

DURING THE COURSE OF HIS 38 years in the promotional
products industry, Fran Ford, CAS, has touched many lives. As
evidenced by the countless nominations he received from his
colleagues supporting his 2015 Hall of Fame selection, Ford
enjoys helping people—and a long line of industry colleagues
will tell you just how much.
Ira Neaman, president of Avenel, New Jersey-based supplier
Vantage Apparel, says Ford “has tirelessly and selflessly
worked to educate and mentor hundreds of individuals for the
benefit of the industry.”
One of those individuals is Carol Stone, owner of Dallas-
based distributor Corporate Specialties, Inc. powered by
Boundless Network. “Thirty years ago, [Ford] took me under
his wing and taught me the ins and outs of the business,” she
says. “He took precious time to introduce me to key suppliers
and local reps. As a result of his guidance I was able to grow
my company into a multi-million-dollar distributorship. What he
has done for me he has also done for many others, always
helping us along the path to success.”
Active Adviser
In an era where time and energy are in short supply, Ford
has devoted quite a bit of both to mentor industry profession-
als who have sought and received his counsel.
“You have to make time for people,” Ford says. “If you
take the time and the energy to let people see that you really
are listening and what they say to you is important, you will
succeed.”
Greg Muzzillo, founder of Cleveland, Ohio-based distribu-
tor franchise Proforma, describes Ford’s impact as a friend and
mentor in the promotional products industry. “I personally
know of more than 100 people representing almost $600 mil-
lion in sales who would say that Fran personally mentored
them and played a large role in their success,” he says. “That’s
a very meaningful percentage of our entire industry.”
In response to all this acclaim, Ford says simply, “This is a
relationship business.” And he adds, “To this day, I think of
JANUARY 2015 •
PPB
• 29
2015 PPAI H
ALL OF
F
AME
I
NDUCTEE
Fran Ford
LEFT
Fran Ford, pictured here with his dog, Charlie, has
provided leadership for a number of industry companies
during his long career. Currently, he’s president of supplier
Castelli, a division of Magnet, LLC.
ABOVE
While living at
Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1963, the Ford clan
enjoyed their time near the water. Ford is pictured top left
with his sister on his shoulders.