JUPITER, Fla. — Tire industry veteran Frank Dorso, who is credited with helping establish the Falken brand in the U.S., died March 11 in Jupiter at age 72 after battling lung cancer.
An Akron native, Mr. Dorso began his five-decades-long tire industry career in 1976 with Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. During his 17 years with Firestone (later Bridgestone/Firestone), he directed sales teams and helped develop the company's Affiliated Dealer Program.
He joined Falken Tire Corp. as vice president of sales in 1993 and was president of the then-Ohtsu Tire & Rubber Co. subsidiary from 1997-98.
He then joined TBC Corp., where he held key roles as president of Carroll Tire, and he also worked with Tire Kingdom on the retail side. After retiring, Mr. Dorso continued to be active as a business consultant.
He is survived by his wife Janice; sons Frank Jr. and Thomas; daughter Gina Dorso-Craig; and three grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, Mr. Dorso's family asked those interested to make a donation to an organization of their choosing in his memory.