The Founder
SAMUEL P. “PAT” BLACK, III
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
With a vision to help revitalize Erie with a return to a booming manufacturing sector, Samuel P. “Pat” Black, III founded Lake Erie Biofuels dba HERO BX et al in 2005. HERO BX bears witness to his commitment of investing, creating and managing companies with innovative products to capitalize on economic opportunities in the Lake Erie region and beyond with a focus on the creation of manufacturing jobs. It is Black’s leadership that has helped to create companies such as Erie Management Group, Black Interests Limited Partnership, SB Alabama Properties, 1525 East Lake Road, LLC, SB3 Properties, SB3, LLC, Blackstone Ranch Institute, SB3 Holdings, as well as HERO Diversified Associates, Inc., and Calypso Enterprises.
Mr. Black envisioned a company that would create meaningful jobs, spur technological innovation and produce eco-friendly products. Black is an innovator in the field of alternative energy production. Responsible for building the largest biodiesel plant in the Northeastern United States, he has created a company focused on quality, one that harnesses technology to produce useful products that serve as an alternative energy source. With manufacturing facilities in Erie, Pennsylvania, Moundville, Alabama, and Clinton, Iowa today HERO BX is one of the nation’s leading biodiesel producers. HERO BX also operates a distribution terminal in North Hampton, New Hampshire, offering biodiesel blends for heating oil and transportation fuel applications. Additionally, HERO BX solidified a tolling agreement with Iowa Renewable Energy in April 2018.
Always with his home community of Erie in mind, Black has furthered the legacy of his father Samuel P. Black, Jr., through their work with the Black Family Foundation, infusing tens of millions of dollars into the greater Erie community with a focus on initiatives that drive educational attainment and self-sufficiency. Of the more notable contributions, Black continues to sustain and support The Sam and Irene Black School of Business at Penn State Erie – The Behrend College, started through a $20 million endowment that continues to fund countless scholarships for students within its walls, and The Elizabeth Lee Black School at the Barber National Institute honors his late sister.
In September 2017, Pat Black was awarded the coveted Commitment to Erie Legacy Award, a recognition of his extraordinary contributions in the areas of business and philanthropy over a sustained period. Mr. Black is a graduate of Penn State University.
