SteelMaster Stories of Service: Customer Service Representative Tara Hoover

When Customer Service Representative Tara Hoover talks about her family, it is clear that service and sacrifice run deep. From submarines to steel buildings, her story is tied to both military tradition and personal pride.

A Family Built on Service

Tara’s story of service starts with her grandfather, who served in the Air Force for five years.

Her brother-in-law has spent nearly two decades in the Navy, currently stationed in Seattle aboard a submarine. Her father spent 23 years in the Navy, also on submarines, before transitioning into a second career in education.

“[My father] didn’t grow up in a great situation,” Tara said. “There were 17 kids in one house, below the poverty line, and he knew the only way to create a better life was to get out. The military gave him a way forward.”

Tara’s family has lived all over due to military life, and while distance has created some challenges, especially with her brother-in-law now on the West Coast, she says the shared experience helps them all stay connected.

“We just get it. We understand that life because we lived it.”

Showing Up with Intention

Tara credits her father’s presence and discipline as a major influence in her life.

“I remember him being gone, but I never felt like he was absent. When he was home, he was really home. He never missed a band concert, football game, or piano lesson. He was always present when he could be.”

She also mentioned how those values shaped the way she and her siblings show up in the world. “We’re respectful, we’re polite, and we’re always on time. If I need to be somewhere at nine, I’ll be there by eight-thirty. That’s definitely a military thing.”

A SteelMaster Building with Personal Meaning

When Tara started at SteelMaster, she was in residential sales. One month when sales were slow, her dad decided it was time to buy a building–and he bought it from her!

“My parents had just put a house on a piece of property in North Carolina, on the lake,” she explained. “Originally, they weren’t going to build a garage, but my mom said, ‘You need something, because I’m not letting all your gear clutter up my new house.’”

That is when her dad chose a SteelMaster.

“[My dad] loves how sturdy [his building] is and how it looks. He has come across Quonset huts during his time in the Navy, so I think it reminds him of that. Now it’s his space for all the gear, fishing stuff, tools, mower, whatever doesn’t belong in the house. It is probably like one big outdoor junk drawer, but it’s his, and he loves it.”

Service That Comes Full Circle

Tara believes strongly in the importance of recognizing service, not just of veterans, but of military families.

“Quonset huts originated in the military, so there is already a connection. But beyond that, [SteelMaster’s headquarters is] located in one of the largest military hubs in the country. A lot of our customers have served, and this kind of recognition makes our company more relatable. They want to buy from people who understand them.”

That shared understanding often leads to more meaningful conversations.

“Sometimes that personal connection is the reason a customer chooses us. It is not just a sales pitch. It is real. I talk to people from all over who say, ‘Oh yeah, I remember those buildings. I used to sleep in one.’ And now they get to own one. That is special.”

Tara says she would not even be working at SteelMaster if it weren’t for her dad’s military path. “Everything about my life is shaped by his service. It brought him the opportunity to grow, which gave my siblings and me the life we have. I feel proud of the work I do here. It all connects.”

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