Archive for category: General Information

In 2013, when we were starting to explore software options for project management, we spent a lot of time discussing and evaluating our processes. Like many mid-sized construction firms, we had used a number of different spreadsheets and tables to track our daily activities.  The goal of using web-based, project management software was to put all of our processes and accountability under one umbrella, with the ability to access it from anywhere as long as we had an internet connection.

ProCore – We Just Knew

It’s kind of like when you’re buying a house… and you’re lucky enough to walk in and just know it’s the one. That’s the same experience we had with ProCore. We believe in their product and use it differently than many of our competitors that also use ProCore.

This past fall, ProCore came to Kansas City to do a promotional video on how we use their product. It not only promotes ProCore but also Straub Construction and our embracing of technology best practices. In an industry that’s struggling to find quality individuals, we feel our relationship with ProCore is allowing us to attract and keep the best and the brightest.

Check out the two minute video and let us know what you think!

It was 1983. Susan and I weren’t married a year yet and had just bought our first house in Olathe. Most of what filled our rooms in that rental home in Bethany, Missouri were hand-me-down furniture and items we’d found at garage sales. But we had decided to invest in our first new piece of furniture–a table for our breakfast room. We knew we wanted real wood. So we headed to The Unvarnished Truth.

I can remember it like it was yesterday, walking through the aisles of tables and chairs, Susan and I testing chairs and dreaming about our future together.

As someone in the construction business, I have an appreciation for the high-quality finishes that craftsman carpenters have, so when we saw the solid oak table with a sturdy frame and built-in extendable leaves, we were sold.

I should mention, this table didn’t just have one or two leaves. It had four. When fully extended, this table would seat twelve people comfortably. As a young couple, we had hopes for a big family. It may not have been practical at the time, but buying that table was a leap of faith.

A Table Full of Memories

If tables could talk, this one would have plenty to say. It has quite a few dents and dings from hungry children banging on its top. It’s seen its fair share of Straub birthday parties and welcomed numerous guests to our home. It’s held more dishes, anniversary flowers, and homework projects than I can count.

For a while, it even held the petrified remains of green beans. Years after the fact, we discovered that the kids had been stuffing their unwanted vegetables in napkins, discreetly hiding them in the shelves under the table while Susan and I weren’t looking.

Three homes and thirty-four years later, that table remains the unspoken centerpiece of our home; the point of gathering in both the ordinary daily routine and the moments of grand celebration.

Dinner at Dad’s

That breakfast room table took on a new role in our home a few years back. It all started when I had some health complications. An avid golfer at the time, my doctor suggested I get a new hobby. So I turned to cooking. I’ve spent the last few years cultivating my skills in the kitchen.

My masterpieces are in the area of comfort food. I don’t want to brag, but my pulled pork, smoked to perfection atop mashed potatoes, gravy and a crispy sourdough bread will put any Kansas City BBQ joint to shame. And don’t get me started on my Reuben sandwich!

So every Sunday, around 6:30, family and friends gather around that old oak table. All four leaves are needed as dishes are piled on. Without fail, every seat is filled, with kids and grandkids, old friends visiting, and new neighbors invited spur of the moment. I’m usually the last guy to sit down, running around the kitchen, finishing the side dishes and grabbing the butter.

When I take my place at the head of the table, I’m filled with gratitude to be surrounded by all of the best things in life–good people, good food, and good conversation. The grandkids run in and out as the adults linger around the table, swapping stories and helping themselves to seconds and thirds.

The Gift of Hospitality

For me, it’s not about making perfect dishes. It’s not about impressing others with our perfect house. This gathering has become about normal, everyday hospitality. It’s a help-yourself kind of comfortability. It’s about really listening to each other and drawing near as a family and with our friends.

When Susan and I bought that table all those years back, we had no way of knowing what was to come. Our family has been blessed to grow from the two of us to 14 with Grandbaby numbers 3 and 4 on the way. The table has to be covered by a tablecloth these days, the scratches gouges and watermarks, all carry such great memories and we are so looking forward to many more to come!

Merry Christmas from Straub Construction. We hope that you enjoy some great time off with your family and friends!

This year, we decided to step things up by creating a JibJab card featuring Ernie, Parker, Sandra, George and Kristin. If you haven’t heard of JibJab.com, it’s a website that lets you create hilarious animated cards that you can email to your friends, family, clients, prospects, etc. It was really easy to use the site, and the results are really worth the effort.

Click here to watch it… I hope you will love it! We shared it around our office and people were laughing out loud.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2017!

Recently, Straub Construction won the award for “The Institutional Projects – under five million dollars” for the Koala Exhibit at the Kansas City Zoo. The award was from the Heartland Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors.

The reception banquet was held at Arrowhead Stadium, and awards were given for outstanding construction projects that were completed in 2016 in various categories. Our award was accepted by Ernie Straub IV and Ernie Straub III of Straub Construction, and Jerry Gallagher, Director of Facilities for the Kansas City Zoo.

The award that was presented to Straub Construction showcased the work; performance and completion of an important specialty project at the Kansas City Zoo. From the beginning of the project, the timeline was critical because of the anticipated arrival of Coedie and Burra… the two Koalas that would call our project home.

The exhibit houses both Koalas, though their living quarters are separate. Visitors to the zoo can see them in various settings that reflect their natural environment. Straub Construction delivered the project on time for the arrival of the Koalas!

We asked Ernie IV what he learned about Koalas as Project Manager on this special project. He said, “a Koala is not a bear. It’s actually a marsupial. They sleep 18 hours each day and prefer to eat eucalyptus leaves.”

A lot of hard work went into making this project a success! We’re proud of our team for making this happen for the Kansas City Zoo.

As many of you with high school athletes know, team dinners are a bonding opportunity for team sports during the various seasons.

When I was told we were going to host the cross country team dinner, I didn’t think too much about it. We’d hosted one last year, but I forgot that it was just the runners participating in the regional meet, so only about twenty kids. This year, we were going to be hosting the entire team. For Blue Valley, that meant over a hundred kids were going to attend!

Thankfully, we weren’t on our own. Many parents helped, and all the kids left full and loaded with carbs.

I was hoping for good weather, and fortunately, while a bit chilly, the rain in the forecast moved out in the afternoon. As the kids started to arrive, I was impressed by how courteous and polite they were. All the kids I talked with were engaged and respectful. A handful even carried on a real conversation about school, cross country and other sport topics.

The only “negative” from the evening also ended up being a highlight.

Picture 25-30 kids playing football in your back yard. Check out the 19 second clip below to see them in action. Our yard ended up looking a bit worse for the wear. But it was nothing a little sweat equity couldn’t fix, and well worth the investment!

Mind you, these were freshman through seniors playing together. It’s a bit unusual for freshmen and seniors to hang out… and that’s one of the great things about cross country. It’s definitely an inclusive sport. They had a blast and played for a solid hour even after many of the kids left. Everyone looked out for each other, and anyone who wanted to participate was welcome.

It was really refreshing to be around these kids. They were just that, kids, having fun, being silly, bonding, and doing it in an inclusive, respectful and fun way. I’m sure you have similar stories if you have kids in sports. It’s nice to think that one day kids with these types of characteristics might be the ones who lead our communities, businesses and country.