After getting out of the Army in 1956, Eddie Lupinek started Eddie’s Auto Body in the lower floor of the William’s Chevrolet building. Since then, Eddie’s Auto Body has been continuously serving the local community. Many things have changed since 1956.
In 1985, Eddie’s Auto Body moved into a new building in the East Haddam Industrial Park. The new building provided numerous expansion opportunities with a new paint booth, an explosion proof room dedicated to mixing and matching colors, and a second frame-straightening machine. It seemed like Eddie was gearing up for the long haul, then in February 1992, Eddie officially retired leaving the reins of the family business in the hands of his son. Now the second generation, also named Eddie, had to step up and continue the great reputation that his dad had created.
Young Eddie already had a great start as he had grown up at the shop, even to the point of waiting for the kindergarten bus at the body shop. At a young age he had the knowledge of how to fix cars. Young Eddie spent many years and weekends at schools and seminars on how to properly run a body shop.
Learning the “ins and outs” of the industry, Eddie rose to be elected President of the Auto Body Association of Connecticut (ABAC). What has been learned through generations of knowledge is the importance of continual learning and also the importance of striving to give the customer what “they want.” The product of Eddie’s Auto Body is a happy customer.