MELBOURNE, Fla. (Sept. 2, 2010) — An entrepreneurial non-profit organization has named Pam Gatto, president of Gatto's Tires & Auto Service, its 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year.
Ms. Gatto, a past president of the Tire Association of North America, a forerunner trade group to the Tire Industry Association (TIA), will be honored by the Founders Forum Sept. 28. She is the first woman to receive the honor from Founders Forum, which is dedicated to the needs of entrepreneurs in East Central Florida.
The organization's mission is to provide a forum where new businesses can network with funding sources and potential investors can learn of new businesses. It honors business excellence within the community through the award.
Ms. Gatto was inducted into the Tire Industry Hall of Fame in 2001.
“My father started this business in 1972 with the simple premise that we don't sell tires and service, we sell peace of mind and make vehicles safe for our customers,” Ms. Gatto said in a press release.
Melbourne-based Gatto's Tires operates seven locations in Brevard County, Fla.