If you’ve owned a car for any length of time, you’ve no doubt come to experience one of the inevitable truths of car ownership: regardless of year, make, or model, cars break down. For the last 100 years, Levin Tire has been here to help Northwest Indiana residents get back on the road, with the help of employees like Levin’s very own Jerry “Butch” Fairchild.
A lifelong Northwest Indiana resident, Fairchild grew up in Hessville and graduated from Morton High School. He is a 22-year Levin employee, starting in 1996, and he currently manages the Hobart location.
“I started as a service writer. Ran a store in Merrillville, went back to the Highland location, where I worked as assistant manager before coming here to the Hobart location about five years ago,” Fairchild said.
When asked what he enjoys most about his job, his answer is simple: variety.
“I meet different people every day. Working here at the counter, helping them get their cars taken care of, figuring out their different problems and helping them find a solution. It’s a really great feeling.”
Levin is a full-service auto repair shop, offering maintenance and repair services from tires to tune-ups, oil changes to alignments.
“Pretty much anything to do with the vehicle, we do here,” Fairchild said. “All different makes and models, foreign and domestic. We see them all.”
Fairchild says that the complexity of cars has changed the focus of auto repair.
“You can fix one issue, but there may be four more. So we work with our customers and explain to them what’s going on with their cars so we can find the solution,” Fairchild said.
“Nobody likes to wait,” he continued. “People come in with a particular problem and we try to get them in, get them out, and get them back on the road so they can enjoy the rest of their day.”
When he’s not helping folks with their auto repair needs, Fairchild enjoys bowling and spending time with his wife, Julie, and their children, Ryan and Rachel.
“Family is really what keeps us here,” Fairchild said.
He also enjoys the change of seasons here in the Midwest.
“It can be tough, but I don’t know that I could deal with living somewhere where it’s sunny 365 days a year,” Fairchild said.
“It’s different. It keeps things interesting. Like the job here, it’s something different every day. No one likes doing the same thing every day.”
With several locations across northwest Indiana, you’re never far away from a Levin Tire location. So, the next time your car needs service, you can rest assured that their team of automotive professionals like Jerry “Butch” Fairchild have the knowledge and skills to help keep your car on the road for many miles to come.
Levin Tire of Hobart is located at 1997 E 37th Ave, near the intersection of W 37th Avenue and N Hobart Rd. For more information, or to schedule a service appointment, visit them online at https://www.levintirecenter.com/ or call 219-947-2574.
