Mike Dorazio opened a Mitsubishi store in Mechanicsburg, Pa., in 2019, and another in Lancaster, Pa., in 2020 right before the pandemic hit.

After the start of the pandemic, “I took a different approach than some dealers would: I hit the gas,” Dorazio said in a news release. “I knew that the only way my company would fail during the pandemic was if the whole country failed. I am a patriotic guy — I did not see that happening.”

He opened a business development/customer care center and worked on marketing and video content. “We came out of COVID restrictions stronger,” Dorazio said.

Mitsubishi Motors North America is celebrating dealer partners who go above and beyond for their communities, and this month the company is featuring Dorazio, owner of Platinum Mitsubishi in Mechanicsburg and Lancaster.

Dorazio said his company builds relationships with its customers by building empathy, and company representatives put themselves in their customers’ shoes.

“We give them the same level of respect and service that we would expect — no matter their situation,” Dorazio said. “We focus on human interaction, which is an element of sales that gets lost so much in our industry.”

He said he is proof that anyone can succeed in life with hard work and determination. When he was age 4, his father died, resulting in a challenging childhood. Angry at the world, Dorazio landed in a detention home.

But he went on to join the U.S. Marine Corps, which he said was one of the best decisions he ever made.

“I am forever indebted to the Marines for teaching me discipline, integrity, work ethic, leadership and many other skills that I still use every day,” Dorazio said. “For a kid like me to become a dealer principal and reach the level of success that I have, I just feel blessed.”

Military service taught him empathy, which taught him “to recognize talent and surround myself with people a lot smarter than me.” He worked to inspire the people in his life to achieve their dreams.

Now, his company is working to share its success with its community.

Dorazio works with veteran charities and events and his company is an annual sponsor of the Freedom Ride in Tyrone, Pa. every July 4 that supports community veterans. The company also plans an annual Gold Star Family 5K on Memorial Day, with proceeds going to Gold Star families and children of service members killed in action.

“One of my close childhood friends was killed in Iraq in 2004, and he left behind three children,” Dorazio said. “We grew up together and joined the Marines together. Knowing what it means to lose a parent at a very young age, and knowing the sacrifice our service members make for this country, it is important for me to give back in that way. As I said, family is important — to our business, to our community and in my life.”

He brings that theme of family to his business, saying his customers know he is a hometown kid who has their interests at heart.

“They are our community, our family, and we treat them like it,” he said.

He also said, “I never see myself as the smartest guy in the room. “I strive to be approachable and be open to everyone. That is also the persona we’ve developed on social media: honest, approachable, local, and people are drawn to that. They are part of our success and we are part of theirs.”