Dewayne Hood of McGriff Industries, at left, and Sonya Hembree, Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce President, listen to Ronnie Screws explain the manufacturing process and the use of special vats that mix, stir, mesh and agitate materials at various speeds.  (Picture submitted by Jill Burke, Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce)

Peerless Coatings, Inc., located in Cullman, is a company that does one thing and does it well. Unlike many companies that are driven to diversify and branch into countless areas within a market, Peerless concentrates its full efforts on becoming an industry leader in the production of custom coatings for nearly every application imaginable, industrial and otherwise. As members of a recent Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce Existing Business and Industry tour learned, the company's dedication to fulfilling customer needs does indeed leave them without peer.

Established in 1973 in Arley, Alabama, Peerless Coatings was originally founded to provide coating products to the burgeoning mobile home industry in the western portion of the state. Purchased by Raymond Burleson the following year, the company moved to Vinemont in Cullman County and then to its current location in Cullman. Since that time, Peerless has expanded twice, resulting in a current manufacturing space of over 65,000 square feet.     Peerless has also expanded throughout the southeastern US and internationally, with operations in Alabama and Georgia, a color styling studio in North Carolina and a plant in Mexico. Over the course of their 25-plus years, the product line at Peerless has also grown considerably to include custom coatings for wood, metal and other specialty coatings.     "We provide custom coatings for virtually any application," said Ronnie Screws, production and compliance manager for Peerless. "Our on-site product base is so large that formulation possibilities are endless."     The company's product line includes wood coatings for home and office furniture, kitchen cabinets, and other wood products. Custom metal coatings include formulations for agricultural equipment, automotive components, storage tanks, compressors, playground equipment and metal office furniture. Their specialty line consists of coatings for mirrors and glass.     Peerless Coatings, Inc., employs some 70 people throughout the company. Positions include general labor, mixer operators, maintenance, warehouse personnel, clerical and other administrative and office staff. The company offers many benefits to employees and has a entry level wage of between $7 and $9.     Peerless purchased their primary competitor, Piedmont Paints and Primers of Toccoa, Georgia, in May 2000. For more information on Peerless Coatings, Inc., visit their website at www.peerlesscoatings.com.