Team Chevrolet of Valparaiso is run by a dedicated crew committed to providing excellent, friendly service to the community each and every day. Be it in the showroom, at the parts counter, or in the garages of the service department, the men and women of Team Chevy work hard to keep it your dependable hometown dealer.
Learn more about a few members of the Team Chevy Crew:
Paul Stoddard – Sales Team - Sales Associate
Though now a veteran salesman with 10 years of experience, Paul Stoddard never originally pictured himself selling cars. He’d worked as a plant manager at a countertop company, but the market crashed and he found himself searching for something new. A friend offered him a job in used auto sales and the work grew on him so much that he spent years there, before finding himself at Team Chevy last year after hearing about the dealer from another friend.
“I like it, I like everybody here,” Stoddard said. “From parts, to service, and of course all the salespeople are nice. I wish I’d come here 10 years ago.”
If you ask him what his favorite part of the job is, he’s quick to let you know.
“I just like making people happy,” he said. “Every time you sell a car you’re making a new friend. They keep in contact with me, they text me to say congratulations when they hear stuff about my kids doing well in sports. Building those relationships is so satisfying.”
The goal, he says, is to always get the customer the outcome that fits their needs – even if that’s not necessarily a sale.
“I’m trying to get to know the person,” he said. “I learn about their needs, their families. I’m all about making people feel comfortable.”
Hector Hernandez – Parts Department – Parts Counter Sales
About seven years ago, Hernandez joined the Team Chevy crew. He wasn’t a novice, he’d worked in parts at the old Carroll Chevrolet in Crown Point which closed in 2009. Even further that, his interest in cars began all the way back in 1976.
“I just grew up around cars,” he said. “My dad had a couple and I was always hanging out with him.”
Hernandez is something of a jack-of-all-trades for Team Chevy’s parts department, helping the service department, walk-in customers, answering phones, managing stock, and more.
“We work as a team, everyone’s trying to help each other,” he said. “That’s a responsibility that I take seriously.”
He takes a lot of satisfaction out of the team coming together to get jobs done – no matter what they are.
“I love that feeling of getting something accomplished,” he said. “You see a car come in with trouble, and then see it head out repaired. Maybe it’s got a bad motor, or something else is messed up, I help our techs put it together – make sure they have the right parts for it. Doing that, it’s a great joy to me.”
Tom Gronli – Service Department – Service Technician
Like Hernandez, Gronli joined Team Chevy about seven years ago. With the help of the parts department and the rest of the service team, he takes care of any vehicle that rolls into the shop – be it for a simple oil change or serious maintenance.
“I’ve been a mechanic by trade for over 45 years,” he said. “I just like fixing things.”
Though he has an eye on retirement not too far down the line, Gronli fell in love with the people at Team Chevy.
“The people I’m working with are some of the best I’ve come across through the years,” he said. “But I am looking forward to taking care of my wife!”
Gronli is married to his wife of 35 years, with whom he has five children – all college graduates except one who is currently in nursing school.
To learn more about Team Chevrolet of Valparaiso, visit www.chevyon30.com.
