In 1907 he married filmmaking pioneer Alice Guy, head of production with the French Gaumont Film Company.

Looking for new beginnings, the couple immigrated to New York where Herbert was soon appointed the production manager for Gaumont's operations in the United States.

[1] The two struck out on their own in 1910, partnering with George A. Magie in the formation of The Solax Company, the largest pre-Hollywood studio in America.

Within two years they had become so successful that they were able to invest more than $100,000 into new and technologically advanced production facilities in Fort Lee, New Jersey, when many early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based at the beginning of the 20th century.

For the next few years the couple maintained a personal and business partnership, working together on many projects, but with the decline of the East Coast film industry in favor of the more hospitable and cost-effective climate in Hollywood, their relationship also ended.