For many who enter the automotive repair field, they come with dreams of one day opening a shop of their own. For Victoria Carl, she didn’t think it would come so soon for her—but through being born into the industry, and a determination to build upon the foundation her family gave her, she put herself in a position of owning her own repair shop in Voorheesville, New York, at the age of 25.
For five years now, she’s run Carl’s Advanced Automotive & Truck Repair Center alongside her mother, and neighbors her brother’s own detailing shop across the street. In a time when so many in the industry are looking to recruit talent and formulate succession plans, Carl’s story is evidence that young people entering the field can find success in an environment where their determination and talent is encouraged.
Born Into It
Carl was born into the industry, growing up around the Saab dealership that her grandfather owned. Much of her infancy was spent in a car seat on the parts counter, being passed back and forth among family members at work.
Carl’s father also grew up in the automotive industry, with training specifically in body work. He would leave the dealership and go on to work with brands including Maaco, Bosch, and NAPA, delving into the world of aftermarket scanners and diagnostic tools.
As such, Carl was surrounded by automotive enthusiasts throughout the entirety of her upbringing, and it showed. “I grew up on the tool truck in the summer when I was not in school,” remembers Carl. “We raced go karts. We would purchase trucks that I wanted to drive when I was 16 and restore them.”
From the moment she entered high school, Carl knew she liked hands-on work and wanted to be a technician. When she was a junior, the opportunity came for her to enroll in a heavy-duty diesel class with the BOCES program—but she was met with resistance.
“My guidance counselor was like, ‘No, you're not going to take the diesel class. Why would you do that? There's nursing, there's cosmetology; you should go get a degree in college for something else.’ So that was a little bit of a hurdle, and that just honestly fueled my fire,” shares Carl.
The further ahead Carl pushed, the more she began to realize this was something she truly was skilled at, and could forge a meaningful career in. “Once I put my head down and worked hard... I started to realize that I really was good at it, and this was something I was doing for myself, and this is something I love,” says Carl.
After graduation, Carl would go to the University of Northwestern Ohio and gained associate's degrees in both diesel technology and agricultural diesel technology. Through fast tracking her degree, she was able to graduate in a year and a half. She loved what she was studying, but was eager to come back home.
Upon her return to New York in 2019, Carl took on work as a preventative maintenance service technician for semi-trucks, and continued to find her enjoyment in her career choice only grew. Little did she know, an even bigger opportunity would soon fall in her lap.
A Successful Succession
While Carl was studying in college, her brother was pursuing his own career in automotive, helping out at a local repair shop. When they met him, and learned he had a talented sister as well, they kept bringing up the idea of them potentially taking on the shop one day.
“They always just joked, ‘Oh, well, you and your brother are going to own the shop someday. You and your sister are going to be the owners,’ and it was funny...and then it wasn't funny, they were serious,” tells Carl. “So, it was kind of an ‘Oh, well; why not?’ kind of moment.”
With Carl’s brother being still only 17 at the time and looking forward to college, she became business partners with her mother and took over the shop five years ago. Though the experience of becoming a shop owner was entirely new for Carl—who at the time was just 21—she gained guidance from the shop’s previous owners, who stayed around to aid with the transition. Having already established a loyal customer base, the former owner helped introduce Carl to customers.
Carl has enacted many operational improvements to the shop, such as transitioning to being almost entirely paperless. All schedules are now digital; vehicle inspections are now done digitally instead of on paper; and the shop now communicates with customers through text, which has been a convenience for those who may be at work and can’t pick up the phone.
Support is Essential
These days, Carl is much more active back in the shop, while her mother works full-time managing the front desk. Her passion ultimately lies with being able to educate others on how vehicles work—whether that be customers, or aspiring technicians seeking guidance.
“I have an intern right now who is 16 years old and wants to be an auto mechanic, and her mom found me and reached out to me,” tells Carl.
While Carl serves as an inspiration for young women entering the field, she couldn’t have got where she is without a supportive community. With her brother’s auto detailing business just across the street growing alongside her repair shop, her whole family have been pillars of support for one another throughout the entire journey.
“You have to find people around you that you trust. You literally can't do it all,” Carl says. “You have to find your village. Whether it's your mom or your brother, it's gotta be somebody. You need somebody that you can trust, who understands the way you're thinking, and somebody you can have as a sounding board.”
