Refurbishing Grandfather’s Tractor Inspires Florida Woman to a Career With Maaco

“I’ve always liked cars, and I like making things look new again,” said Sherwood. “I once helped my grandfather refurbish his tractor. After that, I was hooked.”

Sherwood worked at an auto painting shop for three years until she learned of an opportunity at the Maaco in New Port Richey. The owners, Tom and Beth Berger, brought her in for a working interview. They were so impressed with her that halfway through the interview, she was hired on the spot.

She is now a paint line technician at Maaco Auto Painting and Collision Repair in New Port Richie, FL. Her responsibilities are sanding, masking and preparing cars for painting.

“Crystal is awesome,” said Beth Berger. “She is one of our key team members and a great team player. She came to us with experience and a can-do attitude. She begins each job with the end in mind and ensures both the quality and speed are there. We can’t say enough about what a great technician she is.”

“She has the respect of all her co-workers based on her work ethic and results,” said Berger. “As a matter of fact, she’s made some of them step up their game a bit.”

Sherwood concurs that she works with a great team that treats her with respect and there have been no issues at all working in a predominately male career.

“I love what I do,” said Sherwood. “The Bergers are great to work for and we have a hardworking team that is always focused on putting out the highest quality results, and I like being a part of that.”

When asked what advice Sherwood had for other women who may be interested in getting into the automotive repair industry, she had this to offer: “If you are a hands-on person who likes to see the end -result of your hard work, it can be a rewarding career. Personally, I like the restoration process and seeing something go from the starting condition to the beautiful end-result. I have personal projects where I have refurbished a 1974 Volkswagen and 1986 GMC Sierra.“