A highly recognized woman in the autobody repair industry is encouraging girls and women to overcome the stigma of male-dominated industries and follow their dreams.

Kim Kos has been in the auto repair industry for about 18 years. She started as a parts-person, worked her way to joining the leadership team, and finally became an owner of Kavia Autobody in 2018.

Although the industry may seem to be male-dominated, Kos says she didn’t encounter many inequalities when making her way to the top.

“I don’t think there has been as many obstacles faced as what maybe we see in other male-dominated industries. I think that everybody is very open and welcoming to where we’re at,” she says. “All the males in the industry are totally open to helping and growing and mentoring our female leaders, as well as our technicians.”

Kos used to be the only women in the shop where she now employs eight women on her apprentice, administrative, and refinishing teams. In 2021, Kos was the only Canadian woman named one of Women’s Industry Network’s Most Influential Women for her work at Kavia.

Despite her success and achievements, Kos says the thing she is most proud of is her team.

“I come to work every day for the people that I work with. We’re super tight-knit. For us it’s all about people. We are a completely people driven culture,” Kos explains.

She adds that vehicles are changing all the time, and so has the industry. Over the 18 years she has worked in the field, she has rarely experienced feeling less-than due to her gender. Kos encourages women and girls with a passion for any typically male-dominated industry to ‘get in there and grind it out’.