The business that never stops┬áMost factories close down at some stage, even if only for a few days, but as Alan T Swaby learns from Foster DairyÔÇÖs Jeff Fowler, the dairy industry doesnÔÇÖt get that luxury. Over the years, many famous, successful and viable brands have disappeared, usually following a merger or takeover when the victor relegates the vanquished to the dusty corners of our nostalgic memories.

Energy with benefits┬áESPI is an electricity supplier that has taken advantage of deregulation to show phenomenal growth, with a business model based on educating customers in how to save money on their electricity bills. Have you ever imagined running a $100 million company from home? Dr. Frank Lewis did when he founded Energy Services Providers in 2002.

Fortifying the infrastructure┬áDiscover how the new terminal for Winnipeg International Airport fits into a nationwide focus on CanadaÔÇÖs infrastructure. April Terreri sits down with an EllisDon vice president to learn more. Despite the present state of the worldwide economy, the construction industry in Canada is quite strong. No one knows this better than EllisDon, one of the largest construction companies in North America and the general contractor for the redevelopment of Winnipeg International Airport.

Circle of knowledge┬áEllisDon is constructing a state-of-the-art LEED Gold-certified building for Nova Scotia Community College that will educate students in the building trades. Grab your composition pad and come along with April Terreri to learn more. Some might describe the construction of the Centre for the Built Environment (CBE) at Nova Scotia Community College in Dartmouth, near Halifax, as a veritable learning lab.

A SMART┬áapproach┬áDixon Ticonderoga is best known for making the No. 2 pencils used by millions of students on standardized tests. As Keith Regan learns, Dixon is focusing on operational excellence and restoring employee pride in a formidable 200-year-old brand using lean six sigma methodologies. The Dixon Ticonderoga Company traces its roots back to 1795. Today, itÔÇÖs part of the FILA family of companies and manufactures and distributes a host of office supplies and promotional items, including the No.

Growing in all directions┬áIn May of 2004, Dallas County voters backed a $450 million bond issue to support the growth and expansion of the Dallas County Community College District. Greg Andrews explains how the district is managing that work and reaching out to the design and construction industry to forge lasting partnerships. The Dallas County Community College District was formed in 1965 and today serves a sprawling metropolitan area of some 2.4 million people and 860 square miles.

Linger and learn┬áAs it wraps up a 2002 bond program and gets into the heart of a 2006 bond issue for building and renovation work, Contra Costa Community College District in California is focusing on harnessing the power of targeted investment to transform campuses and the communities that host them, Keith Regan finds out.  As part of a 2002 bond issue to upgrade and expand the facilities of the Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD), Contra Costa College and Diablo Valley College received several new and renovated buildings.

Reaching out┬áKeith Regan learns how CalgaryÔÇÖs light rail transit system is growing in a green manner, roaring past construction and design challenges and keeping community relations in the front car.  The residents of Calgary, Alberta, have consistently shown that theyÔÇÖll use the Calgary Light Rail Transit, or CTrain system, from the time the first station and small section of track line opened to riders from 7th Avenue in downtown to Anderson Road in 1981.

The learning curve Managing the construction and renovation of public schools in one of the fastest-growing counties in the country is no small task.

Everything old is new again┬áKeith Regan learns from two senior bridge engineers how the California Department of Transportation is eager to work with contractors to bring new and little-used techniques into the mix to help address environmental and other constraints.  The stretch of State Route 1 that runs between the Northern California communities of Pacifica and Montara about 20 miles south of San Francisco is one of the most breathtaking parts of the famous Pacific Coast Highway, which has been memorialized in song, photographs and films.