Herbert Hill Peyton (born January 6, 1932) is an American entrepreneur and founder of

Gate Petroleum A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include ''yett and port''. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall ...

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

, which had sales of $1.44 billion in 2008.America's Largest Private Companies, ''Forbes Magazine'', November 3, 2008.
/ref> He is the father of John Peyton, current President of Gate and former two-term

Mayor of Jacksonville The Mayor of Jacksonville is the chief executive for the city of Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Jacksonville currently utilizes the strong mayor form of government, in which the mayor has significant powers compared to the Jacksonville C ...

Company origins

Peyton bought his first gas station in 1960 and slowly expanded throughout the decade, diversifying when gas became scarce during the

Arab Oil embargo The 1973 oil crisis or first oil crisis began in October 1973 when the members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, proclaimed an oil embargo. The embargo was targeted at nations that had supp ...

of the early 1970s. In 1997, he acknowledged owning 80 percent of Gate Petroleum, with the remaining 20 percent belonging to "the ''Brothers''"; long-term employees (men and women) who were instrumental in the company's growth, which had 2006 revenues of over U.S. $1.28 billion. In 2001, ''

The Florida Times-Union ''The Florida Times-Union'' is a daily newspaper in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Widely known as the oldest newspaper in the state, it began publication as the ''Florida Union'' in 1864. Its current incarnation started in 1883, when th ...

'' reported that Peyton, "pushing 70, is a larger than life figure who competes in triathlons and does at least one six-mile run every week, as well as a one-mile swim far out beyond the surf line".Barker-Benfield, Simon

"John Peyton finds his place, awaits keys to Gate empire", ''Florida Times-Union'', July 14, 2001. He has five children from three marriages; the oldest, John Peyton (US politician), John Peyton, is currently President of Gate and previously served two terms as

from 2003 to 2011. Herb Peyton attended the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

, and was a member of the class of 1956.Finotti, John

"Gate tycoon reveals self, business secrets", ''Florida Times-Union'', July 20, 1997.

Civic involvement

Herb Peyton was a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

of the

Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust The Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust is a non-profit organization created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont, Alfred Irénée du Pont in 1935, devoted to supporting the trust's sole charitable beneficiary, the Nemours Foundation. As of Decembe ...

from January 18, 1995 to January 31, 2017. He also served on the

Nemours Foundation The Nemours Foundation is a non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida, created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont in 1936, and dedicated to improving the health of children. The Foundation operates the Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware ...

Board of Directors and is a trustee emeritus. Peyton was elected as a director of

Florida East Coast Industries Florida East Coast Industries (FECI) is Florida's oldest and largest commercial real estate, transportation, and infrastructure holding company. Based in Coral Gables, FECI is the direct lineal descendant of the various companies founded by pion ...

and

St. Joe Company The St. Joe Company is a land development company headquartered in Panama City Beach, Florida. Founded in 1936 and until 1966 known as St. Joe Paper Company, the company still operates a forestry division but is primarily engaged in real estate d ...

in December 2000 and provided the benefit of his experience through 2004, when he retired from both boards. Peyton was named an honorary director of Dreams Come True in recognition of his contribution of land and construction material for the non-profit's new headquarters in 2002. In 2004, the National Association of Office and Industrial Properties chapter in Northeast Florida presented the ''William Drennon Lifetime Achievement Award'' to Peyton. Peyton made a $1 million gift to the

Bolles School The Bolles School is an American private college preparatory day and boarding school in Jacksonville, Florida. It has a lower school (including pre-kindergarten), a middle school, and a high school, spread across four campuses around the Jackson ...

in 2006, the largest capital donation in school history. The money was used to construct a facility for the school's

Crew A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has nautical resonances: the tasks involve ...

team, named the ''Peyton Boathouse''. The Bolles boys and girls Crew teams have each won five state championships. Since its founding in 1993, he was a member of the ''Jacksonville Non-Group'', which evolved into the Jacksonville Civic Council.

Retirement

In a January 9, 2009, interview in the ''Jacksonville Daily Record'', Mayor John Peyton was asked about his plans for 2011 when his term ends. He responded:

"I’m going back to Gate and rejoin the family business. I’m looking forward to that. I told dad (Herb Peyton) that he has saved a lot of money because he hasn’t had to pay me for eight years. I think my father is very eager to retire. He wasn’t excited about me running for a second term. If it had been his choice, I would have gone back o Gatesooner.""A conversation with Mayor John Peyton"
''Jax Daily Record'', January 9, 2009.

On January 3, 2012, three days before his 80th birthday, Herb Peyton retired as Gate's President but remained Chairman, taking a less active company role. He named son John as company president and son Hill as vice president of marketing. When asked about his future involvement, Peyton indicated that he would not be involved with the daily operations, but would "help when needed and offer advice when asked--and on occasion, when not asked."Bull, Roger
"Herb Peyton retires as president of Gate Petroleum; John Peyton to take over"
''Florida Times-Union'', January 4, 2012. He also intends to continue his training and fitness regimen, which includes swimming and running nearly every day.

Company origins

Civic involvement

Retirement

References

Further reading