CENTERVILLE — Chambers Service and Repair in Centerville has been a family affair since its creation.

In 2014, longtime automotive repairman Mike Chambers Sr. set out to blaze his own trail, by opening Chambers Auto Repair with his son Mike Chambers Jr.

Chambers Sr. went to school at Belmont Career Center in 1988. Following Belmont Career Center, he attended University of Northwestern Ohio where he received his Automotive Service Excellence certification.

After Chambers graduated, he worked at several different dealerships and service stations as a mechanic as well as returning to Belmont Career Center to teach the class he used to take.

Chambers said that his son, Mike Chambers Jr. also attended University of Northwestern Ohio and also has his Automotive Service Excellence certification.

Chambers Sr. said that in 2014, his son Chambers Jr. approached him about them going into business together because he wanted to have more set in stone hours that he worked and was looking for something that would be more on the daytime side.

“It’s been exciting, me and him doing this together, and we just put one foot in front of the other each day. And now, a little over 10 years later and we’re still going strong,” Chambers Sr. said.

He added that in his extended history in the auto repair industry, he’s seen a lot of industry changes.

“When I started the image of a mechanic was a guy with a rag in his pocket and grease on his hands, now the image of a mechanic is a guy with a laptop that stays clean all day,” Chambers Sr. said. “You have to be very technical in this business, after all of these years it’s actually a struggle for me sometimes but comes easy for the young guys that grew up on all that stuff.”

He added that he loves going into business with his son and the pair was able to then hire Brandon Shepherd as a technician which Chambers considers a part of the family now.

Although the staff is only three people, Chamber Sr. said that the company works like a well oiled machine.

He added that if one of them has something that doesn’t allow them to attend work the other two staff members step up and the company doesn’t miss a beat.

In addition to being technicians the company also handles roadside service calls as well as service calls for farm equipment in the warmer months.

Chambers Sr. said that although a lot of electric vehicles are being sold he doesn’t see the public fully making the shift from gas to electric in his lifetime.

He added that even though the industry is forever changing he attends several virtual seminars throughout the year to ensure he stays up to date with the technology side of the business.

“We use our laptop diagnostics, and have laptops in the building for printing, repair orders, and ordering parts,” he said.

“We have scan tools around here capable of doing limited programming on vehicles and also checking engine lights. We do wheel alignments, which that’s also computer based most of the time. I recently even had a Tesla in for a front end work alignment.”

He added that the technology is constantly evolving and he and his crew are forever having to adapt and adjust to whatever changes.

Chambers Sr. said thatChambers Service and Repair uses Technet Program through Advanced Auto Parts and uses Napa Tracks Program for repair order printing and Mitchell On Demand for service information.

“There’s always something to learn somewhere,” Chambers Sr. said. “It’s ever changing, you’re constantly sitting down reading something because even though you worked on that make and model last year, this year there may be a different approach of a different safety procedure to adhere to to perform the repairs.”