COVER STORY
Not Her Daddy’s Shop: Women in the Industry Although women comprise around 51 percent of the population, less than two percent of auto body repair technicians are female, based on a 2021 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet, nearly 60 percent of women participate in the labor force, which begs the question: Why aren’t more women working in automotive and collision repair shops where we so desperately need help? A large reason for the lack of female technicians is simply…the lack of female technicians. Young women often don’t pursue careers in the automotive and collision industries because they don’t see other women in those roles, leading them to believe that there’s no place for them. Of course, that’s totally untrue. While women are different from men, those differences are a strength when leveraged properly! Women think differently. Their focus on efficiency and accuracy tend to be huge assets for shops, not to mention the fact that female consumers are typically more comfortable visiting shops that employ women. But defying the odds and being the only woman in the room comes with its own unique set of challenges and fears. Overcoming the fear of being different is never easy – just ask any collision repairer whose negotiations with insurers have been quelled by the claim that they’re “the only one!” – but fortunately, some women are comfortable being uncomfortable; they didn’t allow their fears to subdue their aspirations to join this industry. ASP-MN News talked to a few of the amazing women who’ve found a home in Minnesota shops about their experiences working in a male-dominated industry, the benefits of diversity and how shops can attract more female employees. As the daughter of an auto repair shop owner, Danielle Tinney was born with cars in her blood. After graduating school to become an automotive technician, she began working at Superior Service Center (Eagan) as a mechanic in 2017. Two years later, she transferred to the collision side of the business where she works as a diagnostic technician. “I considered multiple career paths – the sky was the limit! – but I’ve always been interested in automotive,” she recalls. “I knew I needed to be open to every opportunity within this industry, so I started getting my toes wet. Learning about diagnostics really sparked my interest, and I began diving deeper into that because I knew it would be evolving over the next few years. Seeing what the future will bring really caught my eye.” Due to her background in the industry, Tinney is comfortable working in a male-dominated field and has received a lot of support from her co-workers. “The people I work with have helped me along the way, but growing up surrounded by men in this industry has been instrumental in figuring out what I wanted to do. I’ve never been talked down to because I’m female;
18 | March 2022
everyone has been welcoming, and our boss treats everyone the same. I also think that women are becoming a larger presence in shops. We have a female estimator on the auto body side, plus three women in the front office helping customers. I’ve also seen more women delivering parts.” While Dawn Weitzel (Bodywerks Auto Body Repair; Elko) does not have the same automotive upbringing, her career began in an equally male-dominated field. After obtaining her master’s degree in public administration, she worked in city government management for over a decade, but when her husband Jeff took over his father’s shop in 2001, she resigned from municipal government to develop the business where she now handles the shop’s finances, marketing strategy and communications with customers and insurers. “At the time, 80 percent of our volume was rental car fleet related, and we turned the business around by focusing more on individual insureds. We continue to refine our business plan. I’d originally considered returning to a career in government, but when you own a business together, it becomes your baby, and that’s what the shop turned out to be. I can’t imagine leaving it.” Government agencies tend to be male-dominated, just like the automotive industry, but Weitzel was fortunate enough to have many mentors (both male and female) who encouraged her and “really shaped who I am. They encouraged me to trust my skills and abilities, and from a very early stage of my career, I learned the importance of being heard. Taking advantage of every possible opportunity has helped me develop a strong sense of selfconfidence. “I treat others fairly and expect the same in return,” she continues. “Sure, you’ll occasionally get that person who tries to belittle or demean you, but that behavior is the person’s issue, not mine. I refuse to take it and have no problem with politely setting expectations so they understand very quickly that treating me poorly is unacceptable. I expect and receive mutual respect.” Lisa Roering (Roering Auto Body Inc.; St. Paul) also commands respect after owning her shop for the past 22 years. Although she was not involved with the business when her ex-husband owned it, she couldn’t let the shop go when he lost interest after his father passed away. “This special place meant too much to sell it, so I took it over. I didn’t get much respect in the beginning because a lot of people just thought I was a backyard startup holding my daddy’s right hand, and I even had one guy tell me I couldn’t run the shop because I’m a ‘girl.’ Well, that guy had no idea who I am, and his disparaging remarks didn’t discourage me; they simply motivated me to prove myself even more. I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into, but when you really want something – the way I wanted to succeed in my shop – you work as hard as you can to achieve it.
AASP-MN News
