Ladies of Collision: Carrie Coppi, Hub City Body Shop, Lubbock
by Alana Quartuccio
The ladies in this industry are certainly something special! In the words of ABAT’s very own Jill Tuggle, “There’s something special about the women in the collision repair business. It’s almost like we are our own breed – so wildly unique, yet still similar!” With that, welcome to our new feature where we highlight the many interesting ladies who make the collision industry so unique!!
Our inaugural feature lets us get to know Carrie Coppi of the family-owned and operated Hub City Body Shop (Lubbock).
Texas Automotive: How did you get into this industry? What role do you play?
Carrie Coppi: Our family has been ‘gear-heads’ for our entire lives. I would help my father rebuild miscellaneous barnyard finds. When my father retired from banking after 30 years, he started with MAACO in Texas. My family was based in California at the time, but we’d come down here to visit. After my husband got out of the military, we moved down to Texas, and I started working at the shop as an estimator. Once my father retired, my brother, Dan Seay, took over, and we named the shop Hub City Body Shop.
TXA: What are some of the biggest challenges women in the industry face?
CC: Typically, when someone comes into the shop, they assume I’m the receptionist, and they may seem taken aback when they realize I’m handling the repairs as an estimator. Occasionally, if it does appear that a male or female customer would prefer to speak with a male, I’ll refer them to a coworker who usually tells the customer, ‘Carrie is our lead estimator, and you’ll want her taking care of your repairs.’
TXA: What about this industry do you love the most?
CC: The camaraderie, with my shop and even with those in other shops. We are located in an area where there isn’t any real contention. We all get along great and will send business each other’s way. Everyone is very involved.
TXA: What’s life like outside the body shop? Do you have any interesting hobbies you’d like to share?
CC: We are a family-owned business. I am here as early as 7am Monday to Friday, so there’s not often a lot of time away. We will be moving our daughter to college soon, so I will likely be figuring out some hobbies to take part in once she is no longer home with us. Also, hoping to do some off-roading in the desert. We haven’t had the opportunity to do that in several years.
TXA: What encouraging words would you give to other women interested in entering the world of collision?
CC: Keep up with all of the industry standards and all the training. Be confident when you are with your customers and your coworkers. The more knowledge you have, the more confident you can be. That’s really something I’ve learned from Danny Gredinberg (Database Enhancement Gateway). Being knowledgeable will help you be confident in everything you do and when working with adjusters, customers, coworkers, parts distributors and vendors.
Want more? Check out the September 2024 issue of Texas Automotive!