Above and beyond underground┬áKinross Gold Corp. recently began production again at its Kettle River site in Washington State. Keith Regan reveals how a long-stalled project got jump-started, and the people to do the work were close at hand when they were needed.  Kinross Gold Corp. controls a far-reaching network of active mining and exploration operations not only in North America but in Russia, Chile, Brazil and Ecuador.

Rough terrain, smooth resultsRebuilding the Trans-Canada Highway through Kicking Horse Canyon in British Columbia posed more than its share of engineering and construction challenges. As Keith Regan learns, the project has proven to be rich with opportunities as well.  The stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway that runs through Kicking Horse Canyon in British Columbia has long had its share of safety problems. The highway cuts through a steep canyon, with sheer rock walls towering over the roadway in some places, creating significant rockslide hazards.

A healthy dose of lean┬áHotel Dieu Grace Hospital used value stream mapping and other lean techniques to transform its emergency room, and now it is looking for even deeper changes, as Keith Regan reports.  Not long ago, the emergency room at Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital (HDGH) in Windsor, Ontario, was a study in inefficiency. Given its downtown location and proximity to the border, the ER can be a very chaotic place. Patients endured long waits to be seen by doctors and nurses and often became angry as a result.

Unashamedly up-market┬áThe Harp Group brings experience and focus to its strategy of high-end hospitality development and investment, Ruari McCallion reports. The Harp Group is the sort of company that observers (and competitors) make notes about; it has made quite a bit of noise since it appeared on the scene in 1997. Founder and company president Peter G.

Smoothing troubled waters┬áOne year on from its inception, steel trading giant Coutinho & Ferrostaal has integrated all elements of its merged identities and weathered the steel price storm. John Foster, COO of the US arm of the business, talks to Gay Sutton about the first year in operation. It was an interesting year for steel; it began with soaring prices, continuing consolidation in the market place and fierce competition.

Blowing hot and cold┬áBill Murdy explains to Gay Sutton how Comfort Systems, already the largest commercial HVAC company in the US, is expanding and moving into new markets. When the going gets toughÔÇöand thereÔÇÖs no denying the economic climate is very tough at the momentÔÇöit helps to be in a business that is essential to modern-day living, and that is exactly what Comfort SystemsÔÇÖ business is.   ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre not building anything anymore that isnÔÇÖt heated, ventilated and air-conditioned,ÔÇØ says chairman and CEO Bill Murdy.

Changing minds, changing┬áplaces┬áWhen the designs for the Water Centre project were first released, the reaction was not all favorable. But the City of Calgary has come to recognize the project for the cutting-edge sustainable design solution that it represents, as Keith Regan learns.  When the idea first surfaced to consolidate workers in the City of CalgaryÔÇÖs water divisions and create space for future growth, the assumption was that a traditional office building would be constructed to create the necessary space.

Old school┬ávalues, new opportunities┬áCentcom Construction has a history of resisting the temptation to grow larger during boom times to focus instead on building long-term relationships. Keith Regan finds out how that formula is part of a culture that has led to success for some 27 years.  Centcom Construction has seen its shares of boom times and hard times since being founded in 1981.

Main mine┬áSafety is at the top of Cementation CanadaÔÇÖs agenda, and it has helped deliver greater productivity and efficiency as well, Roy Slack tells Ruari McCallion. There was a time when underground mining was rightly regarded as one of the most dangerous activities on Earth. When news comes in of a cave-in or underground explosion from some or other of the worldÔÇÖs emerging economies, it may seem that little has changed.

Carry the weight┬áAs materials handling becomes faster and more complex, Cascade Corporation innovates and upgrades to help smooth and improve operations. While itÔÇÖs unlikely that they will ever eliminate warehouses completely, tools and techniques like lean manufacturing, with its constant companion, just-in-time delivery, have reduced the quantity of goods held in static big boxes, either as components or finished goods throughout the manufacturing process.   That doesnÔÇÖt mean fewer items are being shifted ÔÇö quite the opposite.