Medi-CAR Hoping to 'Doctor Up' Donations

When Debi McConnell bought an auto repair business in downtown Rosemount three years ago, she admits to thinking it would be easy.

“I was a little naive,” said McConnell from the lobby of her now bustling shop. A steady stream of customers were being tended to by her staff, and even the postman popped in for quick chat and check in on the days’ news. Frosted cupcakes awaited guests by the large picture windows, and for the retro-fanatic, Ms. Pac Man and other classic video games stood at the ready.

The hometown feel exudes trust, something McConnell said she found lacking in the industry from her previous auto repair experiences as a consumer.

“My experience with auto repair from the consumer side was actually fairly negative,” she said. “The hardest thing in this industry is finding really good, honest people that are consumer-centric, because there’s such a bad reputation for auto repair. And it’s deserved in some cases. There are some really good shops out there, but there are some that are not so good.”

After a four-year ‘mini-retirement’ from the financial services and commercial banking industry while she volunteered helping with school district programs for her children, McConnell decided it was time to get back to work and decided to pursue her innate entrepreneurial side.

“I had always been fairly entrepreneurial, doing start up projects, and I really loved that, I really loved starting up businesses,” she said.

Never one to shy away from adventure (McConnell took a year off after earning her MBA to backpack around the South Pacific) she scoured the business listings looking for a business and came across her current location in Rosemount.

The admitted naivety came when she quickly realized that the business would need expensive upgrading on the technological side and investment in expert personnel as well.

“I’ve definitely made some mistakes,” said McConnell recalling her start-up phase. “The usual game was kind of having a lead Master Tech and then someone under him with less experience, and someone else with less experience. I tried that, and it’s too risky. You have to rely on that lead person to be on their ‘A’ game all the time.” 

Now, McConnell has multiple Automotive Master Technicians in the fold and the technology needed to be able to service today’s computer-reliant vehicles. Medi-CAR has also been expanding into specialized foreign import work.

“Typically you have to go to the dealer for work on those cars,” she said. Those cars require special tools and special diagnostic machinery. “We’re kind of ramping up in that area.”

McConnell originally raised some eyebrows when she entered the automotive repair business as a woman with no mechanical background. Now, her innovative rebranding of the former Save More auto shop and consumer-centric approach has landed her an invitation to serve on the AASP (Alliance of Automotive Service Providers) advisory board.

Another area Medi-CAR is trying to innovate their approach is their localized marketing efforts.

While returning from an industry conference in Wisconsin recently, McConnell began pondering her marketing budget and return on investment with those dollars. In her car, she was struck with the idea to try a different approach and has decided to enlist area non-profit agencies in what she called a “win-win” marketing campaign.

The “Doctor Your Car and Donate” program provides donations to participating organizations for referrals. Some of the organizations already participating are the Dakota County Regional Chamber, Rosemount Rotary, Disabled American Vets, Federation of Police, and a few sports booster groups. More are being added and McConnell is hopeful many others will contact her about the program as well.

“I came up with the ‘Doctor Your Car and Donate’ program as a means of giving back to the community, while giving my clients a say in where the money goes. We are so pleased to be part of the Rosemont community. Making these donations on behalf of our clients is one way to express our gratitude, while also raising funds and visibility for the many important organizations serving our area,” McConnell said when announcing the program.

“I have no problem giving back,” said McConnell. “I really hope it takes off. I would love to take all that marketing money and invest it right back into the community.”

McConnell says she is glad she settled on Rosemount for her new chapter in the business world and is optimistic that the the strides her business has made in its first three years will continue to move forward. “Mabel”, the shop’s iconic 1959 AMC/Rambler Super Cross Country Station Wagon has already become a downtown fixture.

“Rosemount’s been great,” she said. “It’s so easy to get involved here. It’s a really good, vibrant community.”