Camille Eber’s parents bought a coachbuilder in 1963, and by the time she graduated from college in accounting and business management in 1986, she was ready to join the family business. But she had to persuade her parents that she could bring enough value to the business to pay her salary and started doing everything from sweeping to bookkeeping.
Click here to read more
Today, Eber owns and operates Fix Auto Portland East, Fix Auto Gladstone and Fix Auto Clackamas, all located in the Portland area. Fix Auto USA is proud to celebrate this female owner as it closes Women’s History Month in March.
“My favorite part of working in this industry is when the customer is thrilled with the outcome of the repair and the experience of their vehicle, then takes the time to let us know and shares their experience with family and friends,” Eber said. “It’s what fuels what I do personally and what we do as a business. When you and your team repeatedly get this feedback and have solid business volume, then you see your reward. in net income.
Eber took over the reins of the family business a little earlier than expected after the unexpected death of his mother and his father struggled after her passing.
“They were partners in life as well as in business,” Eber said. “Dad decided to sell the business to me and retire, and in 1989 I became an owner-operator. He didn’t offer much of an opinion on my decision to pursue a career in collision repair, which is unusual as he had strong opinions. But he, like most men I’ve worked with over the years, was supportive.
“I’ve interacted with a lot more men than women in my career. I maintained a professional demeanor and a positive approach, whether as a client, supplier or insurer. I discovered that it was often the men in my grandfather’s age bracket who thought what I was doing was cool because they had granddaughters and wanted them to have access to all possible opportunities.
This family business experience with his mother and father paid off and impacted how Eber runs the business today.
“I’ve learned through years of observation and experience to be conscientious, and it’s served me well,” she said. “It helps me to be more thorough, careful and vigilant. The industry will benefit from having more women involved because of this high level of awareness, all qualities needed in almost any field of accident repair.
Eber said she strives to create a family environment and support women in the workplace and people in general.
“A lot of women bring a high level of awareness of what’s going on in their environment, a kind of alertness in itself, and that’s good in the fast-paced, process-oriented work that we do,” she said. declared. “I also want to thank most of the men I’ve met in the industry because they support women too.”
Over 30 years since she took the reins, Eber has lived up to the standards set by her parents and built a business they could be proud of – certainly a family tradition worth celebrating.
Comments are closed.