Texas born, raised, and educated, Emanuel “Eman” Gonzalez left Texas State University with his B.A. in Business Administration and all the trappings for a career in management. What he didn’t have was an idea of how he wanted to apply his new-found skills, until fate stepped in via a friendly poker game among acquaintances. One attendee was the GM of a local body shop and, based upon that interaction, Eman was offered a job on the spot.

Eman’s initial disillusionment back in 2006 with the challenges of coordinating customers, technicians, and service writers brought him to develop the all-important people management acumen inherent in every good business. The solution was simple: put the customer first, instill a culture of genuine care within your team, and trust and loyalty will naturally be earned.

Throughout his 16 years helping to grow that body shop from two stores into twelve, leading integration throughout its eventual acquisition, and continuing corporate growth from 25 to 42 stores in the final four years, Eman began to design the structured service model he and his Silver Lining Collision co-founders would eventually apply to a business of their own. Today, among Eman’s proudest professional achievements is the impact his organizations have had in the communities they served, and the employees he helped to grow and prosper along the way.

When Eman’s not at work overseeing the HR and financial administration of Silver Lining Collision, he and his beautiful wife enjoy watching their two young kids, Eva Jean and Thomas, play, learn and grow.