Our People

Steve Zarnas, Owner and President

Steve Zarnas is the owner and president of G.C. Zarnas. The son of the late Gust Zarnas, Steve grew up in the business, working in the field gaining the knowledge and credibility of his clients who respect and value his operations experience. Steve joined his father in 1968 as a young estimator and project manager, working primarily to support maintenance work at Bethlehem Steel’s plant operations. By 1977, Steve was instrumental in developing partnerships with Pennsylvania Power & Light, Du Pont, Grace Chemicals, and Valero.

A graduate of Moravian College with B.A. degree in psychology, Steve is active with the Boys and Girls Club, Wounded Warriors and youth athletics. A former member of the Moravian College Board of Trustees, Steve and his wife Sylvia have four children and nine grandchildren.

Dean Zarnas, Vice President

Dean joined G.C. Zarnas as an estimator and later project manager after graduating from Moravian College with a B.A. degree in business management in 2000. With 20 years of experience, Dean’s success in launching the commercial side of the business has taken the company to new heights. Higher education continues to be one of Dean’s primary focuses. The University of Virginia (UVA) benefited from G.C. Zarnas, and under Dean’s direction, the company performed the painting and fireproofing on UVA’s John Paul Jones Arena, the largest stadium of its kind in VA. The painting/fireproofing package was valued at over $1 million, and was profiled by Real Estate and Construction Review Magazine.

G.C. Zarnas is well-respected for its services to Philadelphia and Delaware refineries as a result of Dean’s attention to detail and quick turnarounds in support of routine shutdowns. These projects are highly demanding and require the expertise of an industrial painting company able to work successfully in high risk operations.

Dean has also been instrumental in developing our Southeast territory, and was awarded several commercial projects with Florida Power and Light, Walt Disney World, as well as with many resorts and hotels in the Orlando area.

Dean is active with Autism Speaks and coaches wrestling. Dean and his wife Kerri are busy raising two active sons!

Lee Zarnas, Vice President

Lee joined the family business in 2006 after graduating from Moravian College with a B.A. degree in business management.

Lee manages many of the company’s projects in Baltimore, MD, ranging from chemical to power generational facilities that require a full range of corrosion resistant coatings. Lee is proud of his recent job, awarded by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company to paint the gas storage tanks that stand off of Interstate 95 at the city’s southern gateway. The tank project, featured in The Baltimore Sun and on CBS 13 WJZ-TV, are being coated and “dressed up” with colorful murals to mark the company’s 200th anniversary!

Lee is also proud of the paint and abatement work he provided to Sands Casino, which resides on the former Bethlehem Steel plant site. Lee managed the painting of the historical ore bridge which features the Sands Casino signage. Lee is also providing painting and abatement services to the National Museum of Industrial History, dedicated to preserving Bethlehem Steel’s rich, industrial heritage!

Lee and his wife Kelly are blessed with a son Christian and a very energetic canine Chloe!

Harry Ehrie, Director of Business Development

Harry brings over 38 years of experience in the industrial coating supplier business, serving the majority of his tenure in sales and management for the protective coatings division of The Sherwin-Williams Co. Harry cultivates new business partnerships with G.C. Zarnas prospective and current clients primarily in the chemical, petro-chemical and power industries, which routinely require industrial paint and specialty coatings services that include fireproofing, waterproofing and abatement. Harry focuses his efforts in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast territories of the United States.

Harry, who specified and sold protective coatings to engineers and customers who support the power, water and waste water, bridge/highway, food and beverage, and petro-chemical markets, also enhances the company’s efforts to provide in-house expertise on the specification of coatings that perform best as well as quantities per project requirements.

Harry and his wife Mary Ellen have two children and two grandchildren.

Barry Lamm, Project Manager, Manager of Nuclear Operations

With over 30 years of experience in the industrial painting and specialty coatings industry, Barry is responsible for quality assurance, estimating and operations management. Barry’s expertise in estimating nuclear energy projects has increased with the demand for nuclear energy as an essential part of America’s energy security.

Notable past projects under Barry’s direction included the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Plant through the Department of Defense, Public Service Electric and Gas and Salem Nuclear.

Barry is a ANSI Level III Nuclear Coatings Specialist. In this role, Barry continues to train and certify inspection personnel.

A graduate with a B.S. in biology from Moravian College, Barry also holds an M.B.A. degree from Villanova University.