MADISON, Wis. — Dutch's Auto Service Inc. is full of all the sights and sounds of your typical auto repair shop.
“We do a lot of regular maintenance, oil changes, brakes, suspension, tune-ups,” co-owner Crystal Rossman said.
Except it’s not so typical; at Dutch‘s Auto Service, women are the majority, not the minority.
“It’s not about fingernails and high heels. We do what we do and we are straightforward and honest about it,” said co-owner Nan Mortenson said.
For more than a decade, Mortenson and Rossman have been empowering more women to get into the trade.
“As a woman, I have had to work much harder,” Rossman said. “In some cases, men are stronger, but women are more dexterous and more detail-oriented.”
Mortenson has been in the business for 35 years.
“I like puzzles, I like a challenge and figuring out things,” she said. “I was raised around people who worked on cars.”
Rossman always like cars growing up, but a career as a mechanic was the farthest thing from her mind.
“My family is pretty traditional, so I’m supposed to do girl things,” she said.
After college, she realized the 9 to 5 office environment wasn’t for her.
Working on cars is eventually where she found her niche.
Customer Robyn Roberts said the service Nan and Crystal provide you can’t find anywhere else.
“When I first came across Dutch‘s, I left wanting to scream and let everyone know amazing this place is,” Roberts said. “I feel like it was important for Nan to let to make sure I knew what was happening and I was empowered about what was going on in my car.”
“This is why we do what we do,” said Mortenson.
Along with making the repair process understandable for their customers at Dutch‘s Auto Service, women are in the driver’s seat of their auto repairs.
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