Chrysler has followed rivals Ford and General Motors by announcing plans to cut back on the production of minivans in the US, as rising fuel prices drive consumers to opt for smaller vehicles.  ┬á Two factories in Missouri are affected, with one minivan plant in St Louis shutting down completely and another cutting back from two shifts to one. The reductions will lead to a cut of 2,400 hourly jobs.┬á┬á "The market is fairly slow and consumer confidence has been down," said Chrysler president Jim Press.

┬áStrategy & leadershipBusiness leaders must develop a people strategy and leadership style to maximize business performance and achieve their companyÔÇÖs vision, says Jon Minerich, principal, Oliver Wight Americas, Inc.┬á In todayÔÇÖs business environment, events happen quickly. To meet this challenge, many leaders focus on technology and process improvement strategies in an attempt to make their companies more responsive to changing market conditions.

University of UtahAt the University of Utah, director of sustainability Craig Forster explains his ideas for raising awareness to Gary Toushek. "In terms of sustainability, weÔÇÖre ahead in some ways, and weÔÇÖre behind other folks in other ways. The spectrum is very large.ÔÇØ Craig Forster, director of sustainability at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, is discussing how to involve students, faculty, the administration and the outside┬ácommunity in a meaningful discussion of important environmental and conservation issues.

It’s been a New York tradition for over 100 years, and today Yonkers Raceway presents a new face to the world, COO Wayne Smith tells Ruari McCallion.

An evening’s harness racing at Yonkers Raceway has been part of the New York City entertainment landscape for over a century—since 1899, to be precise. But it’s more than that.

┬áA new approachGary Toushek investigates how Vancouver is planning for the healthcare needs of the elderly with its Residential Care and Assisted Living Capacity Initiative. Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is famous for its temperate climate and idyllic surroundings that attract retirees, which today means mostly empty-nesters over the age of 50. ItÔÇÖs a group that includes joggers, golfers, boaters and other active people, as well as more sedentary and slower-moving seniors: overall, a group that increasingly requires more healthcare services.

Finding the sweet spotTransitioning from an old facility to a new one is not exactly a piece of cake, SVP Autumn Bayles explains to Gary Toushek. In 1914 baker Philip Baur and egg salesman Herbert Morris went into business together in Philadelphia to produce small baked goods using ingredients delivered fresh daily to their bakery. MorrisÔÇÖs wife proclaimed the products ÔÇ£tasty,ÔÇØ so the Tasty Baking Company was born, and the products bore the brand name Tastykake.

Crystal ballSenior vice president George Read tells Gary Toushek what he sees in the future for Shore GoldÔÇÖs diamond explorations. "On the Star Diamond project we have defined our resource and can now enter a pre-feasibility study, ultimately with the definition of a reserve calculation, then we move on to bankable feasibility by the end of 2008.ÔÇØ  George Read, senior vice president of exploration & development of Saskatoon, SaskatchewanÔÇôbased Shore Gold Inc., is commenting on the National Instrument 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate p

Growth painsSan Diego International Airport is following a master plan for growth, despite serious constraints on its future capacity, Martin Ashcroft discovers. San Diego International Airport has a unique history and some unique present day circumstances. In 1927, Charles A Lindbergh took off in The Spirit of St Louis from Dutch Flats, just north of the current airport, on the first leg of the journey that would end with his becoming the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic.

Refining momentExecutive vice president Jimmy Crosby tells Gary Toushek how Paramount PetroleumÔÇÖs investment in technology expanded its capabilities to produce clean car, diesel and jet fuel. Can you imagine what itÔÇÖs like operating an oil refinery in California today? How about on the coast, in the south end of Los Angeles County? You would expect strict state and EPA regulations regarding emissions.

Wishing upon a starJohn Millard shares with Jenn Monroe Novant HealthÔÇÖs strategy to reach maximum energy efficiency. Three years ago Novant Health set its sights on the stars. Actually, the goal is to reach just oneÔÇöthe Energy Star rating. ÔÇ£We want to be in the top 25 percent in our industry,ÔÇØ says John Millard, director of energy and environmental affairs. ÔÇ£For our hospitals, itÔÇÖs a standard weÔÇÖre putting out there.ÔÇØ But attaining the Energy Star rating is just one piece of a two-pronged initiative.