Randall and Pat Camp In God’s Time
W
ith their Christian faith and marriage binding them together, Randall and Pat Camp always rely on God to direct their business decisions.
Randall grew up working in the family’s meat packing company where he eventually became part owner. His clients were “Mom and Pop” grocers and when the big grocery store chains began to push the smaller stores out of business, Randall and his brother, Dennis, made the difficult decision to sell the family business. He continued to work with the new owners as a consultant for a couple of years.
Randall then got a sales job with a company in Atlanta. “The company eventually wanted us to transfer to Atlanta, which meant uprooting from our hometown of Ocala,” Pat said. “Our children were teenagers at the time and we just couldn’t agree to that idea at all. So all of a sudden, Randall was unemployed.”
At the time, Pat was a registered nurse, working long hours to make ends meet. It was a very difficult time for both of them and it soon became clear that Randall wanted to own a business again. He began researching business opportunities and right away, the couple zeroed in on Express Employment Professionals. When they learned that the Express office in Ocala was for sale, they thought their prayers had been answered. However, another couple was already trying to buy that franchise territory. “We were devastated,” Pat said. “It blew the wind out of our sails because we were so sure that this office was meant to be ours. We began to explore other avenues and began negotiations with another staffing company, but our hearts really weren’t in it.”
The Camps called the couple who had just bought the Express office to see how they were doing and let them know they were going to start giving them some friendly competition.
The other couple confided that they were very unhappy, missing the lawn care business they had been in before and had figured out that the employment business was not a good fit for them. Randall and Pat immediately purchased their franchise. “It was an answer to our prayer!” Pat said. “We were ecstatic that the Lord had worked all this out in His own time.”
Helping people find work has been fulfilling for the Camps. “It is just heart-wrenching sometimes, seeing people come in so desperate for work,” Pat said. “I’ve seen grown men cry because they’ve lost their jobs and they have families to care for. We place them in jobs and then the next time we see them so happy, so relieved, so grateful for the opportunity to work.”
Because of their success, the Camps have implemented other ways to help people they encounter.“Randall, I, and others on staff put donations each month into what we call ‘the pot.’ When we hear about a need, whether it’s for groceries, to pay an electric bill, or to replace a broken-down car, that money can be used to fill the need.”
The Ocala office also has a corporate chaplain. “This person is here for our clients, our associates, and our own staff as well,” Pat said. “Anytime anyone needs counseling, he can help us right away. One time, one of our clients was on the verge of a divorce. We offered him this counseling service free of charge, and the chaplain helped that couple put their marriage back together.”
When not running their business, the Camps enjoy relaxing on the beach, visiting grandchildren, and counting their blessings. They’re looking forward to many, many more years, all the while putting their business in God’s hands.
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