Step into Herschel Supply Company’s Vancouver headquarters at 611 Alexander Street and you’re immediately greeted by striking artwork from local creatives Omar Arbelo of Bocci and Randy Bishop. It sets the tone for a workspace that co-founder Lyndon Cormack and his team have carefully cultivated over the past decade.
“We moved into this building at 611 Alexander Street roughly 15 years ago in its entirety, and this particular space we’ve been in for roughly 10 years,” explains Cormack during a tour of the 20,000-square-foot headquarters. The company also maintains a 10,000-square-foot photo studio five minutes away.
The Railtown office serves as a global hub for a brand that sells in 90 countries. “We get distributors, we get our team members from around the world coming constantly in and checking out Vancouver and checking out the new stuff,” Cormack notes.
Every turn inside Herschel’s Vancouver headquarters brings something unexpected. A central wall displays a chronological collection of 1960s and 70s skateboards, while the main kitchen area features a custom 61-pendant Bocci lighting installation. Windows frame views of the North Shore mountains and Vancouver’s port—a daily reminder that products manufactured overseas arrive right at their doorstep before shipping across Canada. A 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer serves as both room divider and conversation piece.
The brand’s commitment to in-house capabilities shines throughout. The office includes a fully equipped sewing studio where prototypes are created and product failures dissected. An in-house studio handles all product photography, with images shot on-site, retouched externally overnight and ready for upload the next morning.
Staff amenities include a fleet of electric bikes with custom Herschel bags for lunch rides to Stanley Park or the Seawall. “The Beach,” an indoor-outdoor gathering space, becomes packed during sunny lunch hours when tables get dragged outside.
The headquarters also incorporates artwork tied to the brand’s story, including a photograph of the small Saskatchewan town of Herschel. Cormack’s great-grandparents settled there after immigrating from Scotland in 1906. “Three generations of our family grew up in that little town,” he says. “It’s a very special place for us.”
