In the late-1950s and into the ’60s, the iconic Woodward Avenue was the hot spot for car enthusiasts. Speedsters taking their new hot rods for a run and spectators taking in the street racing even attracted the attention of engineers and executives from the Big Three.
Today, street racing is no longer allowed — but the love for everything auto and the community around them still runs strong.
Ted Edginton, a Birmingham-based mortgage lender and producing branch manager with Rate, is among them. After moving into his new office on Woodward last August, his neighbor proved to be a major attraction: Pasteiner’s, offering collectibles, hobbies, magazines and more for the auto enthusiast for more than 30 years, has been host to Parking at Pasteiner’s every Saturday morning for the past 20 years.
“Everyone sees the cars and crowds on Saturdays,” Edginton says. “I used to stop by randomly, but now since being here on Saturdays, I’ve been spending time and meeting amazing people.”
The weekly event runs from 8 to 10 a.m., though the lot starts filling by 7:30. Several hundred people turn out on a given Saturday, year-round, drawn by classic cars, the energy and the easy camaraderie of it all. People drive from quite a distance to be there, Edginton says, and the credit belongs to Steve Pasteiner and his family, who built the gathering organically into what it is today.
When Edginton opened his office, joining in the fun with Cars & Coffee was a natural. Not a sponsor — he just shows up, puts out coffee and enjoys the company. ”I’m just thankful to be accepted,” he says. “It’s something people are excited to be a part of.”
For Edginton, whose work in mortgages runs on relationships, his reputation and visibility, the value is obvious. But he’s quick to say the draw is part of how he operates his business. “The more you surround yourself with really great people, the easier everything becomes.”
That same instinct is also behind Great Guys, a monthly gathering Edginton hosts at his Woodward office on the third Thursday of each month. The event brings together 50 to 60 professionals from across industries: financial services, legal, home improvement, tech, jewelry and more. The concept came from his wife, Dr. Vilma Edginton, who noticed that while women have no shortage of events built around connection and community, men have fewer spaces to simply get together, and grew from a few friends meeting for coffee. When Edginton opened his office, it found a proper home.
The rules are simple: one person per profession per meetup, no membership fees, no complicated requirements. ”I’ve been in other networking groups and didn’t want any part of the crazy demands,” he says. Sometimes members are looking for a service for their home or advice about a child starting college. Sometimes it’s just professionals who haven’t seen each other in a while, reconnecting over coffee. Even when Edginton can’t be there, someone else steps up to run it. ”It’s all very organic,” he says.
The group occasionally rallies around local charities or neighbors in need, but the core of it is straightforward. ”Getting business is part of it, but it’s really about camaraderie and connecting.”
Both Cars & Coffee and Great Guys, Edginton says, reflect the same philosophy: surround yourself with great people, and good things follow.
To get on the Great Guys email list, email Ted Edginton at TedE@rate.com