It all began with a simple welding service as Chris, who at an early age, learn to weld while a member of the Hudson Hustler's 4-H club. Realizing he had the talent and gumption to do more, he then purchased a portable welder in 1983, put it in the back of his pickup and hit the road.
While learning the ropes of running a business, Chris made good use of knowledge gained while previously working at Nichols Welding in Butler. "And I learned how things worked" he laughed "I mean everything. You'd never know what kind of things you'd run into out in the field and I had to figure it out" Those days mostly consisted of farm repairs, building metal fences and more, often in all kinds of weather which brought some not-so-productive days.
While the mobile service overall was good, Chris realized there had to be more and he wanted to put his ability to 'figure it out' to better use- "After all, I had big dreams!" he proclaimed. With that, they opened their first 'shop', a converted 2 car garage at their residence which at the time was in Rockville, Mo. Making the best use of that space, the Green's did welding repair and began building cattle chutes as their first fully manufactured product.
That eventually led to even more things to figure out. "It wasn't long before we needed more space" Karen chimed in. "We found the ideal location right here (current location). Plenty of acreage and we built a 30x40 building, but even then, I never thought it all would get much bigger."
But it did. Following that purchase in 1988, the Green's built a home and yes, more buildings. Word spread fast and the purchase orders kept coming, necessitating the need for material storage and workspace, as the requests were pouring in from Florida to Connecticut to name a few.
But it wasn't long before inquiries started to also come from Montana. Then Texas. Even Alaska. Add to that, about 100 dealers promoting their product line that includes creep feeders, bulk bins, portable panels, feed bunks, panel trailers, bale rings, bale spikes, bucket racks and yes, their original product of cattle chutes that come in several configurations.
Has rapid, steady growth been a bit overwhelming? The short answer is yes, but Chris and Karen have managed to keep up with the pace. Karen, a former special education school teacher has used her skills with logistics, shipping/receiving, human resources and managing inventory, to name a few.
Chris is equally as busy, constantly working to not only oversee operations but work on new products such as an auger system that mounts on a bin to allow easy transfer of feed.
Along the way it has not always been just the manufacturing of popular agriculture products. "We've had some interesting requests" laughed Chris as he told the story of building a very special trailer used for maintenance of B2 Stealth aircraft located at Whiteman Air Force base, and a special trailer to display an aircraft fuselage for Lowe Oil Company. How about a special trailer to transport a nuclear cooling tower? Done.
Special projects aside, the Green's have built an impressive clientele that includes the Missouri Governor, the highway department, and the U.S Government among others. Not to mention thousands of farmers and other agriculture related businesses all throughout the United States.
And with the current upward trend for Green's Welding, that list will certainly expand as their manufacturing facility, which recently underwent a major makeover that will enhance overall product quality and throughput for their 20 or so employees.
A big jump for Greens Welding? Yes but it is a very calculated move. "We simply outgrew the space we had" added Chris who went on to say that making the best use of the new space was equally important. "At the same time, we decided to make improvements that should make sure we're good for a long time in the future." Hence, state of the art paint booths and manufacturing equipment.
The Green's have two children, Amy and Brian who have been quite supportive along the way. In fact, Brian now works alongside his parents at the facility while Amy lives in Oklahoma and the families visit frequently.
With so much work for Chris and Karen, they do find time to have fun- one 'side project' is a 1959 Edsel that much like their business, is going through a transformation that by using some modern technology, it will keep running for many years to come. "A work in progress" said with smiles as they both agree it's a great way take a break from day to day business.
And yes, the Edsel is... green.
Alongside their manufacturing business, Green's Welding & Sales sells metal by the foot for do-it-yourself and repair projects; and the public is invited to stop by anytime to check out the operation of their 'well oiled' machine.
With the new expansion, there are employment opportunities as well, check out the Shopper section in the News-Review and online to find details on how you can become part of the Green Team!