Alexander John Harvey

Alexander John Harvey was born in Bermuda in

June 1849. After completing his formal

education in the United States, Alexander

moved to Halifax to work for his father's

business, George C. Harvey and Company. In

1865, Alec Harvey moved to St. John's where he

established an import/export business, Alex J.

Harvey & Company, incorporating it in 1914 as

A. Harvey & Company Limited.

In 1901, A. Harvey & Company Limited ventured into the seal fishery

sending its ship, the S.S. Virginia Lake, to the front. However, Alexander’s

business ventures were not limited to shipping. In 1891, having obtained a

lease from the government to mine slate in Smith Sound, Trinity Bay, The

Newfoundland Slate Company was formed which for seven years

operated the slate quarry and exported their product. Another business

venture involved the distribution of coal for domestic, factory, institutional

and shipping use. For more than a century, Harvey’s was one of

Newfoundland's largest distributors of coal moving thousands of tons

annually. Alec Harvey's other business interests included a bakery which

produced hard tack, 3X and Tip Top soda crackers.

In 1990, A. Harvey & Company Limited celebrated its 125th anniversary.

From modest beginnings, the company has grown to become one of the

largest privately held and diversified companies in the province. The

company has interests in shipping, petroleum products’ sales and service,

real estate, road transportation, marine terminals, bulk salt packaging and

distribution, offshore oil support services, customs brokerage and

forwarding, tidewater multi-purpose freezer warehousing, recycling

systems and through a subsidiary, Browning Harvey Limited, a Pepsi-Cola

franchise.

Alexander John Harvey died in September 1928.