The Gorilla Composites Team

John P. LejaFounder

My career started as a chemical engineer. In 1952 I started in a laboratory at Clark Oil doing chemical reactions and adapting them to volume production. From there I started designing equipment for volume plastic resin manufacturing and rewrote formulas to fit volume manufacturing.

In the late 50's I started designing plastics and resins for new specialty applications, such as, wafer board binding, plywood laminating, laminated electrical boards and decorative laminates (Formica type).

My experience moved me up to aerospace applications, carbon fiber, molding resins, high strength and light weight fire retardant materials for high performance specialty applications and non-wood resin molded materials for construction applications.

I started the chemicals and plastic resins business in the early 1960's for Clark Oil and chemicals. There I helped design the equipment and layout for the manufacturing plant and took over for national sales. I grew Clark Oils Chemical to the largest and most responsive specialty volume resin company globally.

When I left Clark Oil and Chemical in 1986 I had risen to General Manager of the Chemical and Plastic Resins Division.

I started Gelko Adhesives and Aerospace in 1984 with my son Greg, to develop other products such as adhesives and coatings to be used in the performance honeycomb and laminating industry.

In 1990 we acquired Hexagon's Structural Honeycomb building program and started to lay the ground work for a higher performance core and laminating adhesive.

In parallel I went to work for Union Carbide's Bakelite Division starting out as a salesman. I quickly moved up to Technical Manager, then to U.S. Vice President and General Manager. I became responsible for three manufacturing plants in the US. During that period of time, I was responsible for sales, customer service, manufacturing, product development, purchasing and profit/loss for all three plants. Under my management the three plants I was responsible for were the most profitable Divisions of the Bakelite Group.

In 1997 I left Bakelite Group to rejoin Gorilla, a company I started in 1995 to make adhesives, then coatings and continue to develop structural composites.

 

Greg LejaCEO / CTO

Greg has a long and successful career creating unique approaches to design and manufacturing of high performance structural composites. He co-founded Gelko Adhesives & Aerospace in 1984, specializing in manufacturing adhesives and resin systems for the composite and  honeycomb industries coupled with Aerospace applications.

Greg designed manufacturing plants as well as co-developed formulas for, special PVA's, polyurethanes, epoxys, polyester resins and performance resin systems. Industries and applications that used his technology included, paper honeycomb, impregnated structural honeycomb, Nomex Honeycomb, Fiber glass laminates for commercial aircraft cargo liners.

In 1990, after working with Hexacomb since 1984 on their Structural Honeycomb program, he acquired the structural honeycomb program from Hexacomb Corp. Greg continued to develop and improve the honeycomb core, expander / curing system, panel laminating process, and adhesives. He continues to explore new designs and leading edge innovations in the curing processes, panel assembly and field assembly that keep Gorilla Composites at the forefront of structural composite panel technology.

Greg works closely with new, innovative products and applications in order to support the global need for sustainable housing.

Direct 708-785-2898
Fax 708-361-6115
greg@gorillacomposites.com