1969--An Inspired Idea
| It may have been the "Summer of Love" for the rest of the U.S.A., but in rural western Oklahoma, four young ministers were eking out a living from the low wages of the 1960's. When Clayton Callahan built himself a steel carport, it attracted considerable attention from the country folk, and soon a neighbor was clamoring to have one. The first carport was sold. Clayton along with his youngest brother Neil Callahan and their two best friends, decided to see if a living could be made selling carports. |
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| Early 1970's- Establishing a Business |
A '39 Ford hangs from a carport as a demonstration of its strength. |
| With
the completion of a garage next door to Callahan's home, a shop was
established a couple of miles south of Sayre, Oklahoma, and Redibuilt was
born. Steel bar-joist trusses -- appreciated for their light weight and
durable strength -- were used from the very beginning. The company's first
30 foot clear span three car carport still stands today, surviving 30
years of Oklahoma's severe weather! After a couple of years, the ball was rolling. The crew had streamlined the techniques for erecting a carport on-site from an all day job to only a couple of hours. Soon the demands for hay barns, equipment sheds, and three car garages led the company into the manufacturing of medium-sized steel buildings. As the demand grew so did the number of crews. |
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| Late 1970's--Moving on Up |
Crew frames up a barn, April 19 |
| With an economic upturn on the horizon and most of the customers coming from Elk City, Oklahoma, the shop was moved in 1975 from the country into the city, an eastward jaunt of about 17 miles. The combination of partners changed occasionally, but the two Callahan brothers remained a constant presence. Preferring to keep a simple life-style, the brothers made no grandiose plans for expansion. Their strong ethical convictions meant, however, that the company's reputation for hard working crews, quality products, honesty, integrity, and modest prices grew! |
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| 1980's--Surviving the Bust |
A carport protects three vehicles from the sweltering heat on the plains of Texoma as a windmill towers from behind. |
| As "oil boom" turned to "oil bust", Callahan's Redibuilt was poised to weather the storm. A new plant was built in 1980 on a bustling intersection in Elk City, with offices and a secretary, as Neil's wife, Sharon Callahan, came on board. During the late 1980's, Curt Callahan, son of Neil and Sharon Callahan, begins to broaden the horizons. |
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| 1990's--Keep on Rockin' | |
| With Generation X rockin' through the '90's, there would be no question that Callahan Steel Buildings would keep up with the best. Curt Callahan moved all operations to the Oklahoma City area. With the move, the Callahans are able to maintain business statewide and from Dallas, Texas to Wichita, Kansas. |
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| 2000's--The Millennium | |
| The Callahans are located at 448 E. S.H. 152 in Mustang, Oklahoma, just west of Will Rogers World Airport. Our central location is open Monday - Friday to the public. Stop by and see the next generation of steel buildings by a steel building specialist. |
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