Set in a quiet rural town, Limerick Transmissions in Limerick, Maine, has something a little unusual for a transmission shop. What is that, you ask? A female transmission builder, Tia Waddington.
Tia graduated from Kingswood Regional High School in New Hampshire, where she took shop class and participated in their 2-year auto program. “There was just something that attracted me to areas of work that were not traditionally female,” she explained during our conversation about why she got into the automotive field. Following high school, Tia completed a 15-month technology course at Lincoln Tech in Connecticut. In order to graduate, she had to “shadow” at an auto shop. Her dad had a transmission job at Limerick Transmission, so she decided to work for them. At the end of the shadowing period, Brad had told her if he ever needed her, he’d give her a call, which he did.
Tia was hired by her boss and owner Brad about ten years ago. Brad states, “She was my first female technician and only one to this date.” While observing Tia as a student, Brad said he saw things in her that he looks for in any technician. “Tia paid close attention; she was eager to learn and absorbed information like a sponge. She also had an easy-going personality, and the shop talk did not seem to distract her.” As Brad put it, “This isn’t Sunday school. So, I needed someone with thicker skin.” Tia loves working with Brad and says she will stay until he decides to hang it up and retire.
I asked Tia what she would tell other young women thinking of getting into transmission building. “I would tell them, don’t be scared. It’s tough work. You get dirty, cut your hands, and learn a few swear words along the way, but it’s fun and keeps you on your toes. That’s what I’d tell my daughter.” She says her 7-year-old comes to the shop from time to time, and they put her to work fetching tools. She adds, “I try to teach her about my craft when I can keep her focused.” At age 7, being easily distracted is expected. Her daughter may not follow in her footsteps, but no doubt, she will be proud of the societal expectations her mom has exceeded.
I asked Tia what her father thought about her career path. She said he was excited to have a new mechanic. He stated, “You certainly have a mechanic you can trust when it’s your daughter.” We also discussed how others reacted to finding out she is a transmission builder. She mentioned customers would come into the shop and think she was the secretary. She laughed and said, “One thing I know is my limits. I could not deal with customers. Some of my swear words might come out,” she jokingly added. “I belong in the build room, and I’ll let my boss Brad deal with all that.”
I asked how she thought Brad would describe her. She replied, “I think he’d say she’s a little crazy but a hard worker.” In fact, he did have a similar description. He says, “Tia is dedicated, loyal, fastidious, and pays close attention to detail.” He tells me he wishes he had two more just like her.
From my conversations with Tia, she is straightforward and tells it how she sees it. She isn’t easily offended, and when you speak to her, you can tell from her candidness that if you dish it out, she will give it right back. That trait is probably what got her here today. There is no doubt in my mind she is one tough lady! While they do have a dedicated R&R tech, she was required to pull a transmission out when in training. This facility has no lifts, so this young lady did it the hard way. She didn’t get cut any slack by her boss just because she was a girl. I believe that is just how Tia likes it. She knows what she’s made of and will take any opportunity to show the rest of us that a woman can be a topnotch transmission builder.
By the way, Tia also has a 1-year-old baby boy. Until he was old enough for daycare, on days that the family couldn’t help, he stayed at the shop while Tia worked. I think most of us who grew up as “shop kids,” including myself, remember spending a lot of time running around the offices or playing in a back room.
If you are an amazing woman in the auto industry and want to learn more about AWIA, please visit AmazingWIA.com and join their private ladies-only roundtable group on Facebook for info about the weekly meetings and events!
