About University Tire and Auto

Paul Daniel walked away from a successful career in flooring manufacturing sales to pursue a vision built on relationships, integrity, and doing things the right way. University Tire & Auto was built on handshakes, trust, and treating customers like family, a philosophy that still drives the company today.

Outside the shop, Paul enjoys the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing, and chasing his three boys in their baseball careers — Michael and twins Ben and Jess — while spending time with his wife Katie, principal at Creekside Elementary. You’ll also find him supporting Auburn athletics whenever possible, especially baseball and basketball.

In recent years, Paul has quietly faced Parkinson’s disease with the same determination and grit that helped build the business from the ground up. Most people would never know unless he told them himself.

If there’s a person in Auburn worth knowing, odds are Paul already knows them.

Lee got his start straight out of high school as a diesel mechanic on heavy-duty equipment before heading to Auburn University — where he picked up ASE certifications in both automotive and diesel while moonlighting as a technician and wrecker driver. A surprise teaching opportunity during grad school turned into a 31½-year career in education and school administration. When he retired, he discovered he couldn't quite walk away from a wrench. Today, Lee runs our floor with old-school gearhead instinct, deep mechanical know-how, and a teacher's patience for explaining things — and when he's not here, he's still building hot rods and dragsters, just like he has since he was a kid.

The brains behind the operation. Kristin has been with the company since day one — same desk, same fierce attention to detail — and she's quietly the reason this whole place runs as smoothly as it does. Whether she's keeping the books straight, stepping in as a service advisor, or solving whatever needs solving today, she handles it without breaking a sweat. Weekends? Reserved for the bog, where she'll out-drive you in her built-up RZR before you finish saying hello.

A technician at heart who made the jump to the front counter, Gavin brings a calm, steady presence to the University Tire & Auto team. An Auburn University graduate and former business owner in the marketing world, he has a unique ability to connect with people from all walks of life and make customers feel comfortable the moment they walk through the door.

Customers appreciate Gavin for his patience, genuine friendliness, and the trust he naturally builds with everyone he meets. He has an even-keeled approach that keeps him steady no matter how busy the day gets, and his laid-back personality makes him the kind of person customers genuinely enjoy working with.

Whether he’s helping explain what a vehicle needs or simply listening to a customer’s concerns, Gavin meets people where they are — and that’s exactly why so many customers ask for him by name.

Before joining University Tire & Auto, Samantha worked with AutoZone in commercial parts operations, delivering and supporting parts for shops all across the area. That’s where our team first recognized how sharp, knowledgeable, and hardworking she truly was. After seeing nearly every shop in town firsthand, she chose University Tire & Auto.

Sam has a strong understanding of what happens under the hood and brings a level of automotive knowledge that regularly surprises customers. She has a passion for helping people, a strong work ethic, and the kind of real-world experience that only comes from being in and around the industry every day.

To borrow the phrase, Samantha “knows a thing or two because she’s seen a thing or two.” And that experience, combined with her personality and drive, makes her an important part of the University team.

A family man through and through, Kris treats every customer like they're part of his own. He brings a real, deep-rooted love for the automotive world to the service desk — and when he clocks out, you'll find him at the softball field cheering his kids on louder than anyone in the bleachers.

After years running her father's boat dock business, Ashley brought her organizational firepower to Auburn — and these days she keeps our office moving like a well-tuned machine. Phones, parts, warranties, follow-ups: if it needs handling, she's already on it. Off the clock, she's the proudest fan in the front row at her daughter's fashion shows.

Creed cut his teeth wrenching at a custom shop in Atlanta before carving out his own corner of the internet as an automotive content creator. He brought all of it with him — the install skills, the design eye, and the camera — and now leads the entirety of the brand and our Off-Road division. The shop is more or less his second home.