Meet Hailey from East Bethel! Haylie is from St. Francis and has been working at Nuss for about eight months. Haylie is a lone female working as a body shop technician for our East Bethel location. Fun fact: Haylie was ranked #1 in the nation for BMX bike racing in her age group last year.
Did you go to school for this line of work?
I took a class in high school. My dad went to Dunwoody for auto body and then I did BMX with my co-worker Bill, who told me about a spot, so I took the job.
What are your career goals?
Eventually, I think I’d like to be a painter, but being a body tech is fun too, I like the sanding and all that. I’d also like to go to school for it.
What was it about working at Nuss that intrigued our enticed you?
I like trucks, so I thought that was cool, and then I wanted to see if I liked autobody, so I took the class and really enjoyed it so I went after it to see if I wanted to make a career out of it.
How do you feel like the class prepared you for what you are doing?
It was more like the car side of things, so a little bit. We sanded and all that but the rest of it wasn’t really relevant to trucks.
How is the team here at Nuss?
The team at Nuss is really helpful. They have helped me a lot, how to paint, how to sand the correct way, and take apart the trucks and put them back together.
What do you like most about this job?
What I like about working at Nuss is that I don’t have to interact with customers, I just do my own thing and get it done. I like that it’s a scheduled work day, you come at the same time each day. It’s not part-time. I like the opportunities. Every day I’m doing different things.
What do you think sets you apart in this field?
There aren’t many females in this field of body shop technicians or diesel technicians for that matter. I’m kind of a perfectionist. So that might help out in some way. I have pride in what I do, I don’t half it, I get it done.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced since working at Nuss?
Painting was a challenge because it takes a lot of technique. When I showed up, I really didn’t know anything, so it’s getting used to the tools, getting used to the people, getting used to what I’m working on. Luckily, my hands-on training has been awesome.
What’s a success story you are proud of since working at Nuss?
I just painted my first brand-new truck. We worked on a tow truck and I had to work on a toolbox in the back that had a huge hole in it, I thought that turned out really nice.
What do you think is the biggest challenge you’ve faced since joining the team at Nuss?
A lot of it is just learning the routine, getting good enough so I remember what to do, what to use, and what tools to use for which project.
Tell me a bit about your family:
It’s my parents and my twin sister. We like to go camping a lot. We’ve been to every MN state park. Itasca was my favorite. We go to BMX races all the time and camp out at those.
Do you have any BMX races coming up?
I just did one yesterday, I might do one tonight. There are probably races I’ll go to this weekend. I do Pro-Am, which is for the faster riders.
What does your perfect weekend look like?
My perfect weekend would probably be a race, do good in my race. First or second place or something. A national would be cool. Went to Tulsa for Nationals, I love the challenge of those longer, more challenging events.
What’s your favorite place in MN?
Lake Vermillion. We have some land up there. It’s kind of cooler up there and I like the lake.
What else do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I like to draw, do BMX, camping, I read a lot, I like 4-wheelers, and I ride them a lot. Cars are also a passion of mine. I’m restoring my truck. My dad used to race dirt track so I like to watch them too.
What is a dream that you want to make come true someday?
My dream is to have a solid, consistent, well-paying job. My dad does flooring and it’s just sporadic. My mom worked a bunch of jobs. I want to be successful. Not do a bunch of different careers. Just one. Not living paycheck to paycheck.
What brought you guys to the town you live in?
My parents moved here because it’s less crowded than the Cities and it’s such a nice location to be.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I think people would be surprised to know that I work at Nuss as a body tech and that I do BMX racing.
Who has been some of your biggest influences?
My dad, for sure has been a huge influence, and definitely Bill at Nuss.
Is there anything you would tell someone who was thinking about working for Nuss?
It’s really good. I like it. The staff here is great at what they do, they are so polite and helpful. I enjoy that I always have something to do.
