Staff Writer
HOULTON — When Carl Duff went to work at John Cassidy’s Studebaker dealership back in the early 1950s, he says he didn’t envision a generational chain of events but, that is, in fact, what happened as the business evolved into a family affair. Not only did Duff marry Cassidy’s eldest daughter, Mildred, he eventually converted the business from car sales to car service as his wife managed the bookkeeping responsibilities.
BRAKE SHOE REPAIR — In their shop at 306 Bangor Street, Carl Duff, left, and son, Tom, show some of the work Duff’s Service Station does like this repair of brake shoes. They say they try to keep one bay open for emergencies when customers come in unexpectedly.
A new business is born
The Studebaker name vanished from the corporate landscape but Duff’s Service Station was born in Houlton in 1969. Like many new businesses, Duff said the startup meant “tough years” and his vision back then was just to make a living for him and his family. He says he also had a wrecker at the time and did towing – day and night.
Duff even sold gasoline for a while but, he says, there was little profitability in it. Maintaining the two gas pumps, on top of the paperwork, led him, over time, to discontinue the gasoline business when Texaco offered to remove the underground tanks.
So, he concentrated on service – repairs and inspections. Then, he added a lawn-and-garden sales and service component to the business in the former car showroom. Duff cultivated even more of a loyal following as the business grew. Awards on the walls prove his success in expanding the business while his wife kept the books.
Tradition in
the 21st Century
By the winter of 1980, son Tom, who had been living and working in Naples, Florida, came back to Houlton. “It was very hectic,” says the younger Duff. “In those days we had a lot of school bus work. We had contracts with Hodgdon and Houlton.” Recalling those days he says: “We did just like we do now – a little bit of everything – lawn and garden equipment, school buses and trucks to cars. It was very hectic.”
Over the ensuing years, the clientele was consistent as families and their children patronized the business regularly. But, there were changes. New computerized technology transformed the world and Duff’s was no exception. The elder Duff says he has seen “a lot of changes – big changes in automobiles and how you work on them.”
Son Tom took over the service station in 2002 and his wife, Nancy, assumed the role of bookkeeper as her mother-in-law had done before her. A third generation, Carl’s grandson, Ryan, has worked at the station, periodically. Currently he’s working on a business degree at Husson College in Bangor and may continue the family tradition. His father says “I think dad would get a kick out of seeing Ryan here. We all would.”
The frenetic pace of today’s hurry-up-and-go world has pushed his customers from the comfortable, more casual sit back and chat mode to the understandably high speed of the 21st Century. “The world has gotten so busy now that everybody is in a hurry,” says Tom Duff. Immediately, his father agreed. “It used to be in the old days, I’d see guys bring their car or truck in here, they’d be in no hurry. They’d sit here all day.” Despite today’s fast pace, Duff’s Service Station remains a friendly, welcoming place to do business.
Father and son acknowledge that customer expectations are high whether it’s fixing a problem or getting a part. “Time is so important now. Your vehicles are your lifeline,” Tom Duff continued, saying the computer is a valued asset in the business. The biggest reason customers go in for service, the younger Duff explains: “is drivability problems – cars don’t run right – or noises. People hear a noise under their car and wonder why the brakes are making a noise or they think it’s the brakes or so forth. Those are probably the two biggest things we work on.”
And, a big part of the job today is diagnostics. Computers with up-to-date software coupled with periodic and compulsory classroom training keep Duff’s on the cutting edge of current technology for diagnostics, repairs and inventory control. Thanks to their use of computers, parts are usually located for pickup the same day or overnight shipment.
Duff’s, located at 306 Bangor Street, is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Customers and new clients can schedule appointments by calling 532-2061 or drive in with an emergency repair. No doubt, you will be greeted with a smile and a warm hello in any case.
READY FOR WINTER — Snow blowers outside the front office are one part of the multi-faceted business at Duff’s Service Station. The lawn and garden department is in an adjacent building once used as a showroom for car sales.
ONLINE SEARCH — Carl Duff does a quick computer search for auto parts in the office while son Tom watches.
