Élie Amyot, who were in the business of importing novelty goods. Amyot founded his own store in 1885, but was quickly bankrupted, in large part through the work of Isidore Thibaudeau. Amyot would eventually pay back his creditors in 1894.
Dominion Corset
In mid October 1886, Léon Dyonnet and Amyot went into the corset making business, under the name Dyonnet et Amyot. The agreement stipulated that " Each contributed $2,000 in capital, was entitled to half the profits, and could withdraw $800 a year for his personal expenses." and Dyonnet was to teach Amyot “ all the manufacturing details and secrets and let him benefit from the experience he had gained in the said production process.” In 1888, the company employed about 60 people. One year later, in late March 1889, Dyonnet left for Brazil, and Amyot renamed the company Dominion Corset. Amyot would become the sole owner of Dominion in 1897, after two of his sisters joined but subsequently left the company. The company grew rapidly, with sales more than quintupling over an eight year period Dominion Corset expanded in the Saint-Roch ward, eventually buying the factory of Guillaume Bresse. Amyot began to expand into other related industries, starting a paper box company in 1904, and a steel rod company in 1916. In 1910, the company had a value of $500,000. However, the factory was destroyed by a fire in 1911, leading to losses of 250,000. Amyot rebuilt, and sales soared to 1.6 million in 1918, and 2.6 million in 1919. In 1924, Amyot handed over his company to his son, Adjutor.
Other business activities
In 1895, Amyot opened a brewery, presumably to ensure his financial well being in the event Dominion Corset failed. Along with a partner, Pierre-Joseph Côté, the brewery was founded in the Saint-Sauveur ward. Eventually, Côté left, and was replaced by Michel Gauvin. The company "produced and distributed Fox Head beers, both ale and porter." In 1909, Amyot was the sole owner of the company, and he sold it to National Breweries Limited for $226,500. He invested large amounts of money in real estate, as well as buying 700,000 dollars of Victory Loan subscriptions. Amyot also invested "in numerous railway, shipping, and mining companies."
