Archive for category: Employee Spotlight

My name’s Matthew. As the newest member of the Straub team, I thought I’d take a minute to introduce myself.

I joined in March as the marketing coordinator. But the truth is I’m no stranger to Straub Construction. My full name is Matthew Straub, as in son-of-Ernie-Straub.

Back in the early days, my siblings and I also got recruited to be the cleaning crew for my dad. I grew up coming here, treating the office as more of a playground as we cleaned on Saturday mornings.

Now I get the honor of coming here every day. It’s a fun change of pace, seeing familiar faces and Straub employees I’ve known my whole life—getting to call them co-workers.

My role in the company…

I’m getting to know this organization in a new way as I transition into my role as marketing coordinator. It’s really cool, going out to the jobsites and seeing the incredible work our guys are doing. One of the things I’ll get to do in my role is help highlight work on the jobsites. Which means that while I’m out on the sites, I’ve been taking quality photos with our drone, getting a bird’s eye view of each site.

I have a heart for connecting with people. It’s one of the reasons I majored in business management at Benedictine College. After graduating in 2013, I worked as a property manager in the Kansas City area. Managing offices for apartment complexes, I had the opportunity to hone my skills of problem solving, coordinating the needs of residents with the services we provided. I am excited for how these past experiences will help me continue to grow at this people-first organization.

When I’m not at work…

Starting my job at Straub has been a big change, but it’s one of many changes in my life right now. The happiest day of my life was in last October, when I married my best friend and love of my life, Kathleen. We just bought a house in Overland Park, and have been enjoying the process of making the house our own, with a few renovations and repainting. And probably the biggest news is that we’re expecting our first baby in August!

 

When I’m not at work, I love spending time with Kathleen. Whether it’s watching Netflix together (We’re on our second or third round of watching The Office), hanging out in our backyard (I love to grill almost as much as my dad!), or checking out some of the restaurants in Kansas City (I’m especially a fan of the ones with a wide selection of craft beer).

 

I also love playing soccer. I’ve been kicking around a soccer ball since I was five and even played in college for two years. My dad was my soccer coach early on. I was often the focus of his frustration during games. Yes, he yelled at me a few times when I was going the wrong direction, but he pushed me to get better and develop a strong work ethic. I just hope he doesn’t yell at me in the office!

What I love about being a part of this team…

Ever since graduation, my dad has hinted that there would be a place for me at Straub Construction. It had always been a possibility in the back of my mind, and when I was looking for a change in jobs, the timing seemed perfect to join at Straub. While I’m grateful for the experience and expertise I’ve gained through the other organizations I’ve worked with, the decision to work here has felt like a good fit from the first day.

There truly is a sense of collaboration and positivity at Straub. I recognize that isn’t always a given in the workplace. I’m excited for the ways I can contribute to the amazing team at Straub Construction as we continue to grow and add to the skyline of Kansas City.

Kip Gibler is one of our veteran superintendents at Straub Construction having recently completed his 13^th year with us. Originally from Blue Springs, Missouri, Kip now calls Lee’s Summit home with his wife and three kids.

No stranger to large and complex projects, Kip is currently finishing up Liberty at Shoal Creek, a massive 277,000 square foot, 185 unit active senior living community in the Northland.

Kip is a graduate of Kansas State University and has always been interested in construction as a career. He says “I enjoy the process of building and being part of a company that wants to make a difference”.

One co-worker said of Kip, “I can’t stress enough his attention to detail, ability to see ahead, the working relationships he develops with subcontractors and just his flat out ability to get the job done.” Another said, “He’s a straight shooter, if you ask for his opinion, be ready for a thoughtful and truthful answer. He’s quiet but confident, in control and sees the big picture well. Team player.”

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, watching his kids play soccer and skiing. A little-known fact about Kip is that he could swim at 3 years of age! His favorite movie is Gladiator, because you “can’t go wrong with Russell Crowe.”

Kip’s favorite quote, “Just when I thought you couldn’t be any dumber, you go and do something to completely redeem yourself”. That’s from Dumb and Dumber by the way…

It’s great to have Kip on our team!

James Mowdy is our site superintendent on The Gardens of Northgate Village – Phase 4. This project is an independent senior living project being developed by the Rainen Companies at N. Oak Trafficway and NE 32^nd St. in North Kansas City, Missouri.

James grew up in Durant, Oklahoma. His first job was building a parking garage in downtown Dallas. He was a union iron worker for 14 years and has been in construction for the past 29 years. Construction has always been his first choice as a profession.

Reflecting on what he appreciates about Straub Construction, James had this to say:

“Straub gives employees the tools to do their job so they can succeed. They leave no stone unturned and if you need help, all you have to do is ask for it. I haven’t met a Straub employee that wasn’t proud of his or her job. The best thing I like about Straub is they are always trying to improve and are not afraid to try something new.”

In his spare time, James enjoys spending time with his family and church and also boating, camping and fishing. He has four children and four grandchildren. James appreciates movies like Tombstone and Unforgiven because they have “grit”.

His favorite quote is: “Never look down on someone unless you are helping them up.”

It’s great to have James on our team!

Turning 60 is one of those birthdays that can cause you to do a lot of reflection and soul searching on your life, past and future. For me, the reality of the day gave me a chance to think about what a wonderful life I’ve had so far, but more importantly, how I want to spend what time I have left.

As luck would have it, my 60th birthday fell on the night of my daughter Rebekah’s first father/daughter/mother/son dance at Benedictine College. I knew it was going to be a blast as Rebekah is known to close down many dance floors and loves having fun with her friends at Benedictine College.

The whole afternoon and evening was really special.

We started with mass late in the afternoon. Then Rebekah made me a cup of coffee and we got to hang out in her room and review all of her decorating choices for 30 minutes.

We met up with some of Rebekah’s friends, Lindsey and Laura, and their Dad’s for dinner. It was a packed crowd. I got a great picture with Rebekah giving me a kiss on the cheek which I displayed proudly all night!

The dance got started with a quick video of the students doing an imitation of Dad or Mom’s “Go to” dance moves. Needless to say, young people have a different impression of what our “go to” moves are than we do.

We danced for hours and I cherished every song, watching the happiness and fun Rebekah was having. Holding Rebekah for the last dance to “Home” by Michael Bublé, topped the night.

The night had gone so fast and had made my 60th birthday so special. I left Atchison with the hope that I get many more years to enjoy family, friends and loved ones. Life is short. Make the best out of each day you have! I love you Rebekah!

With the coolest name in construction, Straub’s Vice President of Pre-Construction Services, Michael Knight, slays budgets in his sleep. (See what we did there with the Knight slaying a dragon reference?)

His love of construction started with his dad, who worked in heavy highway and sewer treatment plant construction.  Truth be told, estimating was not his first choice when it came to picking his poison.

“I started out in project management for Straub but the need presented itself as my more seasoned co-workers started looking at retirement. I’ll call it the youth movement but honestly I was already doing some estimating even as a project manager, so it wasn’t too hard of a transition.”  The rest as they say is history with Michael performing as a full time estimator for the past 12 years.

This year, Michael will celebrate 18 years with Straub having started with the company after graduating with a Construction Science and Management Degree from Kansas State University.

When asked to list his favorite thing about working for Straub, Michael replied, “They allow me the freedom to make decisions and they respect those decisions.”

When not working at Straub, Michael is all about family time – he enjoys the comfort of home being laid back and relaxing with his wife and two daughters.

“The work day can get really hectic and then there’s kids sports and activities so my wife and I really focus on having a good life work balance by taking it easy when we can. I do have a favorite hobby that I’d like to do more of and that’s working on vintage cars. I really enjoy fixing things.”

Michael is probably one of the most easy going people in the office, so we had to see if we couldn’t find an interesting story about him and he didn’t disappoint.

“I had one job on my wedding day besides showing up, and that was to bring the marriage license. I forgot to bring it! In my defense, I took great care to make sure the marriage license was safe and ready to go. I had packed it away in my suitcase for our honeymoon. My uncle saved the day by going to get it for me. Besides being a little late getting it signed, it all worked out!”

Back to his name, yes, he’s heard every reference to David Hasselhoff and Knight Rider that you can imagine, but he takes it all in stride. Let’s face it. With a name like Michael Knight, what else would you expect besides an epic amount of coolness?