Jim Gerolium, 72, a former sales executive at General Polymers, died June 23 after a struggle with cancer.
“We hired him in 1980 to start and run General Polymers of Ohio and he went on to become president,” said Dan McGuire, a Plastic Pioneer and one of the founders of General Polymers Inc.
He said that Gerolium picked the Ohio location, hired staff, ran the business and “it was highly successful.”
The company was later acquired by Ashland Chemical Co., where Gerolium worked as a regional sales director and later as director of supplier relations. Before joining General Polymers, he also worked at Washington Penn Plastics.
He left Ashland in 2004, and had been running a printing business called the Proper Image. He lived in Washington, Pa.
He was a competitive golfer, who also enjoyed hunting, racquetball and skiing.
Gerolium was involved with organizations including Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, Washington Area Humane Society, Elks Club, Washington County and Mon Valley Chambers of Commerce. He was also a member of the Immaculate Conception Church.
He is survived by his wife Frankie Jo, three daughters, a brother and five grandchildren.