For three-quarters of a century, Fishers have been putting cars on the road in Portland

The Fisher name means something in automobile sales in Portland. It has for some time.

Since 1945, a member of the family has been selling cars in the city.

Today, Jim Fisher Volvo is the largest volume Volvo dealer in the state of Oregon.

Once upon a time, Joe Fisher — Jim Fisher’s grandfather — owned a string of dealerships in the City of Roses, including Joe Fisher Freeway Ford at 1313 West Burnside, which opened in 1947. Joe would also run Dodge, Plymouth and Oldsmobile stores in Portland. Son Jim Fisher established a Volvo dealership in 1957.

Jim Fisher Jr. — the father of the current owner of Jim Fisher Volvo — at one time operated five auto dealerships in the Portland area (courtesy Fisher family)

In 1971, Joe Fisher transferred ownership of the Ford store to Jim, which remained on  West Burnside. A year later, Jim Fisher Volvo moved from the east side of Portland to its current location on SW 21st and West Burnside.

Then in 1987, after Jim’s premature death at age 54 to a heart attack, Jim’s son — also named Jim — and daughter Jane Fisher Graybeal took over ownership along with Jim’s widow, Ruth Fisher, who became company president.

Siblings Jim Fisher and Jane Graybeal run Fisher Volvo, the largest volume Volvo dealer in Oregon

(All three of the Fishers’ given first names were James. The elder two Fishers’ names were both James Oscar, making the younger one a junior; the youngest Jim’s name is James David. When the third Jim was a youngster, he was known as “Jimmy.” The eldest Jim was called by the nickname “Joe.”)

Ruth died at age 87 in 2020, continuing the ownership of the family’s Volvo dealership — situated just a few blocks from the location of their grandfather’s initial turf — to children Jim, Jane and Jean Shearer. (Jean retains a small ownership interest in the business but is not involved in management.)

Ruth Fisher worked at Fisher Volvo until her death in 2020

“We have done a good job serving our customers and staying relevant in the community through all those years,” says Jim Fisher, a third-generation family member in the auto business.

Sure. But more than three-quarters of a century for a business in one family?

“It’s crazy,” he says. “I’m not even that old yet, thank God.”

Jim Fisher Volvo is the newest supporting sponsor for kerryeggers.com. I have known Jim for nearly 20 years and have purchased four cars from him through the years. Thanks to the Fisher family for their support of my website.

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Joe Fisher opened his first auto dealership in the Midwest.  In 1947, Fisher got the family business started with his own Ford dealership at 1313 West Burnside.

Joe Fisher Freeway Ford, circa early 1970s

“He called the store ‘Double lucky 1313 West Burnside,’ ” his grandson says. “He advertised on streetcars. For awhile, the slogan was, ‘See Joe and save some dough.’ ”

Today, the site is occupied by Everyday Music. Across the street is the Crystal Ballroom. The Ford store was a playhouse for the three young Fisher children.

“That thing was huge,” Jim says. “It was five stories. You could hide everywhere. It had a skybridge in the front of the building that went across the driveway entrance. I got in trouble playing in the parts department. It was a fun building to get lost in.”

“You could hide things in there,” Jane says. “It had a circular driveway. There were cars that ran into the wall when they missed the curve.”

Joe Fisher also partnered with Haskell Carter to create the “Joe Fisher-Carter Company,” which manufactured garbage trucks, in 1952. Nobody remembers how long that lasted.

Grandpa Joe, Jim says, “was kind of ornery. But he was a go-getter.”

“He was super smart,” Jane says. “He started a lot of businesses. He founded a bank and invented a lift so you could stack cars. He finished eighth grade; that was it. He was raised in Tennessee and his dad was a country doctor. He raised and rode horses as a hobby.”

“They lived on a ranch in Scappoose for awhile,” Jim says.

“Clydesdale horses were in the Ford store showroom one year,” Jane says. “(The horses) were in town for some event. It was a sight to see.”

Jim Fisher Jr.’s mother had died when he was five. His father remarried, and his second wife helped raise Jim Jr. and his two sisters at their homes in Portland and Scappoose. He attended high school at Portland’s Hill Military Academy, a boarding school. Fisher attended Oregon State for four years and was in the ROTC program. It was then that he developed a love for Beaver athletics.

Jim Jr. and Ruth married and moved to Livermore, Calif., for a couple of years, where he served in the Air Force. They returned to Portland, where Jim Jr. first worked for his father at Joe Fisher Freeway Ford, then for Marv Tonkin and Marv’s father, Ed, for a couple of years before establishing Jim Fisher Volvo.

In 1957, Jim Jr. established his Volvo dealership at Grand Avenue and Couch Street on the east side of the Willamette River. Ruth worked as a business teacher at Newberg High and then sold residential real estate.

“At first she bugged Dad for a job (at Jim Fisher Volvo) and he said no,” Jane says. “She started selling real estate. Then he said, ‘How about coming to work for me?’ She said, ‘No, I’m gonna stay with real estate.’ ”

“She won awards selling houses,” Jim says.

Jim Jr. did well in the car business, too, expanding his empire to two Datsun dealerships (which became Nissan in 1983) in addition to one Volvo, Ford and Peugeot/Mazda store. The Volvo operation moved to its current location in 1972 on the spot previously held by Bernard Cadillac. Through the 1970s and early ‘80s, the family lived in Beaverton, and all three children attended Sunset High.

Both were involved in athletics. Jim played varsity soccer and tennis.

“I didn’t see the field a lot in soccer, which is incredible because Mom came to every match, pouring rain or not,” he says.

Jean was on the tennis team. Jane was a quarter-miler in track and field, a backstroke specialist in swimming and a member of the Apollos’ dance team.

Their father was a major sponsor of Oregon State athletics and had season football tickets. For years, he kept statistics in the press box for radio play-by-play announcer Bob Blackburn.

“He would break pencils all the time,” Jim says with a laugh, “because he was upset, either at the officials or the Beavers messing up.”

The Fishers had season football tickets for many years and were avid tailgaters.

“Before every home game, they would have great parties,” Jane says.

“Their tailgate spot was in the parking lot between Gill Coliseum and where the performance center is now,” Jim says. “Mom would make fried chicken, baked beans, the works. My fraternity brothers would come by. She would make enough for 20 people. We would eat everything she had.”

“Dad was fun,” Jane says. “He had a lot of buddies. He was a character.”

“He was a softy,” Jim says. “Pretty gentle with everybody. For sure, passionate about Oregon State.”

Their father served as a Washington County commissioner and as a member of the Wolf Creek water board.

“He enjoyed politics,” Jim says.

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Jim Jr. ran his auto businesses until he died of a heart attack in 1987. He was 54.

Jane was 29, Jim 25. Both had graduated from Oregon State — Jane in 1979, Jim in 1985, along with sister Jean in 1982.

And suddenly, they were thrust into a position they weren’t expecting.

Jane was an Alpha Chi Omega at OSU, graduating with a degree in business with concentration in journalism. She held a number of jobs in the ensuing years — a salesperson for Nordstrom’s, waitressing at night then working for a stockbroker for a couple of years.

“The brokerage firm was selling gold coins during the time when the Krugerrand went to record highs,” she says. “It was a crazy place.”

Following that, Jane worked for E.F. Hutton brokerage firm. She joined the family business working for a fleet company that operated out of a Portland office and was owned by her father. Finally, she sold Volvos at her dad’s store.

Brother Jim, meanwhile, had worked a couple of months at his father’s Nissan store in southeast Portland after graduation from OSU, where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta. But his experience in the car industry dated to his high school days at Sunset.

“I worked at our Datsun store on the west side,” he says. “I would ride Tri-Met to work either to open; then I’d ride Tri-Met home (to Beaverton). Sometimes I would fall asleep on the bus. The driver would wake me up at the end of his line and say, ‘You gotta get off the bus.’ I would have to walk two miles home.”

At Fisher Datsun, “I washed cars, swept floors, changed oil, shagged parts for technicians, worked at the parts counter,” Jim says. “I sold cars there. Sold cars at our Nissan store on the east side. Sold cars (at Fisher Volvo). I’ve done pretty much a little bit of everything. Not a master tech ever. Can’t claim that one. But I can change oil, put air in tires and fill washer fluid.”

After his short stint working at Jim Fisher Nissan, Jim explored his political side, serving an internship with Senator Bob Packwood in Washington, D.C.

“I was there for maybe six months,” he says. “I was dating (future wife) Julie, and one day she called me and said, ‘What are you doing back there?’ I said, ‘I’m having a good time.’ She said, ‘If you want to continue having a good time, I’m going to start dating somebody else.’ I said, ‘I’ll be home next month.’ ”

When Jim returned to Portland, his father suggested he get some work experience outside the family business. Jim went to work for a Nissan dealer in National City, Calif. He was there for a month when his father passed away.

Jim and Jane joined forces with their mother, who became majority shareholder and “dealer principal” for the remaining five Fisher stores — two Nissans, one Mazda, one Peugeot and one Volvo.

“When Dad died, we gave up Mazda,” Jim says. “We were one of the first Mazda dealers in the U.S. Peugeot wasn’t going to make it by itself. Monte Shelton took that off our hands — I think for a dollar.”

Joe Fisher (left) was an Al Kader Shriner in Portland

The remaining Fisher Nissan property — at Mall 205 — was sold to Ron Tonkin in the late 1980s. Since then, it has been only Jim Fisher Volvo. Ruth Fisher died in 2020, leaving the business in its entirety to her three children.

Ruth Fisher had grown up on a potato and onion farm in Sherwood.

“She had this amazing work ethic,” Jane says.

“Mom worked (at Fisher Volvo) on a Friday,” Jim says. “Went into the hospital on Saturday, and passed away the following Wednesday. Heart issues. She just kind of tired out.”

“Mom was tough,” Jane says.

“A slavedriver,” Jim says. “She had no problem telling me if I did something wrong.”

Jane: “She had super high standards.”

Jim: “She would come to work every day and work maybe 12 hours. She would be here at 8 a.m. and leave at 8 p.m. She would come in to work on weekends. She had no kids left at home. That’s what she wanted to do.”

Jane: “She loved it. It was very much a part of her life until the day she died.”

The Fishers leased the property at 21st and Burnside owned by Bernard Cadillac when the dealership relocated from the east side of Burnside.

“It was in a family trust,” Jim says, “and they were not ready to sell the property.”

Finally, in the early 2010s, the Fishers purchased the property.

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Jim, Jean and Jane are now raising the fourth generation of Fishers. Jane is married to Ron Graybeal, a retired commercial insurance agent who now has a consulting business.

“Gives him more time to golf and fly fish,” Jane says. They live in Portland.

They have one son, James Graybeal, 26.

Jim and Julie have been married for 35 years and live in Tualatin. Their children are Molly Murray, 31, and Emily Murphy, 29, both married. Molly, who works with internet operations and marketing at Jim Fisher Volvo, has three young daughters — Olivia, Sophie and Bella. Emily’s first child, Luke, just joined the family.

From left, Molly Murray, Jim Fisher, Emily Murphy, Julie Fisher at the Fisher Volvo dealership

“My daughters went to Oregon State,” says Jim, lamenting with a laugh, “but they both married Ducks.”

Jean and her husband, Kevin Shearer, live in Seattle. Andrew (33), Amy (30) and Claire (26) are their offspring.

When they were six and four, Jim’s daughters were featured in a radio advertising campaign, talking “under the big blue Volvo sign at 21st and Burnside.” The campaign was created by advertising executive Dave Lutes, and it continues today, 25 years later.

“Safety in automobiles was the theme,” Jim says. “Young parents bought Volvos because they wanted a safe car to drive.”

The girls always finish the commercials with, “You’ll love the way we treat you.”

“People remember those commercials,” Jim says. “We have gotten a lot of good response through the years. It seemed to catch on with listeners. The ads are unique — not just in the auto industry, but in radio ads in general. It’s a unique twist on advertising. We have had a ton of compliments. People tell me all the time, ‘I heard your kids on the radio.’ It has been a pretty successful campaign.”

Like his father, Jim bleeds Beaver orange. He and Julie own season tickets for OSU football, basketball and baseball. Jim Fisher Volvo also gives complimentary vehicles to two coaches — Tanya Chaplin (gymnastics) and Laura Berg (softball). Jim is a member of football coach Jonathan Smith’s “head coach’s circle.”

“There are some perks that come with that, but I’m not doing it for what you get,” Fisher says. “I’m doing it to support the program.”

Jim was a donor for Oregon State’s first NIL collective, “Giant Killers.”

Former OSU star Jack “Jackhammer” Colletto meets with the public during NIL event at Jim Fisher Volvo

“I want to be involved to try to help make sure we are competitive with our peer schools,” Jim says. “We have to let our athletes know we are interested in keeping them in the program.”

During the Beavers’ bye week in October, Jim Fisher Volvo hosted an NIL event. Nine OSU football players took part, signing autographs and visiting with hundreds of Beaver fans.

Jim Fisher (right) with former Oregon State linebacker Omar Speights during NIL collective event at Jim Fisher Volvo last fall

“They were recognizable names, some of the top players, and everybody who came in knew who they were,” Fisher says. “It was a real pleasure to have them on site. Those players were the most humble, polite young men. They were outstanding.”

Jane and her husband join in on a few home football games every season. When the Beavers host the Ducks, Jane contributes her “lucky pumpkin soup” for Civil War game tailgaters.

“It’s a secret recipe,” she says. “I don’t think I’ve ever taken pumpkin soup to a Civil War game that we have not won.”

Once not long ago, Julie asked her husband what he would do if he didn’t run an automobile dealership.

“I would move to Corvallis and work for the athletic department,” he answered.

“We’re not moving to Corvallis,” she assured him.

“But I do have a passion for Oregon State,” Jim says with a laugh.

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Via the Volvo Customer Service Experience scorecard — a survey of those who have purchased cars in the Northwest — Jim Fisher Volvo is ranked No. 1 in the region for customer satisfaction. Jim says it starts with those who work there.

“We have awesome employees,” he says. “People rarely leave until they retire or move to another city. Our service advisors have all been here for years. When the customers roll in here for service, they’re dealing with the same guy who has been here for 15 years. Same with the sales people.”

Jim and Jane are not absentee owners.

“Either Jane or I are usually here — often both of us,” Jim says. “When someone walks in, they think, ‘Jim is here,’ or ‘Jane is working.’ We talk to our customers every day.”

“Our family is engaged,” Jane says. “Jim and I love what we do. We have a lot of passion for it. We really care about our people and our customers. That keeps us here and going.”

“We have a very good customer base,” Jim says. “We have multiple repeat customers; it’s insane. We sold a car yesterday to a guy who worked for Nike for a long time, still has a house in Portland but has moved to Florida. He bought his ninth or 10th car from us and is shipping it to Florida.”

That customer is Jeff Hawes, now a senior vice president for Fanatics.com, the largest sports licensing company in the world, Hawes bought a Volvo S40 from Fisher Volvo in 2010. He has done his part in helping Jim Fisher Volvo stay in business in the 13 years since.

“I count at least 10 (Volvos),” says Hawes, who has moved from Portland to Tampa, Fla. “I’ve always been a Volvo fan, but what has kept me going back is the operation behind Jim Fisher Volvo. Their service is great, both in the sales force and the garage when going in for maintenance. They are friendly, always get back to you promptly, are always on top of it.”

Hawes has developed a friendship with Fisher.

“Jim is an Oregon State grad, I’m an Oregon grad, so we used to jaw at each other,” Hawes says. “It’s been a pleasure to get to know him. He’s a fantastic guy, upstanding citizen and great businessman.”

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The pandemic year 2020 was rough for most businesses, save the liquor and golf industries. Jim Fisher Volvo’s service department kept the operation afloat.

“People had to make sure their cars were functional, so we were deemed an essential business,” Jim says. “The service department was the only reason we stayed open.

We still sold cars, but our business was down.”

The Fishers asked for volunteers for furlough for all departments.

“We didn’t have to furlough anybody who didn’t want it,” Jim says. “For service, we cut the crew in half, had them work alternate weeks and gave them extra paid time off. All the techs stayed working.”

Now, says Fisher, “we are doing well (in sales). Last year was very good, and we project about a 30 percent increase in 2023 in new car sales.”

As for used car sales?

“It’s lukewarm,” he says. “The market has been all over the board the last couple of years. Pricing skyrocketed in the spring last year, because there were no new cars available. Then we had a correction in the fall, and prices dropped significantly. Our new car inventory is great; for used cars we’re just fine, too.”

How do the Fishers work together? They each do what they do.

“We’re very fluid,” Jane says. “Our roles are natural, and things have just evolved. I like to do certain things; Jim likes to do others. It used to be that he was more focused on used cars, and advertising was something I focused on.

“Now, Jim does a lot of planning for the new car inventory, ordering the cars and figuring out which cars to stock. We’re both involved with day-to-day activities.”

The Fisher car dynasty in Portland continues “under the big blue Volvo sign.”

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