The
grandfather of the present manager Elbert Pluer, started his band
organ business in 1898. At the age of 18 years Mr. P. J. Pluer
(1885 -1976) became a barrel organ operator. In those days this
was a laborious life.
During World War I (1914 -1918) the Netherlands were neutral,
it is true, but life could certainly not be called easy. Granddad
had got married in the meantime and because of the hard times
it was essential that the children did their bit. From these children,
the best known by far in the organ business is Anton Pluer (1917
- 1990), Elbert's father. He was not to deal exclusively with
the operation of band organs. At an early age he was already heavily
interested in the construction of organs especially. Through his
father, Anton got in touch at an early age with Carl Frei Sr.
(1884 - 1967), who has achieved immortal fame not only as a builder,
but also as a composer and arranger of innumerable musical pieces.
From the factory of Anton Pluer came many organs which are still
favourites up to this day, such as the restored Carl Frei organs
"the Sik", "the Kleine Radio" and "the
Harmonica" and the newly built organs "the Rosita",
"the Hummel", "the Kei", "the Domstad",
"the Carmen" and "the Hartenvrouw". This is
not a complete list. Many small sized organs have left the factory
during the past decades.
Elbert Pluer (*1946) worked in his father's workshop from his
early years. He assisted his father and learned the profession
in doing so.
In the early 80's Elbert began his own company; at first in a
shed behind his house, where he succeeded in building an 48 -
key organ with the sizes of the meanwhile popular 36 - key organs.
These instruments were known as "piano models”.
It was not long before the shed proved to be too small. Elbert
managed to find a bigger place. In 1987, after a number of years
of continuing growth, Elbert moved to his present works at the
Noorderweg in Bussum. An internal rebuild in 1993 brought the
works into their present shape. After the death of Anton Pluer
in 1990, the two companies of father and son were joined. Anton
Pluer's employee Ab Knopper came to work in Elbert's company and
all customers of the father were transferred to the son.
During the following years the company supplied many new organs
to customers all over the world. Two absolute masterpieces are
“the Lotusfluit” – now in Germany - and the concert organ built
for the cruise ship "MS Zaandam".
Further the company restored a lot of organs including very famous
ones like "the Turk" and "the Jupiter". The
Turk is on the special gouvernment's list of protected cultural
property.
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