While Brian Durfey served as an Army Reserve, he learned a lot about resilience, flexibility, problem-solving, empathy, and patience - endless patience. Those soft skills have come in handy as he was welcomed as the new manager at Levin Tire & Service Center in Valparaiso.
Durfey, who served 13 years as an Army Reserve, officially became the new manager at the Levin Tire & Service Center Valparaiso location on Nov. 1.
“The best part of being a manager is being able to help others grow,” Durfey said. “My favorite thing to do in the military wasn’t the actual military tasks. It was helping a soldier figure out a problem. Now that I’m in this position, it’s kind of like I can help people avoid sticky situations and things that would otherwise stress them out.”
Durfey’s management career began in a sales position where he had experienced people guiding him at a company other than Levin Tire & Service Center. Durfey’s former managers had faith in his communication and computer skills when they hired him for the sales position.
“I wanted to put myself in the best position to succeed,” Durfey said. “Wherever you put me, whatever you need me to do, I’ll give you 110%.”
Durfey was promoted a few times but changed businesses for a management position.
“I was never going to be in the spotlight. I was going to be in the back, getting dirty with the cars, but then it felt like the ceiling was really low, so I wanted to do something where I could raise my ceiling,” Durfey said.
Then the pandemic hit, and finding support from upper management and hiring staff caused several challenges. Durfey applied for a store manager position with Levin Tire & Service Center because he was beginning to burn out.
“You can tell the employees that are here want to be here, and that makes for a good environment,” Durfey said. “You can’t be the only one caring. When it’s just you, it’s tough to keep going.”
Durfey’s qualifications included shop management for more than 10 years and commercial management. He has an associate degree in advanced automotive technology with an certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
“It’s a totally different atmosphere here,” Durfey said. “It’s a family-owned company, and I get that vibe here. There are great lines of communication with upper management, and that’s huge for me. This is a better fit.”
Durfey began working with cars because he liked the hands-on challenge. He said every day, he learns something new, whether it’s about the trade or himself. Durfey thrives while working as a team member to find solutions for customers. He wants customers to feel comfortable coming to the store where he’s the manager.
“When you have those relationships with the customers, it’s like they have been working with me forever,” Durfey said.
The store offers new adventures for Durfey every day.
“You’ll have a whole range of emotions of people,” Durfey said. “Just being able to connect with everyone on a common goal makes it worth it. Nobody gets rich in this business. You do it because you’re passionate about what you do.”
Durfey has felt support from Levin Tire & Service Center upper management from the beginning. He trained at the Highland location for about 10 weeks before starting at the Valparaiso location.
“They’re always eager to help you find a solution, and that makes me want to keep going,” he said. “It helps you feel like you are bigger than yourself because you got all these guys here working just as hard as you are.”
Durfey grew up in Illinois and moved to Indiana about three years ago. He and his wife, Kristie, are the proud parents of Brian. Durfey enjoys spending time with his son and is a sports fan.
Levin Tire & Service Center is your local tire and auto repair service expert throughout Northwest Indiana. The comprehensive automotive service centers are located in Crown Point, Highland, Hobart, Valparaiso, and Winfield.
No appointments are required at any Levin Tire & Service Center. For more information visit their website at levintirecenter.com.
