John Herold, a pioneering Sudbury mining supply entrepreneur, has died at the age of 80.
Herold, who was the founder of Herold Supply, died on Sept. 16 in Sudbury.
Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, Herold moved to Toronto as a child, attending St. Michael's College, followed by St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia where he earned a bachelor of science degree. Herold married in 1964 and eventually settled with his first wife, Judy, in Sudbury.
His career began in sales with Shell Oil, supplying fuel to Sudbury's two big nickel miners, INCO (now Vale) and Falconbridge (now Glencore).
By 1975, he decided to start his own business and Herold Supply was launched. His first line was introducing the Gasboy fuel management system, a locked system that dispenses fuel to company fleets.
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The company began by supplying fuel to Sudbury's two big nickel miners, INCO (now Vale) and Falconbridge (now Glencore). It was Herold who introduced to the Sudbury market the Gasboy fuel management system, a locked system that dispenses fuel to company fleets.
Located on St. Jerome Street, near the junction of Notre Dame Avenue and Lasalle Boulevard, Herold's first shop spanned just 400 square feet and had one employee. One year later, he had to expand, growing the shop by an additional 600 square feet and hiring another two employees.
By 1978, barely three years after opening, Herold expanded again, adding another 2,000 square feet to the shop. Clients at that point included fleets for the City of Sudbury and the Sudbury Police Service.
In 1990, Herold relocated to a new site on Sutherland Avenue in the city's West End and his son, Todd, joined him in business.
Herold Supply celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2015.
Today, the company rebuilds, repairs and replaces all makes and models of starter, alternator, air diaphragm pump, and DC motors. It's also an industrial wholesaler, supplying materials handling equipment, shelving, racking, and fuelling equipment such as nozzles, hose, camlocks, and more.
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Recognizing the possibilities for collaboration amongst Sudbury's diverse mining supply and service companies, Herold was one of four founding directors of SAMSSA when it launched in the early 2000s.
Starting with just a handful of members, the non-profit industry group pledged to raise Sudbury's profile in the sector.
Now known as MineConnect, the organization today boasts well over 200 members from across Northern Ontario, which export their products and expertise to mining sites around the world.
After 47 years in business, Herold Supply continues today under the leadership of Todd Herold, serving companies in mining, forestry, construction and other industries.
A celebration of life was held for John Herold on Sept. 22 in Sudbury. Read his full obituary here.
