Playing to its strengthsIn a climate in which decreased sales and profit are par for the course and have stopped being newsworthy, it comes as a welcome to hear that bucking the trend can, and is, happening, as Alan T Swaby learns. Cummins Power Systems is a Pennsylvania-based distributor of Cummins Engines, and its biggest customer is the truck industry. As such, it wouldnÔÇÖt normally surprise anyone to hear that it was having a bad time.

The fairway to success┬áWorld-leading private club business owner ClubCorp has built its reputation on serving the needs of its members. CEO and president Eric Affeldt tells Gay Sutton how he has continued to build on that focus while injecting a new dynamic and creativity into the business. Can there be any greater heaven for a man who is an avid golfer than to head up a company that operates over 170 private golfing, sports and business clubs across the United States?

A nautical convention┬áOn a nine-acre site overlooking the beautiful Cape Fear River in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, the long-awaited Wilmington Convention Center is at last taking shape. Project manager Steve Bridges talks to Gay Sutton about building a new regional facility on a historic brownfield site. Situated between North CarolinaÔÇÖs Atlantic coast and the Cape Fear River, Wilmington is a historic port and railroad city with a thriving business and leisure community.

Making things right, fast┬áA member of the Otter Tail family of companies, BTD Manufacturing offers a range of design and manufacturing solutions to its customers. In todayÔÇÖs just-in-time environment, it also emphasizes the ability to deliver goods quickly.  ┬áItÔÇÖs been 30 years since Bismarck Tool and Die Co. came into existence, named after the North Dakota city where it was founded in 1979 by Erling Rasmussen and Paul White, Jr.

Tower of Wachovia┬áBatson-CookÔÇÖs construction of a 48-story office building for Wachovia Corporation overcame a number of challenges. April Terreri has the story. When the Wachovia First Street Office Tower project is complete early next year, it will be an example of a LEED-certified Gold building and one of the tallest and most design-innovative buildings in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Banking on oil┬áAbby Badwi of Bankers Petroleum talks to Ruari McCallion about names, exploration and being a Canadian company with the biggest stake in EuropeÔÇÖs largest onshore oilfield. The rapid rise in oil prices during 2007ÔÇô08 brought a lot of marginal fields into play and raised hopes for the profitability of hard-to-extract oil resources.

Hill┬ácountry living┬áKeith Regan learns how building the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa has made Austin Commercial keep a light environmental footprint while dealing with some unexpected challenges. ┬áWhen it was first conceived a decade ago, the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa met with considerable skepticism from parts of the community in the area just northeast of San Antonio, Texas.

City within a city┬áPreparing the infrastructure for presidential inaugurations is just one of the responsibilities of the Architect of the Capitol. Come along as April Terreri discovers other roles that the Architect performs for our nationÔÇÖs Capitol. Most people in the US probably have never heard of the office of the Architect of the Capitol.

A hub of activity┬áThough at first glance airports appear to have their own captive markets, behind the scenes there is a great deal of competitive activity, as Alan Swaby learns. At Montr├®al-Trudeau International Airport, visitors from the United States are a pretty pampered lot. In order to give them a last taste of Canadian relaxation before being reabsorbed into the hurly-burly of home life, American visitors are allowed to clear customs and immigration back into the US before theyÔÇÖve even finished their trip to Quebec.

Swept along in a whirlwind┬áDemand for wind and solar power systems has turned AEE Solar into a giant almost without it realizing what was happening, as Alan T Swaby learns. In certain circles, the installation of renewable energy sources is something of a lifestyle statement. Solar panels on the roof of a house are a declaration that the owner is doing his part for the survival of the planet.