Passion for the work drives 10 years of Koppinger Euro Service

Local Auto Shop followed the Road from Hobby to Hometown Business

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 22, 2026

Matthew Koppi, founder of Koppinger Euro Service, will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the business in his hometown in September. Photo by Fred McCormick

Matthew Koppi does not recall a specific moment that influenced his fascination with cars, but he remembers the automobile that, nearly three decades ago, inspired his career path. The 1982 BMW 3 series was 17 years old by the time he acquired it when he was stationed in Italy, but its timeless and efficient design was unlike anything he encountered when working on American cars, as a teenager in Black Mountain.

“This was 1999, and I had 80s and 90s cars when I was a kid, but when I looked at the interior quality in that BMW, and how everything had a purpose and was designed for an exact function, it blew me away,” he said.

What began as a hobby grew into a passion and eventually a business in his hometown, where Koppinger Euro Service is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary in September.

Following his graduation from Owen High School in 1998, Koppi enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving eight years in active duty. He returned to Western N.C. at the dawn of the Great Recession, earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental science.

“The economy was turning really bad and I was going through a tough financial time,” he said. “I had a Suzuki Sidekick because it was good on gas, but I blew out a tire coming back from Fort Jackson, S.C., after I completed drill sergeant training.”

On a tight budget, Koppi searched for used tires to get his vehicle back on the road, but found an intriguing restoration project instead.

“For some reason, this car in Hot Springs popped up,” he said, motioning to a framed article featured in the January 2017 issue of Performance BMW magazine. “It was baby blue, rusted out, the black top was completely shredded and the tan leather interior was in shambles. It didn’t run, and if I had bought that car at any other point in my life, I would’ve pulled maybe three parts from it and took it straight to the junkyard.”

The listing for the BMW E30 325i, which asked for $1,000, had been up for 45 days, he added. Koppi’s offer of $500 was accepted on the spot. His plan was to get the car running within a week, sell his Suzuki and put a new top on the German automobile.

The next several years became an intensive study in European auto technology, as Koppi began buying and selling severely damaged BMW models for parts.

“I stripped parts off other cars that had been wrecked or were beyond repair and I went through about 42 of them in four years,” he said. “That funded the build of that car, which I couldn’t afford to do right now. A lot of money and time went into rebuilding that car.”

Matthew Koppi, who grew up in Black Mountain, established Koppinger Euro Service in 2016. The business, now located in his hometown, will celebrate 10 years in September. Photo by Fred McCormick

The income he earned in the process allowed Koppi to support his family and raise seed money for an auto repair business, which he founded in Barnardsville. His work on the project provided thorough insight into the mechanical systems of the brand.

“It really was like a crash course on how BMW puts their stuff together,” he said. “It’s interesting because that isn’t something that changes much. Even though the body style might change, the basic layout is the same underneath the car, so in 1983, 1989, 1995, 2004, they become more modernized, but everything is in the same place.”

Koppi developed a true understanding of the “design language” of European automobiles.

“If I open the hood of an Audi, BMW, all of them, it makes sense to me,” he said. “American cars are easy to work on, but if you open certain ones you’ll find five different types of fasteners, each needing a different tool, holding a plastic cover on top of the engine, which holds the intake where the air filter is. It’s overly complicated and counterintuitive.”

The rebuilt BMW 325i, which Koppi still drives today, represents the origin story of Koppinger Euro Service, which incorporates his family’s original surname.

“When I was building that car, I was introduced to a whole local culture that loves those 80s-era cars. Eventually I organized a club, with no dues or fees, called Blue Ridge Beamers,” he said. “After a few years, there was a Greenville chapter and we had 120 members on the mailing list. Many of those people were my first customers.”

When he earned his college degree in 2015, Koppi looked for a suitable career in a related field, but a potential path emerged from his longtime hobby when he opened a small shop in Barnardsville.

“I did everything wrong,” he said. “I didn’t know what I was doing at all. My first labor rate was $35 an hour, when the national average was like four times that much. I was trying to be the people’s champion by saving people money and fixing cars.”

The first two years were “really tough,” Koppi added.

“But, I’m a stubborn person and this was what I was doing,” he said. “I learned a really important lesson in business, which is the moment you give yourself a backup plan, you’re destined to fail.”

From left to right: Matthew Koppi, Matthew Koppi, William Chambers, Ezra Hawkinson, Jose Angeles and Noah Hughes stand outside of Koppinger Euro Service, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in September. Photo courtesy of Evan (Next Best Men Photography)

A new opportunity came in 2018, when Koppi learned a familiar location on Old U.S. 70, near the heart of his hometown, was available.

“I wanted to be closer to Asheville, so I looked all over Buncombe County,” he said. “I grew up knowing this place as Mobile Medic, and I had been in this building a couple of times when I was younger. I looked at so many different spots, but I’m really glad I didn’t take any of them before I found this one.”

The move to Black Mountain represented a turning point for Koppinger Euro Service, as the founder focused on maintaining and building strong relationships with existing and new customers. The business, which currently employees four technicians and advisors while offering summer internship positions, continued to evolve.

“We increased our visibility and accessibility, but I still didn’t know what I didn’t know. I was able to survive, but I was still more mechanic than business owner,” Koppi said. “The biggest moment here was in March of 2022, when we went to a training event in Orlando. I spent the last money I had to get us all to this event, because I knew I needed to learn more about the business side of things.”

While the four-day Supplier & Expo Training (STX) was an “intense” experience for Koppi, the investment proved transformative for his shop.

“The training offered hundreds of classes, but, as an owner, I took management and ownership classes. I had no idea what they were talking about,” he said. “I just tried to absorb everything I could and it was exhausting. I came back with an understanding of how to operate a business that does more than just survive.”

As Koppinger Euro Service approaches its 10th anniversary, the past four years have established a foundation upon which the owner is continuing to build. While the shop still specializes in European vehicles, it services domestic brands, as well. Koppi and his team attend regular trainings, as the business recently expanded to include a spacious waiting area, with a free arcade driving game, welcome counter and office space.

The founder, who will host the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, Friday, Sept. 18, for a ribbon cutting ceremony, plans to add two new Koppinger Euro Service locations within the next five years.

“The real story of this place is that it went from a passion project to a failing business, then a nearly bankrupt one, and through some education, became a sustainable business,” Koppi said. “If I could go back in time I would tell myself to allow advice from people who have been where you are and had success doing what you’re doing. Ignore everything else, and get out of your own way. If you truly believe in it, be passionate about it, and don’t give yourself a backup plan. It will work, even if it’s not always pretty.”