Structural Buildings has come a long way since its humble beginnings, and it all started with our founder, Al Stewart. Al jumped into construction right out of high school. When the company he was working for began laying off coworkers, Al saw the writing on the wall and made a bold decision and acted on a vision—it was time to start his own business.
In 1983, Al launched his first company, and by 1985, it evolved into what is known today as Structural Buildings. Initially started in St. Augusta, MN where Al identified an office and warehouse space to rent across the street from his residence at the time to begin his journey. He also founded Meta Wood, a lumberyard in which he purchased and supplied his own materials for Structural Buildings in St. Augusta to be assured that he provided high-quality materials to his construction company that he was building off of hard work, quality products, and integrity.
Recognizing an opportunity for growth, Al moved the business to Becker, MN. A growing community with some highway frontage on a busy and popular Hwy 10. He transformed a closed-down bar / restaurant on First Street into his headquarters. Fun fact: the former owners of that restaurant later asked Al to build them a new bar and restaurant establishment, which was well known as The Refuge in Orrock, MN.
In Becker, Structural Buildings really began to flourish. It was not without challenges however. Al and his team lost his lumber yard warehouse to a devastating fire, losing so much that he had worked so hard to build. But he regrouped once again and rebuilt it bigger and better. He also had a heavy storm come through the area that collapsed the flat roof of the headquarters, causing the entire office to flood and creating yet another huge set back. But Al once again turned adversity into opportunity— and he not only put a new roof on the brick, single story building. But he took this opportunity to add a second level to the building, creating the iconic structure Becker residents know today.
In the early years, Al focused primarily on agricultural buildings, small sheds in the back yard, and some equestrian facilities. As time went on, he expanded into residential, heavy industrial, and eventually took on some very large commercial projects, including years worth of expansions on the now-massive and iconic, Becker Furniture World.
From small sheds in your back yard to large-scale steel frame commercial projects, we’re proud of the legacy that Al started 40 years ago. And we are even more proud to have the opportunity to carry on his legacy as we strive for an “Excellent Customer Experience at Every Point of Contact”. Here’s to the next 40 years of building dreams!
If You Can Dream it, We Can Build It
