![](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Sarah-Price-1024x683.jpg)
McLean, Virginia-based Virginia Tire & Auto is recruiting, and it wants to attract more women to an automotive repair career.
The 46-year-old company, which recently opened its 17th Northern Virginia location, will hold a major hiring open house Jan. 17 at its Herndon location at 199 Elden Street, and it is hiring for all of its locations.
Openings are available to all, not just to women.
The company says it will make on-the-spot job offers at the hiring open house, including signing bonuses up to $4,500. Technicians who receive a job offer will also get a $100 Snap-on Tools gift card.
Virginia Tire & Auto Co-Chief Executive Julie Holmes, who left a law career to join the family business, has been actively encouraging women to consider the automotive industry.
“While the automotive repair industry is male-dominated, there are a lot of opportunities for women,” Holmes said. “We have a great company team and provide a variety of career opportunities and benefits.”
There are plenty of opportunities for advancement.
Sarah Price began working in 2010 as a general services technician, and through several advancements is now manager at Virginia Tire’s warehouse and distribution center in Sterling.
“I took an auto tech class in high school and really enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together,” she said. “It was fun.”
Current openings include service and sales advisers, store managers, tire and lube technicians, automotive technicians, production managers and shop foremen.
More information about the hiring open house and job openings is online.
Virginia Tire opened its first location outside of Northern Virginia in 2019 in the Richmond suburb of Chesterfield. The company currently has nearly 300 employees and is one of the largest women-owned businesses in the D.C. region.