Car show

A Cullman company with a focus on high-end hot rods is set to expand it operations, adding a handful of local jobs while broadening its reach into a nationwide network of high-octane enthusiasts.

Greening Auto Company, which specializes in custom auto builds while managing a bespoke-designed product line, is adding onto its current facility along County Road 222. The company’s property adjoins Cullman Industrial Park III.

The Cullman County Commission approved a tax abatement for Greening Auto’s capital investment at its regular May meeting, waiving non-educational property taxes on the $4,010,000 project. Though the abatement was done last week under the codename “Project Ride,” local economic development officials disclosed this week that Greening Auto is the focus of the abatement.

Starting its business in Nashville, Greening located its first Cullman facility the Cullman area at a vacant industrial facility off Third Avenue SE near Goat Island Brewing. The company later relocated to its current site off County Road 222. Father-and-son duo Jesse and Jeff Greening, both vintage auto enthusiasts, founded the company in 1999 and have collected a growing customer base with their specialized cars builds, a sampling of which can be viewed online at greeningautocompany.com.

Economic development officials expect that the Greening expansion will allow the company to attract visitors to the Cullman area, with hot rod and old-school auto fans visiting the improved facility to witness the company’s custom design and machine work firsthand. When finished, the expansion is set to add five new local jobs with wages that pay between $25-$30 per hour.