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                                                                   EXHIBIT 31.1


                                CERTIFICATION OF
                             CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                               OF NATCO GROUP INC.
                    PURSUANT TO 15 U.S.C. SS.7241, AS ADOPTED
                         PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE
                           SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


I, Nathaniel A. Gregory, certify that:

1.       I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of NATCO Group Inc.
         ("the Registrant");

2.       Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
         statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
         to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
         such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
         covered by this report;

3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
         information included in this report, fairly present in all material
         respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows
         of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.       The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
         establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
         defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the
         registrant and we have:

         A.         designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                    such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
                    our supervision, to ensure that material information
                    relating to the registrant, including its consolidated
                    subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
                    entities, particularly during the period in which this
                    report is being prepared;

         B.         evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                    controls and procedures and presented in this report our
                    conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure
                    controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered
                    by this report based on such evaluation; and

         C.         disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
                    internal control over financial reporting that occurred
                    during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the
                    registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
                    report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably
                    likely to affect, the registrant's internal control over
                    financial reporting; and

5.       The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based
         on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
         reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of
         registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
         functions):

         A.         all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                    design or operation of internal control over financial
                    reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect
                    the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and
                    report financial information; and

         B.         any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                    or other employees who have a significant role in the
                    registrant's internal control over financial reporting.


Date:  August 14, 2003

                                             /s/ NATHANIEL A. GREGORY
                                           ------------------------------------
                                           Nathaniel A. Gregory
                                           Chief Executive Officer


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