Crawford’s Mechanical Solutions has evolved into a thriving auto and marine workshop since its founding five years ago, and owner Heath Crawford hasn’t looked back once.

“I’m rapt,” Heath said.

“The support’s been a bit overwhelming at times, especially from our customers and other businesses.”

In time for the fifth anniversary of the business’s founding, Heath and his partner, Di, are excited to announce their apprentice, Taiten Rudd, has been nominated for the Rising Star — Apprentice of the Year award.

These apprentices are those who go above and beyond in their pursuit of learning their trade and show excellent initiative each day.

Together with Heath, his supervisor, every day for Taiten is unique.

“One week we’ll have an old Corvette in, the next week we might have a Mercedes-Benz and everything in between, which could be a Kia, or the Chinese cars that are coming in,” Heath said.

In turn, Taiten has been exposed to various different jobs, something that most apprentices can only dream of.

“I have helped rebuild vehicle engines, assisted with complicated engine swaps and installed lift kits to lots of 4x4 vehicles,” Taiten said.

For Heath and Di, running the family business might come with its share of blood, sweat and grease-stained tears.

But at the end of each day, they nothing but grateful for the love they’ve received from the community.

“One thing I really enjoy is the relationships we’ve built with other businesses, locally,” Heath said.

By the time his schoolmates had learned the alphabet, a young Heath had already spent countless hours with his father and well-respected mechanic and businessman, John, on the workshop floor at Crawford’s Repair Centre.

Add that to his resume as a competition barefoot skier, ski racer and keen social skier, and Heath’s decades of experience come in handy when working on ski boats.

When Heath returned after 10 years in Wodonga, he convinced John to come out of retirement and help get the ball rolling on what is now Crawford’s Mechanical Solutions.

As such, perhaps it’s no surprise that CMS’s customer base stretches all the way from the southern Riverina down to the Mornington Peninsula.

Handing over the keys to your vehicle or boat requires trust and transparency, and that’s why Heath and Di make sure to keep their customers informed every step of the way.

“We spend a fair bit of time talking through what your budget is and what you want to achieve,” Heath said.

“That’s why I wanted to start it: to help other people get the results they are looking for with their repairs and maintenance.”

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Friday, 24th April 2026

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