Stephanie Engelbrecht: Winner – Women Leader in Automotive Repair & Customer Experience | International Women Awards 2026
- Great Companies
- Aug 28
- 8 min read
The 8th International Women Awards 2026 by Great Companies celebrates women leaders who are challenging traditional industries, building trusted businesses, and creating experiences that put people at the heart of entrepreneurship.
Among this year's distinguished winners is Stephanie Engelbrecht, Co-Owner and Business Leader at C&S Automotive, honored as the Winner – Women Leader in Automotive Repair & Customer Experience.
Based in Rathdrum, Idaho, USA, Stephanie has helped build C&S Automotive from a small local repair shop into a growing independent automotive business serving communities throughout North Idaho.
While her husband, Chris, has been closely involved in the technical and automotive side of the business, Stephanie has played a critical leadership role behind the scenes—leading marketing, financial management, recruiting, business strategy, long-term vision, and supporting daily operations.
Together, they have built a company around a simple promise:
Helping You Show Up When It Matters Most.
Company Overview
Leader: Stephanie Engelbrecht
Business: C&S Automotive
Location: Rathdrum, Idaho, USA
Established: 2017
Award Category: Automotive Repair & Customer Experience
Industry: Automotive Repair & Maintenance
Website: www.csarepair.com
More Than an Automotive Repair Shop
C&S Automotive is an independently owned automotive repair business serving drivers throughout North Idaho.
The company provides a comprehensive range of automotive services, including:
Preventative Maintenance
Oil Changes
Brake Service
Suspension Repair
Engine Service
Transmission Service
Drivetrain Service
Steering Service
Tire & Wheel Service
Electrical & Battery Service
Cooling Systems
A/C & Heating
Computer Diagnostics
Fleet Service
Performance Modifications
4x4 Services
From routine maintenance to complex repairs, the company's objective is to keep customers safe, informed, and confident about their vehicles.
But C&S Automotive's greatest differentiator is not simply the number of services it provides.
It is the customer experience surrounding those services.
Changing the Automotive Repair Experience
Automotive repair can be intimidating.
Customers may not understand what is wrong with their vehicle, what repairs are actually necessary, or whether they are being charged fairly.
Stephanie recognized that this uncertainty could create a significant barrier to trust—particularly for women and customers who may already feel uncomfortable entering a traditionally male-dominated environment.
C&S Automotive intentionally built a different experience.
Customers are educated about their vehicles.
Questions are welcomed.
Digital vehicle inspections include photographs and explanations.
Recommendations are communicated clearly.
And customers are empowered to make informed decisions without unnecessary pressure.
The result is a repair experience based on confidence rather than intimidation.
Building Trust Through Transparency
Stephanie believes trust is earned through consistent actions.
For C&S Automotive, that means:
Honest Assessments
Transparent Communication
Clear Explanations
Digital Vehicle Inspections
Fair Pricing
Customer Education
Quality Repairs
Consistent Service
The company does not want customers to feel that they need to understand everything about automotive technology before entering the shop.
Instead, the team takes responsibility for explaining what is happening and why a particular repair or maintenance service may be recommended.
That approach creates something more valuable than a single repair.
It creates confidence.
A Customer Experience Designed for Everyone
One of Stephanie's most important contributions to C&S Automotive has been helping create an environment where customers feel respected and comfortable.
As a woman co-owning an automotive repair business in a traditionally male-dominated industry, she understands how important representation and communication can be.
She has intentionally worked to make sure customers—especially women—feel comfortable asking questions and participating in decisions about their vehicles.
The objective is not simply to repair the car.
It is to make sure the person leaving the shop understands their vehicle and feels confident
about the work that was performed.
The Family Behind C&S Automotive
C&S Automotive is a family business.
Stephanie and Chris built the company together with a vision of providing reliable automotive solutions to their local community.
Chris's relationship with automotive work began through his own family, working on cars with his father in the same way his father had worked on cars with his grandfather.
That tradition continues today as Chris works on cars with his own sons.
The business therefore represents more than entrepreneurship.
It represents family, craftsmanship, responsibility, and legacy.
Stephanie's role has been instrumental in turning that family vision into a growing business with strong operational and customer foundations.
Leadership Behind the Business
While customers may primarily see the technicians and service advisors, Stephanie's leadership has shaped many of the systems supporting the company.
Over the years, she has been responsible for:
Marketing
Financial Management
Recruiting
Business Strategy
Long-Term Planning
Operational Support
Business Development
At the same time, she has maintained a full-time professional career outside the business while helping raise three sons.
Her leadership journey demonstrates that entrepreneurship does not always follow a traditional path.
Sometimes it means building a company behind the scenes while balancing a career, family, and responsibilities that extend far beyond the business itself.
Growing from a Local Shop to a Larger Facility
C&S Automotive's growth has created a need for greater capacity.
The company is expanding into a larger facility in Rathdrum to better serve the North Idaho community.
The expansion is designed to provide:
Increased Capacity
Improved Workflow
Enhanced Diagnostic Capabilities
Greater Service Capability
Better Support for Local Drivers
The new facility represents more than physical growth.
It represents the continued trust of the community and the company's commitment to serving customers for years to come.
Serving Both Individuals and Businesses
C&S Automotive has also expanded its customer experience philosophy into fleet service.
For local businesses, vehicle reliability directly affects operations, revenue, and customer service.
The company's Fleet Account program provides:
Priority Scheduling
Fast Turnarounds
Customized Maintenance Plans
Detailed Maintenance Records
Fleet Pricing
Local Support
Digital Inspections
Text and Email Updates
After-Hours Key Drop
Consolidated Billing Options
The goal is to allow business owners and their teams to focus on their work while C&S Automotive focuses on keeping their vehicles dependable.
This is another example of the company's broader customer-experience philosophy:
Understand what the customer needs, then build the service around it.
Preventative Care Instead of Reactive Repair
Stephanie's customer-first philosophy also supports the company's emphasis on preventative maintenance.
Many expensive automotive failures begin as smaller problems.
Regular maintenance and inspections can help identify issues before they become major repairs.
C&S Automotive provides preventative care covering areas such as:
Oil Changes
Brake Checks
Tire Inspections
Transmission Service
Cooling Systems
Battery & Electrical Systems
Fluid Checks
General Vehicle Inspections
The company's approach is to help customers stay ahead of problems rather than simply reacting after something fails.
Helping Customers Understand Their Vehicles
Education is central to C&S Automotive's customer experience.
The company publishes educational resources addressing common vehicle symptoms and maintenance questions.
Topics include:
Dashboard Warning Lights
Strange Noises
Decreased Vehicle Performance
Fluid Leaks
Vibrations & Shaking
Preventative Maintenance
Seasonal Vehicle Preparation
These resources help customers recognize potential warning signs and understand when professional attention may be appropriate.
Stephanie believes an informed customer is a more confident customer.
Creating Peace of Mind
C&S Automotive's competitive advantage can ultimately be summarized in one idea:
Peace of mind.
Customers do not simply want their vehicles repaired.
They want to know:
Was the diagnosis accurate?
Was the repair necessary?
Was I treated fairly?
Can I trust this shop with my vehicle?
Will my vehicle be reliable when I need it?
C&S Automotive has built its customer experience around answering those questions through transparency, education, and consistent service.
As Stephanie describes it, the company's competitive advantage is not simply the quality of the repairs.
It is the confidence and peace of mind customers leave with.
Leading in a Traditionally Male-Dominated Industry
Stephanie's leadership journey has also involved establishing credibility in an industry where female business owners remain uncommon.
She has learned that leadership is not about trying to imitate someone else's style.
It is about building credibility through integrity, consistency, service, and results.
Her experience has strengthened her resilience and reinforced her belief that authentic leadership is rooted in:
Integrity
Service
Continuous Growth
Clear Vision
Strong Systems
Empowering Others
Rather than attempting to prove that she can do everything herself, Stephanie has learned to create systems and empower people around her.
Balancing Business, Career and Family
Perhaps one of the most demanding aspects of Stephanie's journey has been the sheer number of responsibilities she has carried.
For nine years, she has helped build C&S Automotive while maintaining a full-time career outside the business.
At the same time, she and her husband have raised three sons and supported family members through periods of illness.
There were periods when she tried to carry too much herself.
Those experiences taught her an important leadership lesson:
Sustainable leadership requires healthy boundaries.
Hard work matters.
But so does knowing when to ask for help, delegate, and protect the people and priorities that matter most.
Building a Business with Her Husband
Building a company alongside a spouse brings its own challenges.
Stephanie and Chris have had to learn how to balance being:
Business Partners.
Spouses.
Parents.
Leaders.
Making difficult decisions together requires communication, trust, patience, and the ability to separate personal and professional challenges.
Their journey demonstrates that a family business is not simply about working together.
It is about learning how to grow together.
Leadership Through Faith and Resilience
Stephanie identifies her faith in God as a foundation throughout her journey.
It has provided her with the strength to persevere, the humility to continue learning, and the perspective to see challenges as opportunities for growth rather than reasons to quit.
That perspective has influenced the way she leads today.
She believes leadership is not about carrying every burden alone.
It is about serving others with integrity, extending grace, continuing to learn, and remaining committed to the vision.
Building a Lasting Community Business
C&S Automotive's ambition extends beyond becoming a successful repair shop.
Stephanie wants the company to create opportunities for employees, earn the trust of customers, and make a positive contribution to the community.
The company's local identity is an important part of that mission.
It serves Rathdrum and surrounding communities including:
Coeur d'Alene
Post Falls
Hayden
Athol
Spirit Lake
Other North Idaho communities
The business sees its own success as connected to the success of the community it serves.
When local businesses and families are able to stay mobile, safe, and reliable, the entire community benefits.
Advice for Women Entrepreneurs
Stephanie's advice to women entrepreneurs begins with one simple message:
Don't wait until you feel ready.
Confidence does not always come before the leap.
Often, confidence grows because you take the leap.
She encourages women to:
Be Willing to Learn.
Ask Questions.
Surround Yourself with Supportive People.
Build a Business Around Your Values.
Lead with Integrity.
Invest in People.
Develop Healthy Boundaries.
Ask for Help When Needed.
She also believes women should resist the temptation to lead like someone else.
Your experiences are different.
Your strengths are different.
Your perspective is different.
Those differences can become your greatest business advantage.
As Stephanie's own journey demonstrates, leadership can be built through consistency, perseverance, humility, and faith—not simply through titles or traditional career paths.
The Future
C&S Automotive is entering an important new chapter as the company expands into a larger facility in Rathdrum.
The future is focused on:
Serving More North Idaho Drivers
Expanding Service Capacity
Improving Workflow
Strengthening Diagnostic Capabilities
Growing Fleet Services
Developing Employees
Maintaining Exceptional Customer Experience
But despite the company's growth, the underlying philosophy remains unchanged.
Repair vehicles with excellence.
Communicate honestly.
Educate customers.
Treat people with respect.
Help them show up when it matters most.
Official Recognition
Stephanie Engelbrecht, Co-Owner and Business Leader of C&S Automotive, has been honored as the Winner – Women Leader in Automotive Repair & Customer Experience at the 8th International Women Awards 2026 by Great Companies.
The recognition celebrates her leadership in a traditionally male-dominated industry, her contribution to building a trusted independent automotive business, and her commitment to creating an automotive repair experience based on transparency, education, respect, and customer confidence.
Her journey is a reminder that the best businesses do more than provide a service.
They create trust.
They create confidence.
And they help people feel that when something matters most, they have someone they can rely on.
About the International Women Awards
The International Women Awards by Great Companies celebrates inspiring women entrepreneurs, founders, executives, professionals, and business leaders from around the world.
The awards recognize women who demonstrate leadership, innovation, resilience, business excellence, and meaningful contribution to their industries and communities.
Stephanie Engelbrecht's story reflects the spirit of the awards: lead with integrity, build through perseverance, put people first, and create a customer experience that earns trust one relationship at a time.