One of the industry’s most respected leaders, Fran Ford, president of Castelli North America (asi/44305), passed away yesterday after a long illness.

The recipient of the 2012 Marvin Spike Lifetime Achievement Award, Ford was known throughout the promo market as a great mentor, colleague and friend to many. His 40 years in the industry included stints at several supplier firms, including J. Charles Crystalworks (asi/62985), where he served as vice president.

“I became a salesman at a young age and ended up following my dream, and have been a salesman all my life,” Ford once said in a Counselor interview. “I never dreamed of doing anything else.”

Counselor will publish a full obituary shortly on www.asicentral.com/news.