2020 Distinguished Ambassador Award Recipient
Thomas G. Gasbarre ’75 BS Accounting is the Board Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Gasbarre Products, Inc., headquartered in DuBois, PA. Gasbarre Products was founded by Tom’s father George P. Gasbarre Sr. in 1973 to manufacture industrial equipment, focusing on the needs of the powder metallurgy industry. As President & CEO from 1989 to 2018, Tom led the company in 8 strategic product and market acquisitions achieving 10% compounded annual growth over a 30-year span. Today Gasbarre Products ships equipment worldwide and operates 3 manufacturing plants and 2 offices in 3 states with 185 employees. As the leader of Gasbarre Products, Tom’s values ensured that the employees were provided health and retirement benefits and everyone had the freedom to continuously improve the product, which resulted in employee and customer retention throughout his tenure.
Tom is a Navy Vietnam War Veteran and throughout his career has taken a leadership role in the Powder Metallurgy Industry. He is a past Chairman of the West Penn Chapter of the Powder Metallurgy Institute, past President of the Powder Metallurgy Equipment Association, past President of the Center for Powder Metallurgy Technology and past President of the Metal Powder Industries Federation. In 1999 Tom received the Distinguished Service to Powder Metallurgy Award.
As in his industry, service to his community has always been important to Tom. Over the years he has served on the Board of Directors of numerous DuBois area organizations including the Rotary Club, Camp Confidence, United Way, Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, Economic Development Corporation and regional Private Industry Council. Significantly, Tom served on the DuBois Regional Medical Center Board of Directors for 20 years from 1990 to 2010. He then became one of the founding Board members of Penn Highlands Healthcare System for the last 10 years. Tom served as Chairman of both DuBois Regional Medical Center and later Penn Highlands Healthcare.
Penn State, including the DuBois Campus has played an ongoing role in Tom’s career and life. He has served on the Board of Directors of the DuBois Educational Foundation and oversaw the establishment of the Melvin Henry Memorial Scholarship Fund for non-traditional engineering students at Penn State DuBois. Gasbarre Products employees participate on various campus advisory boards and Gasbarre Products has donated equipment to the powder metallurgy materials engineering lab.
Tom’s entire family is deep in Penn State tradition. Tom & his wife Lori of 39 years have 3 children, all Penn State grads. Alex ’05 Acctg, (baseball), Ben ’08 Business-Behrend (basketball) and Angela ’12 Nutrition all bleed Penn State blue. Also, his brother Bill ’76 Business, and nephew Jeff ’18 IS&T are key partners in Gasbarre Products.
In his free time, Tom enjoys road biking, and has participated in New York City’s 42 mile Five Boro Bike Tour for the last 23 years. He is an avid St. Louis Cardinal baseball fan and enjoys watching the Cardinals when they are in Pittsburgh. Tom has also organized an annual Bocce Ball Tournament with the proceeds going toward an Engineering Scholarship in honor of his father at DuBois Central Catholic, a scholarship that Tom setup shortly after George’s passing in 2008.