In Cranbrook, Meraki Mechanical sets a new standard
Transparency and dedication earned this Kootenay automotive shop the utmost community respect and a prestigious award
Cara and Steve Campen, the husband-and-wife team behind Meraki Mechanical. — Photo by Bloom Wild Photography
Cara and Steve Campen opened Meraki Mechanical in 2018 with a commitment to ethics, purpose, and genuine care. Inspired by the meaning of “meraki," they set out to create a shop where honesty, safety, and customer respect guide every repair. Today, the company has grown into one of Cranbrook’s most trusted automotive businesses.
From restoring classic cars to supporting customers facing financial hardship, Meraki Mechanical goes far beyond standard service. With their recent win at the Cranbrook Business Excellence Awards for Customer Service, Cara and Steve continue to build a company that blends technical expertise with customer-centred values. In this interview, Cara shares the origin story, the challenges facing today’s trades businesses, and the bright future they envision for Meraki Mechanical.
— Photo by Bloom Wild Photography
How did Meraki Mechanical get started, and what’s the story behind the name?
We love helping people and repairing vehicles. In 2018, we decided to open our own automotive shop with the plan to not only repair vehicles, but to help ensure as many people as we can are driving safe, reliable vehicles.
When starting a business, one of the first things you must do is register a name. We were really struggling on what to call it. Attempting to find something that represented us that wasn’t already taken, was proving to be quite the challenge. We thought if we could just find a word that to build off – we could make it work. We found the word, “Meraki”, the definition meaning “To do something with soul, creativity or love; To put something of yourself into your work.” That was it!! That meaning was everything we wanted to incorporate into our business. We put everything into our business with love and dedication.
What values guide your work and customer relationships?
We strive to do honest, hard work to the best of our ability. We want every person to feel as though they are being taken care of, valued, and heard and as though they are our family or friends. The way we hope another shop would treat our kids, mother, or best friend if one of them had to take their car to a shop, is how we want to treat every person that comes here. Everyone is somebody's someone. There are many great automotive repair shops in this community, so when customers choose us, we are so very grateful.
How has working in Cranbrook influenced your business culture?
Working in Cranbrook has had a big influence on our business culture. Being part of a smaller, close-knit community means relationships really matter. We make sure that we focus on trust, integrity, and supporting the local community.
— Photo by Bloom Wild Photography
What sets your mechanical services apart from competitors in the region?
There are many great automotive shops in our region, but we do get to work on many of the classic cars and hot rods in our area. We also have programs to repair vehicles for our customers that are facing financial hardship. If necessary, we will stay late into the evening or work weekends to ensure that our customers are driving safe, reliable vehicles. Our team combines strong technical knowledge with genuine customer care. We take the time to explain repairs clearly, give honest recommendations, and never push unnecessary work. Quality and transparency are a big part of our reputation.
What are the biggest challenges in running a trades business today?
There are a couple challenges that we are finding in today’s automotive trade business. Skilled technicians with good integrity are in high demand. Technology is rapidly changing. There is a need to constantly invest in new tools, software, and training to stay current, which can be expensive and time-consuming. The availability of some products has been harder to source, especially on some of the older vehicles, which can be a challenge.
How do you recruit and retain skilled tradespeople locally?
We’ve been lucky to have had a couple great apprentices start out in our shop. Locally, we connect with the College of the Rockies, and apprenticeship programs to get young people interested early and show them there’s a great future in the trades right here at home.
How do you balance on-site work with running the business side?
Balancing on-site work with running the business is all about communication, organization and teamwork. Thankfully, we make a great team. As partners, we keep the work and the business side flowing simultaneously, helping each other where we can with the assistance of great staff.
— Photo by Bloom Wild Photography
Where do you want Meraki Mechanical to be in five years?
In five years, we want Meraki Mechanical to still be one of the go-to automotive shops in Cranbrook. We hope we continue to be known for quality work, honesty, and great customer service. We’d like to grow our team with skilled, local technicians while keeping the close-knit, community-focused culture we have now.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We won the Customer Service Excellence award at the Cranbrook Business Excellence Awards this year. We’d love to send out a thank-you to all our customers for their kindness and support!
— Photo by Bloom Wild Photography
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