Katelynn Hofferber

If you’ve walked into our Jessup Street shop and immediately thought, “Oh good, someone who isn’t going to confuse me with car-speak,” you’ve probably met Katelynn. She’s still fairly new to Bullet, but customers have already started dropping her name in reviews—which is pretty impressive for someone who just found out where we keep the good pens!

Katelynn didn’t start her career in automotive, but she was drafted into the family pit crew before she could spell “carburetor”. As a kid, she was helping her grandpa wrench on his ’69 Ford Fairlane—installing an engine, bleeding brakes, and riding shotgun in the one single seatbelt he installed “just for her.” (Safety rating: questionable. Core memory: unlocked.)

Later in life, a chain shop tried to upsell her on a bunch of “urgent” repairs that didn’t exist. Her dad confirmed the car was fine, and Katelynn decided right then that she wanted to BE the change the industry needed.

She spent several years building real, hands-on experience—including three years at Midas, where she also met her husband, Bullet A-level technician John Thielen. You can tell they’re married because they finish each other’s… explanations of drivability issues. And because Katelynn is the kind of person who doesn’t just talk about understanding cars, she bought a Subaru with a blown engine, replaced the short block herself, and insisted on doing every part of the job so she could learn the process. Sure, she was slow. Yes, it drove her husband crazy… but SHE DID IT!

What makes Katelynn such a customer favorite is simple: she explains things in a way that actually makes sense, she truly cares about people, and she’s never going to push something you don’t need. She’s exactly the kind of person we want at Bullet—and exactly the kind of person you want walking you through a stressful repair.

When she’s not translating weird noises into repair plans, Katelynn is usually outdoors: shooting guns, camping, or chasing after a son who learned to ride a dirt bike before he learned to pedal a bicycle. She recently earned her Hunter’s Safety certification (elk camp–WOOT!) and dreams of owning land one day—somewhere she can farm, raise her son with a strong work ethic, and do some hands-on living.

Why she chose Bullet:
“Honesty and integrity—always. Bullet truly cares not just about the customers, but the people who work here.”

And we’re pretty thrilled she chose us back.