John Gravelle is a successful entrepreneur who has overseen the operations of Mar-Lee Cos., based in Leominster, Mass., for more than 25 years. Under his direction, Mar-Lee has grown to become one of the area's leading plastics manufacturers and mold makers whose business focus is the medical and consumer products markets.
Gravelle has been with Mar-Lee since its inception in 1972 and is principally responsible for market development, operations and the implementation of technology within manufacturing.
Back in 2001, Mar-Lee successfully began transforming itself from a traditional custom injection molder and mold maker, into a successful contract manufacturer that specializes in medical applications and the production of high-volume, highly automated packaging products.
With sales exceeding $20 million and annual sales growth averaging 15-20 percent, Mar-Lee currently employs 80 people. More importantly, Mar-Lee has generated double-digit profits, while investing an average of 10 percent of annual sales into automation and technology. The company has focused on developing and serving specialized niches, such as the molding of bioabsorbable resins like polylactic acid, or PLA.
Gravelle is an active member within the community and a member of the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council, the Society of Plastics Industry Inc., the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Society of Plastics Engineers.