Strong Family Values Lay Foundation for Booming Business

Watching his dad start Lewis Straus Construction in 1985, Luke Straus and his brothers, Lyle and Larry, were taught that expertise, innovation and customer service are the most important pillars to running a business. “We used to always try to be with him or out on the jobs as much as we could, even when we were little kids,” says Luke, the current owner-operator of Lewis Straus Construction.  

Today, with almost 30 employees digging over 200 pools a year across Southern Ontario, Luke doesn’t take anything for granted. “I’m smart enough to realize how fortunate I am that I was able to take over a thriving business rather than starting from scratch like my dad had to.” He still remembers watching his dad go through the ups and downs of starting a business, from recessions to labor-shortages and everything in between.  

But no matter what struggles the business faced, one thing was for sure: The Straus family always had what they needed — strong family values, the respect of their customers and support from Bobcat® equipment.  

Strong Values Aren’t the Straus Family’s Only Tools

As their customers continue to rely on them more and more, there’s one relationship Luke and his family are especially thankful for: the one they started with their local Bobcat dealer years ago. They knew they needed the best of the best when it came to buying machines and Bobcat had it all. Luke cites its innovative attachments, strongest service departments, nicest cabs and most comfortable seats, to name a few attributes.  

And because of this strong relationship, the Lewis Straus Construction team has quite the impressive fleet, including: 

Dozens of excavators:

• E20 compact excavators 
• E32 compact excavators 
• E37 mini excavators 
• E55 compact excavators 
• E60 compact excavators 
• 331 compact excavator 
• 332 compact excavator 
• 324 compact excavator 

A range of mini track loaders: 

• MT55 mini track loader 
• MT85 mini track loader 
• MT100 mini track loader 

And several compact track loaders: 

• T110 compact track loaders 
• T450 compact track loaders 
• T770 compact track loaders 

With this lineup, it’s safe to say Lewis Straus Construction is unstoppable when taking on new work and challenges. 

Looking to the Future With Bobcat 

Through all the obstacles and industry changes, the Straus family never lost sight of what was most important: their strong family values and the relationships they’ve developed along the way. When asked about where the business is heading in the future, Luke keeps a level head. “We’re kind of going to see where it takes us. Maybe we’ll grow more, or we’ll slow down, but we can handle anything that comes our way.”  

No matter what lies ahead for Lewis Straus Construction, some things will never change. Customers expect expertise, innovation and excellent service from this family business and Bobcat helps them deliver, day in and day out.