The Magnet Group has announced the opening of the new Fran Ford Center, named after the late Francis “Fran” Ford, Jr., CAS, president of supplier Castelli, a division of Magnet, LLC, and 2015 PPAI Hall of Fame inductee, who passed away in May. The Fran Ford Center, in Greenwood, South Carolina, will serve as the new home of Castelli Magnet.

Castelli Magnet’s new facility, which was moved from its previous location in Sparks, Nevada, will be able to house larger inventory levels and allow for faster shipping of journals from its plants in Italy.

“Words aren’t sufficient to describe what Fran meant to all of us,” says The Magnet Group CEO Bill Korowitz. “His wisdom, patience and friendship are things we will never forget. We all wish he was here to see the building named for him, to see what he helped build, to see what he helped create. Our hope is that we make him proud with the new Fran Ford Center.”

The Magnet Group has also created an award in Ford’s honor. The Fran Ford Award will be given annually to an employee who embodies the outstanding characteristics that defined Ford and made him an endeared leader in the promotional products industry. The company notes that a moment in his 2015 PPAI Hall of Fame induction speech illustrates what made Ford a great friend, mentor and volunteer: “When you find yourself in a position to help someone, be happy and feel blessed, because God is answering that person’s prayer through you. Our purpose on Earth is to not get lost in the dark, but to be the light for others.”