Serving Florida's "Space Coast" region, Gatto's Tires &
Auto Service is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Apollo 14 was on the Moon when Mike Gatto established
the business in 1971. His daughter Pam Gatto now runs
seven locations with her two sons, Scott and Mike, and
son-in-law, Kiwi, representing the family’s third
generation at the Brevard County-based chain.
The No. 1 rule is making the effort to hire top quality
employees.
“We have a lot of good people who work for us,” says Pam
Gatto, the company’s president, “and they often tell me
that they love working with us because they can be
honest and straightforward and do the right thing when
they take care of the customer.”
Founder Mike Gatto spent 22 years in sales and marketing
for Goodyear before striking out on his own; Pam soon
joined him.
“Dad always told me we don’t sell tires and auto
service,” she recounts. “We sell safety and peace of
mind.”
Among numerous accolades, Pam has been recognized by
Florida Today as the Volunteer of the Year and by the
Space Coast Business Magazine Founders Forum as the
Entrepreneur of the Year. She twice served as president
of the Florida Tire Dealers and Retreaders Association
and was elected as the first woman president of TANA
(the Tire Association of North America).
“To help celebrate Gatto’s 40th anniversary,” Pam
reports, “we have a special deal for special drivers.
Anyone still driving a 1971 vintage vehicle can bring it
in to one of our stores and get a free oil change.
Obviously, a 40-year-old car has received a lot of TLC
to keep it going, and we want to make sure that trend
continues into the future.”
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She goes on to note that “we would like our customers to
stop by and party like it’s 1971. If they visit while
wearing paisley bell bottoms (or other 1970s attire)
they will get a coupon for $19.71 off their next
purchase. Gatto’s suggests customers wear a fringe
jacket, headband and love beads.”
The stores are located in Cocoa, Viera, Palm Bay and on
Merritt Island, with two additional sites in
Melbourne.
For more information, visit www.gattos.com.
