automotive mechanic

car sales executive

automotive technician

new home sales consultant

auto body technician

Garber Automotive Group

Garber has a large range of makes and models available throught the eastern side of the US.  Do they offer more opportunity for advancement than other auto groups? I believe so, especially considering my own experiences.  I have worn more hats than almost ALL of the Garber general managers (by choice to expand my knowledge and worth).  Unfortunately, like all dealerships they care about ONE THING...the almighty dollar and they are willing to take any road possible to achieve more of it.  Garber isn't afraid to invest in their employees to expand their training and they also aren't afraid to invest in their facilities.  The sad truth here is that (owner) is not involved in his dealerships enough.  He is a public figure in the eye of it's hometown (Saginaw, MI) and that is basically the extent of his involvement.  I have witnessed some pretty disgusting things since my employment at Garber and have expressed my opinions while standing my ground; however I spoke my mind one too many times regarding the illegal activities and it cost me my job (which was a mutual agreement, mind you).  I have worked alongside other employees that have chosen the moral road instead of the paycheck, which cost them their jobs as well.  As my most recent manager so often stated "At the end of the day, it's about doing the right thing and feeling good about it".  The unfortunate part is that there are VERY few managers working for this organization that truly abide by this statement, ironically the above quotation was made by a man who is one of these unfaithful managers.  Garber's values are so heavily preached yet so easily and blatantly tossed aside when it comes to the path of least resistance.  As (most recent manager) put it..."We aren't breaking any values, just maybe inflicting a small fracture."

     I could go on and on regarding my four year employment straight out of college with this company and the terrible things I know and saw but it's not important to expose such negativity.  The important part is that I was "that guy".  (Owner) told me  "You have a lot of brains and it's going to take me places in the company."  I WAS going to be a GM making over a quarter million dollars a year some day.  I consciously gave it all up to follow my dreams of being able to go to work and not have to work a 12 hour day without a lunch, or being forced to allow management to stretch the truth regarding financial information, or having a lunch room in which I didn't have to climb over a dozen used tires to get to only to be greeted by over a thousand fruit flies from the trash that had been sitting for weeks (which I finally took care of myself) and finally not having the ability to express these opions and concerns with management without the threat of termination.  "I'm the boss and I can do whatever I want to."  How disgusting of a statement.  You do not deserve to sit in that chair, and I'm not quoting (owner) here.

     These are just a few of the many issues that I delt with on a daily basis.  I can honestly say that there are some Garber dealerships and general managers that are better than others but they are far and few between.  I only wish those folks would get the picture and do something different because the organization really does attract some very special people. (Owner) simply needs to quit worrying about the almighty dollar, focus on whats really happening instead of planting his face in the already failing Saginaw, MI and weed out the folks that have no place working for a company that apparently requires so much moral value.  If you need a list of these managers...I can provide it and have been willing to provide it with proof for a LONG time.  But first you need to care.

     Stop supporting the management who claims to uphold these values and start supporting the employees that carry the values around in their wallet, fully laminated, for four years and treat them like a delicacy...because thats exactly what these values are and they deserve to be respected.

HERWIP - Any Garber emplyee is "expected to know and uphold" the following values.

Honesty
Empathy
Respect
Work Ethic
Integrity
Pride

     (Owner)....a message to you.  You know who I am.  You MUST know who I am.  I could have been the best GM you've ever seen with the absolute best employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and dealership personel and morale.  Never a simple phone call was given to hear my side of the story.  I moved 500 miles to support your oranization and what it stood for but was left high and dry.  It's so sad that this is how things turned out.  We could have done some great things.  Please don't let the greed destroy what your grandfather started over 105 years ago by knocking door to door selling Buicks.

We can all be wealthy and STILL make the right decisions.  It is possible...so easily possible.

Good luck, you're going to need it.

I've spent 30 years in the Automotive Industry in all facets of Fixed Operations and Fixed Operations management. I have worked for some amazing organizations over the years, and some not so amazing organizations. Every time I considered an employment change, I heard how exceptional the prospective employer was to work for. I heard about work/life balance. I heard about the amazing earning potential, and the incredible ethics and morals the company embraced. In all those years and through all of those claims, I found one automotive group was pretty much the same as all the others. Those claims were either highly exaggerated or my expectations were unrealistic. In short,... it was the pretty much always the same.

Until I came to Garber. 

I was highly skeptical and both successful and comfortable in my previous role. I wasn't looking to make a change and I wasn't really exceptionally open to the idea. But I was intrigued by the incredible story of the Garber Group and it's pioneering presence in the industry. So I listened. And the more I listened the more intrigued I became. I learned about things like Garber's selection for the top 100 companies to work for in the Automotive Sector. About how many of their locations, including the Green Cove Springs location, bosted tenure of 13 years or longer. (Something unheard of in dealerships around the country). About the simple, yet incredible values the company stood for and the amazingly ethical operations those Values have fostered since Garber's inception in 1907. The more I learned the more I found my excitement building. Suddenly I needed to be a part of what this company was doing. I needed to be a part of the change this organization stood for. I needed to be a part of everything they stood for.

So I jumped. I sold my property and moved my family across country.

I didn't do it for the money (although the compensation is excellent). I didn't do it for the title, or the perks, or the advancement potential, or any of those things that would normally prompt a move of this magnitude.

I did it because, after 30 years,... after all the good, bad, and ugly I had experienced in this industry,... I found myself... inspired again. I did it because, quite frankly, after finding out there really WAS a company out there like this,... I didn't have a choice. I simply had to be a part of it. I would never be satisfied again now that I knew there was an operation out there like Garber.

4 years later I can say, with complete honesty and full integrity, that the experience has been EXACTLY what I had hoped it would be. I simply hit the lottery. 

No amount of words, reviews, first or second hand accounts can possibly convince you of the difference thriving within this organization. I can type another 2800 words telling you how special this place really is,... but if you're anything like me,... your experience in this industry and the realities of our present-day corporate environment will make those words meaningless. Cynicism dictates that there's no way this could possibly be true. I know... I was there.

So all I can really offer you is the encouragement to find out for yourself. Go visit a showroom near you. Spend time with the employees that make Garber such a remarkable place to work at. Do your own research and formulate your own opinion.

I am very very confident that if you do so you will find, as I did, that this is just where you know you need to be. Where you can be your best self and better those around you. Where you can be inspired again to reach above your own self imposed limitations and reach new heights.

I wish you the best of luck in your career search and hope you find out first-hand just how green the grass really is on this side.



I absolutely loved my time at Garber Management Group (Garber Automotive). I worked on the digital marketing team as an SEO writer and editor, handling all the writing and editing of blog posts. 

Management allowed me to work remotely instead of forcing me to uproot my family from Florida to Michigan. This really showed their trust in me, and I believe I rewarded that trust with great performance. 

The company trusts its employees to get their jobs done, and there is no micromanaging -- at least on the digital team. If you have an appointment to go to, just let your manager know, and you're good to go. Kids are sick? Work from home. Not feeling hot? Work from home or take a PTO day. 

The only part that was a drag was the time-tracking system that felt a little overkill, as it tracked keystrokes and took screenshots. But with nothing to hide, I really had no issues with it. Some people may find it a little invasive. 

The pay was well above average for the role I took, but the was sadly no room for advancement in this small team. I ultimately left for a senior management job elsewhere but asked for my job back after just a few months away. It would have been a $30,000 pay cut to come back, which shows just how much I enjoyed my role at Garber. Sadly, management never got back to me about my return. 

The only other downside was that as a remote worker, I would go weeks or months without hearing from my boss. Also, there were no pay raises -- just random small bonuses throughout the year. I never received a review in my two years there either, which was a little disheartening. 

Overall, though, Garber is an amazing company that I would recommend to everybody. 

My journey started with looking for a place closer to home. I was tired of driving 1.5hrs to work everyday and not getting the time I needed to spend with my family. I missed a lot with my kids working nights and as far away as I did. I originally started out in the service department as a tech. The service department took me in and showed me the Garber way. They showed me how a true service department should operate to best help and provide for the customer. Almost a year in I had already met some people from other departments. It wasn't long when I was approached by the Ford Sales Manager with an offer to help in the sales department. As advancements took a couple of the sales people to new places, I to was now learning something new with the same company that has already showed me so much. The company has given me so much more than just an opportunity. Garber has given me something I have searched for so long. A career. A place to grow and become more than I thought was possible. Garber is a company to put down roots. Besides meeting new people and helping them find what they are looking for in a new vehicle, making good money while doing it and having that peace of mind through security, I get to spend more time with my family at home and the family I have made along the way. I still have more growing and accomplishments which Garber will get me to. All I can say is, Join the Garber Family.

Training was very poor, and the onboarding process was virtually nonexistent. I worked there for nearly three weeks before I found out when I would be paid because no one could answer the question. When I asked for help, I was often told to sit down instead of being coached. I frequently had to rely on other sales associates for guidance, resulting in inconsistent training and, at times, poor habits being passed along. During my first month, the GM responded to low sales by requiring all salespeople and managers to work open to close, immediately adding about 32 hours per month to everyone's schedule. Morale dropped significantly. After just a few weeks, I was let go due to a lack of sales, even though I had met my draw. I understood the first-in, first-out approach. After many years in automotive sales, this was the poorest training, onboarding, and management experience I have encountered, and it helped me understand why turnover appeared to be an ongoing issue.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Honestly don’t have much to say here. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The weak dictating to the strong the way the location got ran. Younger GM that needs to let go and empower someone with new ideas versus wanting someone who is his own image. The politics too were mind blowing. People spent more time working against you in the back screen as a manager than they did working with you to make the place better. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Company culture is good, work place specific was less than adequate. The weak rule the strong and the pay plans are far below industry standards. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
They want you to wear 15 hats with no resources. They also do everything by pen and paper with no electronic tracking to keep people honest. Cars would get lost in service for 70 days and have 10k more miles on them then when you checked them in. Staff was allowed to by pass management and act however they wanted. Place needs an overhaul. I feel for the GM who’s a great guy, I hope for his sake some day he sees through the nonesense for himself before it’s too late for him.

I have worked in the Automotive Industry over the last 8 years. I can confidently say that Garber is not your typical dealership. I can genuinely say that in my current position where I work, this is the first time in a long time where I get excited to come in and work everyday. The work environment is extremely friendly and most of the people working there feel more like family than just co-workers. Garber has done a fantastic job on creating a positive work culture. Management is fantastic and does an excellent job providing the tools and resources to not only do you job well, but to grow as well. There is plenty of opportunity to grow within the company which is a huge thing. There is no limit or cap to what you can do and accomplish. Garber has a great set of values. These are not only great for the work environment, but for life in general.  Having the opportunity to make a huge impact in the lives of the people around me and the people I meet through work brings me a high level of satisfaction and purpose.  For years I have been chasing a specific pay and have already exceeded my goals in a short time. I could not be more thankful to be in the position I am with Garber Automotive. Garber gets me excited to see what the future may bring.

I come into work, and I am excited to start my day. I've learned a lot of value since being here and you need to take every second as an opportunity to learn and grow as an employee and as an individual. My management team is amazing, always supportive, always caring and looking out for their team. Management here is strong and trustworthy. The culture in my place of work in unlike any place I have personally worked at. I feel like I have my own opportunities to grow instead of growing for the company I get to grow for myself. The hardest part of my job is the training process, there's so much to learn and a there is a lot of information to gain. But there's opportunities everywhere to learn more no matter how long you have been in the business. The most enjoyable part of my job are the people and the customers. I have never been happier. I love when we go out to lunch or order food to the dealership, we celebrate birthdays and holidays and decorate the entire dealership. 

My time at Garber Honda certainly didn't feel like a waste, but there were a few things that stood out.

The people at Garber were nice enough. If you had a question or needed a hand with a job, someone would be available to help out. Management tried their best to advocate for employees and the shop foreman distributed jobs fairly. 

However, the sales, service, and parts departments all appeared to be treated differently. Sales got nice and clean bathrooms with cushy TP, Service bathrooms had single-ply. Parts and Sales were Air conditioned, service dept. wasn't. When I was working there, the AC exhaust for the parts dept. vented into the repair shop. Indoors. This only made it hotter inside in the summer time. It was obvious that the departments making the larger profits were the ones treated the best. It was also frustrating to see the shop labor rate increase while my pay staid the same, when the labor cost was already pretty high

I've been with Garber for just over a year now, and it has been an incredible experience. They hired me on as a remote worker and pay me very well for my services. 

My boss is incredible and allows us to just do our work as long as things get done. The level of autonomy is unlike any other job I've ever had. 

All my coworkers are amazing too. 

Garber flies me to Michigan a few weeks a year and pays for everything: flight, rental car, hotel (very nice place), meals, and more. 

If there is one complaint, it is the lack of upward movement for remote workers. I never received a yearly review or raise, which can be a bit disheartening as I always received these at other employers. I am sure it will come; I think I just slid under the radar since I work a a different shift than my boss and the fact that he is insanely busy. This is a very small issue, in the grand scheme. 

Overall, I love it at Garber!

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