Lloyd Plyler was an “Original”. Nobody was like him, like God definitely threw away the mold when He made Lloyd. Lloyd passed on his passion for construction and his special “brand” to his sons, grandsons, and hundreds of longtime Plyler employees who will carry on his tradition. Lloyd was a “hand shake” guy . . . if he said it, he’d do it – you could depend on his word.
In the 1960s Lloyd started Lloyd D Plyler Construction Company and soon he had a job building one of the first Gibson’s stores. That began the first of many long term customer relationships. Plyler’s focus has always centered on the best interests of the customer by providing outstanding value and product combined with expedited project completion.
In order to be consistent in maintaining superior quality and fast completion of projects, Lloyd began to self perform many trades. In those early days most GCs self performed carpentry and concrete. Soon Plyler was doing that and mechanical, electrical, HVAC, sheet metal, process piping, and structural steel fabrication. They performed other trades when necessary to get the job done.
Plyler was always looking for a “better way” by applying technology to construction. Today their structural steel and sheet metal fabrication shops use cutting edge automation.
Lloyd traveled with his family as a baby by wagon and mule to Durant, Oklahoma. He began working with his dad A.D. at the age of eight; including working and managing saw mills, cotton gins and thrashing oats. He and his dad built a lot of houses in the area. Lloyd and his father worked on the Denison Dam, the railroad bridge and the Roosevelt Bridge on Lake Texoma as form carpenters.
He served in the Army Air Corp and attended college at Washington State University and studying maintenance and rebuilding of aircraft engines, including working on B-29 bombers. In 1946, Lloyd returned to Durant. He built and operated an automotive repair garage. His spare time was spent building boats . . . including a houseboat made from a revitalized school bus on a barge, an all metal boat called the Flying Saucer and a flat-bottom boat with an aircraft engine. At 90 m.p.h. it was the fastest boat on the lake. Next he began building a boat that was to be powered by an aircraft jet engine. He never got around to getting the engine – nobody is sure whether he didn’t have the money or his wife put her foot down!
Lloyd’s other big passion was baseball and formed and managed sandlot baseball teams in the early 1950s. Here’s what the Durant paper said about Lloyd:
“Then came Lloyd Plyler and everything changed in Durant. Lloyd absolutely loved the game of baseball. He was a blue-collar catcher who moved into coaching and eventually into every aspect of the game. He used his own money, materials and labor from his just-starting construction business to build what eventually became Lloyd Plyler Park. The park was built especially for American Legion baseball.Plyler brought in kids who wanted to play summer ball and put them to work with his construction company. Some outstanding players and teams have graced Plyler Park. The State Tournament was played here one year and memory says it rained for maybe three months. Plyler Construction darn near went under because Lloyd put teams in motels to keep them in town. The tournament was completed.
It's safe to say Lloyd Plyler is the father of Durant American Legion baseball. It was his baby. He birthed it, fed it, burped it, changed its diapers and grew it into one of the better programs in the state.”
Lloyd Plyler loved this great country and always had the American Flag flying. Lloyd Plyler, an American original, taught me a lot about taking care of your customer in the 20 years I’ve had the privilege of working with him.
TPE3
Monday, June 1, 2009
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