Quiet Family Business Provides Retirement Work
The Lovell family
owned a Chev-rolet dealership in Astoria, Ore-gon as early as
1910. Bob Lovell, pictured above and now partially "retired,"
grew up working in the business for his dad, Sherman Lovell. Sherman
started selling cars from a catalog and the dealership grew until
the family sold it in 1994.
In 1986 the family took on another responsibility when they became
the franchisor for Hertz Rent-A-Cars, an operation which they
still maintain today.
The Hertz business is a quiet one, sitting on the river-side of
Duane Street perched up above Commercial Street at 14th. Just
Bob and his daughter, Martha Dahl, run the business with two other
part-time employees. "It is a complicated business, though,"said
Martha, explaining that they own the cars in their fleet of 10
cars and two vans. "We get a commission on corporate cars
that are dropped off here -- but only if we rent a trip for them
heading back to their home dealership. If the renter wants to
go on the other way....no commission." Once they rent a car
in their fleet, they need to make sure it gets returned, and it
would be a nice bonus if the return trip is a rented one, but
that doesn't always happen.
In fourteen years of business they have only had two cars totaled
and they rotate in new cars on a regular basis. The business is
low key and has no computer. "People call in and ask if we
can't track down a particular car in the Hertz computer,"
said Martha. "But we are a papa and mama independent business
and not part of the Hertz corporate computer network." added
Bob. LCB
Hertz Rent-a-Car
Owners: Bob Lovell/Martha Dahl
Address: 1492 Duane
Astoria, Oregon 97103
Telephone: 503/325-7700
Toll Free: 800/55607808
Hours: 8a - 5p M - Sat
Other times by appointment
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