Opening the Doors to Our Own Team
Earlier this month we had the opportunity to do something special—host our entire company at Benedictine College for a behind-the-scenes tour of the new library we are building. Projects of this scale and significance don’t come along often, and we wanted every Straub employee who could attend to see firsthand what their work is helping create. Crews currently working on site led the tours themselves, walking coworkers through spaces that only exist on drawings for most people today but will soon become the academic heart of campus.
The day felt less like a jobsite visit and more like a family gathering. After the tours we fired up the grills for hotdogs and brats, welcoming not only our employees but also trade partners and anyone working on site. It was a reminder that this building is the result of many hands and shared effort. We were honored to be joined by Benedictine College President Stephen Minnis and Abbot James Albers of St. Benedict’s Abbey, who both spent time visiting with our team and offering their own insight into what the library will mean for the college and the broader community.
A Library Built for Generations
The new 59,000-square-foot library represents a remarkable transformation for Benedictine College. When completed, it will triple the current study space and house more than 250,000 books and periodicals, with room for future growth. The facility will include expansive reading rooms, individual and group study areas, two large classrooms, seminar and conference spaces, and a coffee shop designed to foster community within the building. A rare book room will preserve treasured volumes from the College and Abbey collections, while new office space will support undergraduate and graduate research as well as the Center for Constitutional Liberty.
Beauty, Faith, and American Heritage
One of the most inspiring elements of the project is the museum-quality replica of Independence Hall’s Assembly Room, created to teach the story of America’s founding principles to students and visitors. Throughout the building, classical architecture and commissioned works of fine art—including mosaics, paintings, Marian statues, and marble busts of Catholic saints and intellectuals—will surround students with beauty that reflects the 1,500-year Benedictine academic tradition. The library is designed not simply as a place to store books, but as a setting where faith, scholarship, and community come together.
Hearing this vision while standing inside the structure made the impact of our work tangible. For many employees it was the first time seeing how their daily efforts connect to Benedictine College’s mission to Transform Culture in America. The library will serve generations of Ravens, offering space for rigorous study, collaboration, spiritual renewal at the nearby Abbey, and formation in civic leadership through the Center for Constitutional Liberty.
Believe In What You Build
We left the day proud—proud of our craft, proud of our partnership with Benedictine College, and proud to be part of a project that will shape students’ lives for decades to come. Thank you to everyone who joined us, especially our crews who took the time to share their knowledge and enthusiasm. Opportunities like this remind us why we build: to serve people, strengthen communities, and create places that matter.
