Bubba Tripp's Autobody Shop was started nearly 45 years ago by John C “Bubba” Tripp, Jr. Bubba started his shop after returning home from the Vietnam War. He worked by day and went to school by night to actualize his goal of running a shop. He started out of his garage, repairing cars for the locals. He and his wife, Kathy Tripp, was able to purchase a shop, the old Amoco shop and service station
on Pine Street in Macon GA. Sadly, in April 1984, Bubba passed this life from heart failure resulting from exposure to agent orange in the war. Kathy quit her job at Brown and Williamson To***co Company and vowed that Bubba Tripp's Autobody Shop would not go under. She wanted her husband's legacy to live on. Kathy was one of the first black women to ever run a body shop solely by herself in the city of Macon. She proved she was just as great if not greater than her male counterparts by ensuring the continued success of Bubba Tripp's Autobody Shop. Under her leadership, Bubba Tripp's Autobody Shop secured several major contracts with the city of Macon. A third of the business generated came from local contracts with the city of Macon's Police Department and with other corporate contracts. Kathy's staple for the shop was, “We do it right the first time”. She has always been about excellence and no car has ever left her shop without her final inspection to ensure that the final product was to the Tripp Standard. Kathy and the Bubba Tripp's Autobody Shop has been featured in several editorials from local Macon newspaper, The Telegraph, to Nationwide magazines such as Essence. Kathy's entrepreneur spirit was birth from Bubba Tripp's Autobody Shop all thanks to a wonderful man she calls her husband, John C Tripp, Jr. Not only has she made Bubba Tripp's Body shop what it is today, she has also raised entrepreneurs out of their two children, Tarcia Tripp and John C, “Trey” Tripp, III DDS. Trey runs and operates an Orthodontics Clinic out of New Orleans LA called 7 O'clock Dental and Tarcia owns and operates an anti-aging spa in Macon GA called Aesthetics Anti-aging Center.