Sterling Pacific

Sterling Pacific is a Nevada-based travel-goods company that manufactures full-aluminum travel cases. Its modern identity developed from R. Herz & Bro Inc., a long-running Reno jewelry and watch business founded by German immigrant brothers Richard Herz and Carl Otto Herz. The earlier company was incorporated in 1907, although the brothers had begun operating a jewelry store in Reno in 1885. Under the Herz family, R. Herz & Bro became a notable local retailer associated with jewelry, watches, custom work, and the civic life of Reno. Richard Herz immigrated from Leipzig to the United States in 1875 and settled in Virginia City, Nevada, where he trained as a jeweler and watchmaker at M. M. Fredericks Jewelers. His younger brother, Carl Otto Herz, followed in 1884. The brothers opened their first store in Reno in 1885 and gradually expanded their business. Carl Otto and his wife also became associated with the Lake Mansion, which they purchased in 1902 from Jane Lake, the former wife of Reno founder Myron C. Lake. The company’s historical role extended beyond retail. In 1910, its founders established the Herz Gold Medal with the University of Nevada, Reno. The award recognized the graduating senior with the highest grade-point average. According to the available reference material, the award continued to be granted in the twenty-first century with support from the university and the Thelma B. and Thomas P. Hart Foundation. During the Depression era, Nevada’s relatively permissive divorce laws brought visitors to the state seeking divorces, and R. Herz & Bro was among the jewelers that offered wedding-ring resetting services for those customers. The original Reno store suffered major fires. It burned in 1954 after a neighboring building caught fire and moved to another location on Virginia Street later that year. A second fire occurred in 1965; rather than leaving the site, the business rebuilt from the surviving structure. From 1947 through 1965, the company also collaborated with Guy Leutzinger, a Nevada firearms engraver, reflecting the custom craftsmanship associated with its earlier jewelry operations. The Herz family directed the business from its establishment until 2007, when the R. Herz & Bro retail store officially closed. The company was subsequently renamed Sterling Pacific and shifted its principal commercial focus from jewelry and watches to aluminum travel luggage. Its current product range centers on hard-sided cases made from aluminum, with four principal size and capacity options identified in the available material: approximately 35 liters, 40 liters, 80 liters, and 90 liters. The cases use a two-wheel full-aluminum construction as a core design characteristic, while the 40-liter cabin model and 90-liter check-in model use four wheels for easier maneuverability. Handles made from Italian leather are another specified design element. Sterling Pacific remains headquartered in Reno, maintaining a geographic connection to the company’s historic Nevada origins even though its business category has changed substantially. Publicly available reference material identifies it primarily as a manufacturer of premium-style aluminum travel cases. Detailed information about ownership, leadership, distribution markets, financial performance, and current corporate structure is not established in the supplied sources.

Sterling Pacific’s history is rooted in R. Herz & Bro Inc., a Reno jewelry and watch business established by brothers Richard Herz and Carl Otto Herz. Richard arrived in the United States from Leipzig in 1875 and trained as a jeweler and watchmaker in Virginia City. Carl Otto followed in 1884, and the brothers opened their first Reno store in 1885. The enterprise was incorporated in 1907 and remained under Herz family direction for roughly a century. The store became part of Reno’s commercial and civic history. In 1902, Carl Otto Herz and his wife purchased the Lake Mansion from Jane Lake, who had previously been married to Reno founder Myron C. Lake. In 1910, the company’s founders created the Herz Gold Medal with the University of Nevada, Reno. The annual award honored the graduating senior with the highest GPA and, according to the available account, continued with university and foundation support into the twenty-first century. R. Herz & Bro operated during periods of significant change in Nevada. During the Depression era, Nevada’s relaxed divorce requirements attracted visitors seeking to dissolve marriages. The jewelry store served some of these visitors by resetting wedding rings. The business also developed a connection with specialized craftsmanship through a collaboration with Nevada firearms engraver Guy Leutzinger that lasted from 1947 to 1965. Physical disruptions affected the historic retail operation. A fire originating in a neighboring building destroyed the original store in 1954, prompting a move to another Virginia Street location during the same year. Another fire struck in 1965, but the company rebuilt from the remaining structure and continued operating at the site. These incidents did not end the family business, which continued under Herz family management until the R. Herz & Bro store closed in 2007. After the retail store’s closure, the company adopted the Sterling Pacific name and moved into travel goods. Its main products became full-aluminum travel cases rather than jewelry and watches. The available product description identifies four principal capacities—35 liters, 40 liters, 80 liters, and 90 liters. The cases use aluminum construction and Italian leather handles. The 40-liter cabin case and 90-liter check-in case are described as four-wheel models, while the broader range is associated with two-wheel full-aluminum construction. Sterling Pacific’s headquarters remain in Reno, although the company no longer operates from the original R. Herz & Bro store. The supplied sources do not establish a detailed current ownership structure, executive roster, financial profile, or international distribution network.

• 2007

  R. Herz & Bro retail store closes

  [1]Sterling Pacificen.wikipedia.org

  The historic Herz family jewelry and watch store officially closed after operating under family direction for approximately a century.

• 1965

  Second store fire and rebuilding

  [1]Sterling Pacificen.wikipedia.org

  A second fire damaged the store, which was rebuilt from the remaining structure rather than abandoned.

• 1954

  Original store destroyed by fire

  [1]Sterling Pacificen.wikipedia.org

  A fire that began in a neighboring building destroyed the original store, leading to a move within Virginia Street later that year.

• 1910

  Herz Gold Medal established

  [1]Sterling Pacificen.wikipedia.org

  The company’s founders established the Herz Gold Medal with the University of Nevada, Reno to recognize the graduating senior with the highest GPA.

• 1907

  R. Herz & Bro incorporated

  [1]Sterling Pacificen.wikipedia.org

  The jewelry and watch company was incorporated under the R. Herz & Bro name.

• 1902

  Lake Mansion acquired by the Herz family

  [1]Sterling Pacificen.wikipedia.org

  Carl Otto Herz and his wife purchased the Lake Mansion from Jane Lake.

• 1885

  First Reno store opens

  [1]Sterling Pacificen.wikipedia.org

  Richard and Carl Otto Herz opened their first store in Reno, beginning the retail operation that later became associated with R. Herz & Bro.

• 1884

  Carl Otto Herz arrives in Nevada

  [1]Sterling Pacificen.wikipedia.org

  Carl Otto Herz followed his older brother from Germany and joined the family’s developing Nevada business interests.

• 1875

  Richard Herz settles in Virginia City

  [1]Sterling Pacificen.wikipedia.org

  Richard Herz immigrated from Leipzig and settled in Virginia City, Nevada, where he apprenticed as a jeweler and watchmaker.

• Business renamed Sterling Pacific

  [1]Sterling Pacificen.wikipedia.org

  After the R. Herz & Bro retail operation ended, the company adopted the Sterling Pacific name and shifted its focus to aluminum travel cases.

A design-led travel-luggage brand centered on full-aluminum cases, durable hard-shell construction, mobility, and premium material details such as Italian leather handles.

• Travel luggage

  35L aluminum travel case

  A compact full-aluminum travel case identified as one of Sterling Pacific’s four principal capacity options. The available reference material places it within the brand’s hard-sided aluminum range but does not provide further specifications about dimensions, interior organization, wheel configuration, or intended travel segment.

• Carry-on luggage

  40L cabin travel case

  A 40-liter cabin-oriented case designed for air travel. It is described as using a full-aluminum construction and a four-wheel arrangement, supporting easier movement through airports and other confined spaces. Italian leather handles are part of the broader design specification for the range.

• Travel luggage

  80L aluminum travel case

  An 80-liter case in Sterling Pacific’s aluminum luggage range. The supplied source identifies its capacity but does not give detailed information about dimensions, wheel layout, internal features, pricing, or market positioning beyond its place in the full-aluminum collection.

• Checked luggage

  90L check-in travel case

  A 90-liter check-in case intended for larger luggage loads. It is specifically described as a four-wheel model, providing greater mobility than a conventional two-wheel case. It belongs to Sterling Pacific’s full-aluminum travel-case line and uses the range’s premium-oriented material and construction approach.

1. 1Sterling Pacificen.wikipedia.org