John Parker, Parts Manager
John Parker has worked for Tire Star of Kendallville since it started in April 2019. He and his son, Curt, both worked for the previous owners of this location and continued working here after Austin purchased the business. John, also known as “Parker”, has worked in the same building for 27 years. He started work as the parts manager in 1994. For about seven years after he began work here, he also hauled gas during nights and weekends.
John’s first job was washing dishes at a Publix Café in Kendallville, situated where the Kroger Fuel station is now; he was 14 years old. He’s lived in Kendallville all his life save one school year. That was the year after high school when he moved to Chicago to study heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration. He says it was his parents’ idea. He wanted to be a trucker but they didn’t want him to do that. After one schoolyear he moved back to Kendallville and his dad got him a job driving a tanker for Publix Oil.
The furthest he’s traveled was to Milan, Italy in 1957 when his mom took him to meet her family. He never went back because he doesn’t like to fly.
John does a great job receiving and organizing parts for Tire Star as well as quoting. Tire Star runs more smoothly because of the experience and expertise John brings to the back office.