Gable’s Excavating | Utility Contractor Tulsa

In the late 1970’s, Roy and Ruth Gable moved from their home in southern Oregon to Tulsa Oklahoma with the dream of starting a family business. Neither my grandmother or grandfather came from well-to-do families. In fact, they were about as close to poverty as it gets, struggling to provide for themselves and their 6 children. Roy and Ruth told stories of living in shacks with dirt floors, a summer long “camping trip” spent in makeshift tents on public land because they had nowhere to live, and catching whatever food they would have for meals from a nearby creek just to sustain themselves. They hoped to start a business that would provide them with an opportunity to build a better life for their family of 8 and saw Tulsa as an opportunity to do so.

Eventually, they founded Gable’s Excavating in 1980 and later incorporated in April of 1983. The first few years of Gable’s was a bit of a challenge. The economy was not great in the early 1980’s and being new to Oklahoma, Roy and Ruth had to fight for every customer. In the late 1980’s, Roy’s failing health forced him to step away from the family business, allowing his son, Dan Gable, to take his place as the head of the company. When Dan was handed the reins of Gable’s Excavating, the company was struggling to say the least. He was even advised that the best thing he could do would be to file bankruptcy in order to survive. Although this may have been the easiest route to preserving his personal finances and the company, this was not an option that my father could accept. He worked tirelessly over the next few years, selling everything that was not totally necessary, refinancing what he could, and managed to make it through without filing bankruptcy. Gable’s Excavating was able to land its first major contract. The electric provider servicing Tulsa, Oklahoma, Public Service Company of Oklahoma or PSO, now American Electric Power or AEP, noticed Gable’s Excavating for their quality workmanship and reputation and gave Roy and Ruth the opportunity they had been praying for. This began a relationship with PSO that has endured for over 35 years.

In those years, Dan had a long-time garage project – a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car – which he still has today. He is quick to tell the story of when he pulled the motor to replace a blown engine in a dump truck so that he could keep the equipment running. Over the next several years, Dan was able to transform Gable’s Excavating, Inc. from a struggling small business into a thriving company. He was even able to replace his project car’s valuable original engine back in its home.