“I think those are good things that we’ve put together that help those on an internal basis with our own needs as a company for technicians, and it also helps people out in these schools where they gain some training that they can take and help themselves become more successful and make a good living for themselves,” Kauffman says. Kauffman also helps support other High School programs in 8 other counties in Georgia.Īt the college level, Kauffman offers a six-month program at South Georgia Technical College where students attend college and set up a career with Kauffman upon completion of the program. Students interested in working in the automotive service industry can participate in the training program, and then work at a Kauffman Tire location after finishing school. Kauffman Tire has been donating to and coordinating fully equipped training centers for South Atlanta High School. No matter the location, Kauffman is always making sure his business provides excellent customer service and is helping the community. “Being able to help customers and make customers happy, I think that’s one of the key things – knowing that you help people out in a difficult situation,” Kauffman says. “Frankly the more I look at it, I just really enjoyed being in the business,” he shares.Ī testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of tire dealers, Kauffman Tire’s evolution has made it one of the largest independent tire dealers in the nation, and after 80 years as a leader in the tire business, Kauffman Tire not only remains in family hands, but also continues to lend a hand to communities of Kauffman Tire locations.įor Kauffman, helping people is the best part of the business and why he’s proud to be an independent tire dealer. In 1984, Kauffman officially joined the family business. Kauffman began working for the family business around the age of 12, eventually doing everything from changing oil, changing tires, working in the warehouse and driving delivery trucks. In 1975, Kauffman’s father John relocated the business to Atlanta, Ga., and the business has since expanded to 57 retail stores in Georgia and Florida and 14 distribution centers. It’s just people acknowledging it was long overdue.The Kauffman family has built a tire empire since Harry and Eva Kauffman, Kauffman’s grandparents, opened Kauffman Tire in 1936 in Wooster, Ohio. I’ve gotten a lot of ‘It’s about time.’ Not in a mean way.

I’ve gotten a flood of emails and texts and posts that have been nothing but supportive. It surprised me to some extent, because I didn’t expect the news to go this wide.

Kauffman said she’s “gotten nothing but love” since making the announcement, adding, “It’s been amazing. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. “I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Kauffman said. The gift will also assist the department to recruit more expert scholars and teachers, map long-term academic and research priorities and provide new opportunities for students to engage in interdisciplinary scholarship.” According to the LA Times, Kauffman’s $4 million African and African American studies program will “support a distinguished scholar with a concentration in the study of the peoples and cultures of Africa and the African diaspora.

Kauffman friends