By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The district manager for Penske said the business has been eyeing a location south of Birmingham for several years, and praised Alabaster for being “business-friendly” during a July 24 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the company’s new location off Interstate 65.

Dozens of Penske employees, company leaders and state and local officials gathered at the new 8,480-square-foot location at 185 Airpark Industrial Road for the ceremony. The location has been operational for a few weeks, and offers full-service truck leasing, consumer and commercial truck rental and contract truck fleet maintenance.

“Our facility is located in a great spot,” said Penske District Manager Keith Kelley, noting the Alabaster location is the company’s third in the Birmingham area. “Penske has strategically positioned this location on the south side of the (Birmingham) metro area.”

The location includes two truck service bays, an automated truck wash bay, a one-lane commercial truck fuel island providing bulk diesel exhaust fluid dispensing and the ability to perform maintenance on alternative fuel vehicles running on compressed natural gas.

Penske is the first business to build in Alabaster’s Dunn Corporate Park, which has sat vacant for several years.

“Hopefully, they are only the beginning of the investments in Dunn Corporate Park,” said Alabaster Mayor Marty Handlon. “We are excited to have them here.”

Penske Senior Vice President Chip Jensen previously said the company chose the Alabaster location after plotting the locations of its current and prospective customers. He said the number of new employees at the Alabaster location will be determined by the store’s customer demand and growth.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Jensen said the new facility came about because of a “team effort,” and said he was “excited to be in Alabaster.”

“We have a great vision of growth, and this is the team that is going to make that come to reality,” Jensen said of the employees at the new location. “We’ve got big plans for this location.”

The Penske project did not include any city tax incentives.