“He knows not his own strength who hath not met adversity.”
– William Samuel Johnson
While local custom homebuilder Alan Cheshier of Muirfield Homes wouldn’t wish the current coronavirus pandemic on his worst enemy, he has the wisdom, built on prior experience, to know that he and his business will endure. Indeed, adversity such as we’ve faced the last few months, he notes, helps us put our lives in better perspective.
“Having been in this business for 34 years, I have seen several turndowns and an all-out depression,” he says. “There have also been many great times and advancements—life-changers such as the fax, cell phone, the internet and email. Those four things allowed a small builder to look and act like a big one.
“And we’ve won awards and held offices in the industry, but mostly our good times came about by listening to what people say as they come through a model home or the building process. We’ve seen challenging times that I didn't think we could navigate, like the economic downturn of 2008, and even right now.”
He adds, “We are affected severely by things out of our control. That's why it’s even more important now to focus on what we can control. After some recent health issues, I have learned that some things that make you anxious mean very little in the big picture. Right now, we are doing more communicating online and through online meetings. The numbers are down but the people out looking are serious, and that's nice.”
In light of the pandemic, Alan says he and the staff at Muirfield Homes have been “streamlining and getting back to what made us successful.” That is their short-term goal. Long term, he’s looking for an opportunity to bring in a successor. “I try to give back what was given to me. I plan to work doing something until I physically can’t do it anymore,” he says.
Early Days
That strong work ethic and desire to give back was developed during Alan’s early years growing up in Dallas.
The youngest of seven children, the senior Cheshier worked for the postal service for 40 years, also serving as music minister at the church they attended and operating a large-scale Christmas Tree operation with another family for over 35 years.
Additionally, his father started a landscaping company where Alan and his brothers worked—Alan all the way through college. He also held jobs at a paint store and the Dallas Market Center.
Their mother, who died when she was only 44, worked at Daltile, a top tile manufacturer.
Alan’s father was his biggest role model growing up. “My father taught all of his kids to be hard workers. We worked tough jobs and trained to do them well,” he says. “The turning point for me was seeing people in the communities that I worked in—Highland Park, University Park and the Whiterock Lake areas in Dallas primarily. I remember asking my dad and others what makes them different than me? What did they do? I began researching and following those answers for the next couple of years. I began to focus on going to college and pursuing a more entrepreneurial career path.”
He adds: “My dad gave me an ability and work ethic to work harder, and my sister Janice was my support system. She helped me navigate the Dallas job scene when I graduated from Baylor.”
In his teens and college years, Alan honed his leadership and teamwork skills through sports—skills that have served him well as a custom homebuilder and businessman.
Alan grew up playing several sports. In high school, he played on the school’s football and basketball teams, then basketball while attending Eastfield University. After earning degrees in marketing and computer information systems, he continued to play intramural sports. As a young man, he aspired to a career in TV sports journalism, and enjoyed writing and being around both college and pro sports.
Career Beginnings
Alan began construction on his first house in 1989. “It was my personal residence, about 2,500 square feet,” he recalls. “I learned about doing things in sequence and asking even more questions than you thought you needed to.”
Alan says he was fortunate to have had several mentors during those early days of growing his business, among them Jay and Don Cervi at Heritage, along with Ben Newcomer and Mickey Clagg.
When Alan first started Muirfield in 1989, it was the marketing and sales partner for the Heritage Fine Homes Building Company, a successful Norman building company and current developer. He named the new business “Muirfield” after the place in Scotland where the game of golf was born.
Muirfield Homes Today
Alan credits Muirfield Homes’ success with their “mindset to use best practices in our business and personal lives.”
“Do we succeed at that 100% of the time?” he adds. “Of course not, but that truly is the goal. I like to have style or a feel with our homes that make them very familiar when you see them. I am really proud of the resale track record of the new homes that we have built. They are hard to find for sale and have a record of days on the market that is way ahead of average in the Norman market.”
Advice When Looking for a Custom Builder
In good times and bad, people seeking to hire a custom home builder is to find someone with whom you are compatible because this is a long-term business venture, Alan says. “Emotions can run high, but it certainly doesn’t have to be that way. You want to look for credentials and track record, but mistakes can happen. It's all about how you handle them that’s important.”
Importance of Community
Alan has a long history of supporting local businesses, restaurants and shops, as well as education.
“Having raised three children through Norman schools, my wife, Suzanne, and I have supported, and continue to support, our schools, athletes, musicians and scholars. We back several causes; we are particularly interested in helping those who may have a hard time helping themselves, such as Parents Helping Parents, Bethesda, and the Center for Children and Families, just to name a few.”
In the past, Alan also has served as Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association education chairman, Builders Association of South Central Oklahoma president (twice) and board member, on the City of Norman Parks Board, and as a deacon at First Baptist Church in Norman.
Family, Hobbies and Pets
“There is really no other group of people I'd rather be with than my family,” says Alan. “It is a big family and very loud sometimes. There is a sense that someone always has your back. There have been many trying times for all of us, but never any doubt about the love. I know that I am so lucky in this regard.”
Alan continues to enjoy sports and calls himself an avid golfer.
“As much as the playing and competing, I enjoy the friendships that it has created and being outdoors in beautiful surroundings,” he says, adding, “I love to relax with my wife. I enjoy a nice dinner out, working in the garden or hanging out by the pool.”
Alan also enjoys vacationing in Destin, Florida; Laguna Beach, Colorado; and the Caribbean—as well as “a beautiful golf course anywhere.”
He also shared a personal trait few people know about him: “I am an idiot savant remembering song lyrics.”
The family has one pet. “Mr. Kitty is my first cat and the boss of the house,” he says, smiling.
Advice Received and Given
Asked about the best advice he has been given, Alan replied, “’Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ is pretty high up there.”
He offers the following to anyone struggling to start up their own business: “Find a niche and do real market research to see if the need is being filled by someone. Then prepare to outwork everyone, notice if what you are doing is working, adjust, have fun and know that tomorrow is another day.”
