History - G.C. Zarnas & Co., Inc.
1934 – Gust C. Zarnas plays on football scholarship at Ohio State University, First Greek American selected as All American.
Gust C. Zarnas played on football scholarship at Ohio State University and was later honored as the first Greek American selected as All American. Gust also won letters in baseball and track. Gust enjoyed the company of many greats at Ohio State including Jessie Owens and was also a great friend of Ohio State head football coach Woody Hayes. In fact, Woody visited Gust in Bethlehem and together recruited players from the Lehigh Valley to play at Ohio State.
1937 – Selected to the All-American, All Big Ten, and All-Mid-West Football Teams.
Selected to the All-American, All-Big Ten, and All-Mid-West Football Teams. Chosen to play in the East-West Shrine Game,and for the College All-Stars.
1938 -1940 – Gust plays for The Chicago Bears and The Green Bay Packers World Championship Team.
Gust recruited as defensive guard and plays professionally in the NFL for The Chicago Bears and later The Green Bay Packers, where he was a member of World Championship team in 1940.
1942 – Gust serves as Athletic Officer in the V-12 program during World War II.
Gust serves as a lieutenant senior grade and an athletic officer in the V-12 program during World War II. He also plays for the Great Lakes Naval Training Center Team, which won the Armed Services Football Championship.
1946 – Gust is an instructor, wresting and football line coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY.
Upon his discharge as Lt. Senior Grade, he was instructor, wresting and football line coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY.
1947 - 1950 – Gust coaches Easton High's first wrestling team to two consecutive district championships.
Gust contacted by Easton High School to be their head football coach. Accepts position as line coach and teaches physical education and history. He also starts and coaches Easton’s first wrestling team to two consecutive district championships.
1948 - 1968 – Founded G.C. Zarnas & Co., Inc. with Bethlehem Steel as its first client.
Founded G.C. Zarnas & Co., Inc. with Bethlehem Steel as its first client. For the next two decades, G. C. Zarnas provided high- temperature and architectural coatings to all of the steel mill’s domestic steel structures, including some of the country’s largest blast furnaces, stacks, process vessels and storage tanks.
1960 – Gust is one of the founding members of the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.
Gust was one of the founding members of the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame that recognizes high school football players who exemplify excellence in athletics and academics. Gust was the annual presenter of the award and recruited famous coaches such as his good friend, Ohio State Head Football Coach Woody Hayes, to be a keynote speaker.
1968 – Steve Zarnas, Gust’s son, joins the company, works primarily to support Bethlehem Steel’s plant operations.
Steve Zarnas, Gust’s son, joins his father as a young estimator and project manager, working primarily to support maintenance work at Bethlehem Steel’s plant operations.
1972 – Gust inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame.
Gust inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame, which immortalizes the players and coaches of college football.
1977 – Steve Zarnas is instrumental in developing partnerships with Air Products and Chemicals, Pennsylvania Power & Light, Du Pont, Grace Chemicals, Sunoco and Valero.
Steve Zarnas is instrumental in developing partnerships with organizations in the power, refinery and industrial gasses industries supporting companies like Air Products and Chemicals, Pennsylvania Power & Light, Du Pont, Grace Chemicals, Sunoco and Valero.
1999 – Dean Zarnas, Steve’s son, joins the family business and is successful in launching commercial projects with a focus on higher education.
Dean Zarnas, Steve’s son, joins the family business and is successful in launching commercial projects with a focus on higher education. Dean has also been instrumental in developing our Southeast territory, and was awarded several commercial projects with Walt Disney World, as well as with many resorts in the Orlando area.
2001 – G.C. Zarnas performs one of its first major fireproofing projects on UVA’s John Paul Jones Arena.
G.C. Zarnas performs one of its first major fireproofing projects on UVA’s John Paul Jones Arena, the largest stadium of its kind in VA, and profiled by Real Estate and Construction Review.
2003 – G.C. Zarnas is well-respected for its services in Philadelphia and Delaware refineries as a result of Dean’s attention to detail and quick turnaround to support routine shutdowns.
G.C. Zarnas is well-respected for its services in Philadelphia and Delaware refineries as a result of Dean’s attention to detail and quick turnaround to support routine shutdowns. These projects, including tank linings and exterior tank painting, are highly demanding and require the expertise of an industrial painting company able to work successfully in high-risk operations.
2006 – Lee Zarnas, Steve’s other son, joins the family business and cultivated new customers in Baltimore, MD, ranging from chemical to power generation.
Lee Zarnas, Steve’s other son, joins the family business and cultivated new customers in Baltimore, MD, ranging from chemical to power generational facilities that require a full range of corrosion resistant coatings.
2007 – G.C. Zarnas begins serving government projects. Highlights include NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility, FAA and the Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant.
G.C. Zarnas begins serving government projects. Highlights include NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant.
2009 – G.C. Zarnas preserves the history of Bethlehem Steel’s famous ore bridge at the Sands Casino.
G.C. Zarnas brings the company full circle by preserving the history of Bethlehem Steel’s famous ore bridge at the Sands Casino, which resides on the former Bethlehem Steel plant site.
2016 – Lee is awarded to paint and add murals to Baltimore Gas and Electric Company's tank farm that stands off of Interstate 95 at the city’s southern gateway.
Lee was awarded to paint the tank farm project by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company that stands off of Interstate 95 at the city’s southern gateway. Featured in The Baltimore Sun and on CBS 13 WJZ-TV, the tanks are being coated and “dressed up” with colorful murals to mark the company’s 200th anniversary!
2016 – Gust Zarnas, the “Father of Easton Wrestling” is inducted into Easton High School’s Wall of Fame.
Gust Zarnas, the “Father of Easton Wrestling” is inducted into Easton High School’s Wall of Fame. Gust’s grandchildren, Grace Hoyer, Christina Donahue, Dean Zarnas and Lee Zarnas, pay tribute to their grandfather and accept his award at the ceremony.
The late Gust Zarnas, a rugged Greek immigrant raised in a Pennsylvania steel town during the depression was brought up in a tough environment. That helped to shape him into a football great of his era, where guys excelled playing both offense and defense. “I personally thought he was the greatest guard in America,” said Bo McMillin of Indiana, about Gust’s play in 1937. In that year, Gust was selected an All-American by the All-American Board, Pathe News, Newsweek, and others.