Leo’s Lunch Box – The Original Miner’s Lunch Box

There is an old saying that necessity is the mother of invention.

Over 50 years ago Leo May, who was working at INCO in Sudbury, invented the miner’s lunchbox. He had to – as his old black tin lunchbox was squashed flat when he tried to use it as a seat while waiting for the “cage” to arrive.

A miner working in an underground mine at distance from the above ground lunchrooms depends on his trusty lunch bucket not only for carrying his nourishment but also as a seat to rest and eat his lunch.

So Leo invented a lunchbox that would be sturdy enough to carry the weight of a miner in addition to a well packed lunch. He designed and built one for himself in his basement workshop.

It came as no surprise that Leo solved the problem of the collapsing lunchbox by inventing his own sturdier version that would meet all the demands of a miner - the one that came to be known as Leo’s Lunch Box and eventually the Miner’s Lunch Box.

Leo May always displayed an inventive spirit. As a young man during the depths of the depression Leo would help his family by trapping his daughter Catharine May Langin explained.

“It took Dad six months to gather the material to build the first one,” recalls his daughter Catherine May Langin. “In those days no one made long distances calls to so it took time to gather all the material.”

The reaction of the 40 men in the cage who went down the mine with Leo was overwhelming they all wanted one.

 Leo continued to work as a miner and built the lunch boxes by hand on the side in his workshop. His hobby turned into L.May. Mfg. Over the years he employed Catherine and some of the neighbourhood youths to hand make his miners lunch box until 1978 when the L. May Metal Fabricators Ltd. was born.

 Many workers starting their mining careers at this time carried their same lunchboxes until retirement, a span of 30 years - some say they work like good luck charms.

At its peak the L. May Metal Fabricators produced 50,000 lunch boxes per year.

Today daughter Catherine May Langin manages May Metal Fabricators. Catherine is moved by how much Leo’s Lunch Boxes have touched so many people and the strong emotional attachment people have to her father’s invention.

“I hear people tell stories about how it was used by their father,” recounts Catherine. “It isn’t a lunch bucket anymore – it’s memories of the owner and his work ethics. “

Catherine estimates that about 5,000 of Leo’s Lunch Boxes are sold today despite no advertising and an unadorned website http://www.metalfabricators.on.ca/default.asp

The potential for growth however is quite strong. In 2009, Catherine pitched Leo’s Lunch Bucket to CBC’s Dragon’s Den and it was accepted. Catherine convinced investment banker Brett Wilson, one of the Dragon’s to invest $75,000 in equity and a $75,000 line of credit for 20 per cent of her company.

But Catherine decided she did not to pursue an offer to buy into L. Metal Fabricators Ltd. She didn’t want a business partner.

Recently Catherine contacted Canadian branding expert Todd Falkowsky of Canadian Resource Design. She hopes to expand the market of the iconic Canadian designed lunch box.

In addition to the traditional look, Catherine has expanded the variety of lunch boxes that are available by introducing new colour schemes.

“In the old days Leo used to say you can have any colour as long as it is aluminum,” she laughed.

With more women going into mining these days Catherine is producing lunch boxes in colours her father never dreamed of when he got started.

“A few years ago a fellow called wanting a purple lunch box as a gift for his girlfriend who was going into mining,”

Last week Catherine was in Timmins, Ontario for the launch of the Women in Mining Northern Ontario chapter to display her coloured and patterned miner’s lunch boxes.

“I would have thought pink to be a favourite, but we sell more leopard skin patterns,” Catherine said.

Today through anodizing techniques Catherine is able to include colour, patterns and designs that attract a new generation to her father’s iconic lunch box.

“Another possible design for young guys going into mining might be the Harley-Davidson look or perhaps team colours of their favourite hockey teams” Catherine says the possibilities are endless.

While Catherine sees a demand for the Leo’s Lunch Box in the mining and construction industry she also sees opportunities in other fields. Such as its use in promotional items for advertising and as fashion items.

The hold of these iconic lunch boxes is strong in popular culture. It has been featured in movies such as North Country starring Charlize Theron and Spy Kids (1 and 2) among others. It also made an appearance on Hanna Montana television show and in Kit Kat Chocolate and Premium Crackers commercials.  When Target Stores introduced its brand in Canada its commercial included Leo’s Lunch Box.

Recently Catherine saw a billboard about safety featuring two young children wearing hard hats. One of the children was holding Leo’s Lunch Box. With such an emotional tie to values such as hard work, family and durability prospects are good for the future of the mining lunch box invented by Leo May.

Leo’s Lunch Box is featured on the website of Canadian Design Resources which celebrates the best of Canadian designed products. http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/housewares/metal-lunch-box/