Right the first time┬áWhile many companies are shrinking, Jacobson Companies is continuing to grow by taking the cost out of its customersÔÇÖ operations. Gay Sutton finds out how from regional operations manager Tim Day.

Spur of the moment┬áA unique private-public partnership in El Paso continues successfully into its second year. April Terreri dons a hard hat to dig up reasons for the successes there. One year ago, Achieving Business Excellence profiled J.D. Abrams, LP, an Austin, Texas-headquartered firm offering heavy civil contractor services and specializing in public works infrastructure projects.

Management magic┬áITT Defense Electronics & Services has developed a comprehensive business management model that provides a sustainable and efficient framework within which the business can operate and grow, as Vince Thomas explains to Gay Sutton.  ITT Defense Electronics & Services, a division of global engineering and manufacturing giant ITT Corporation, provides sophisticated communications, sensing and surveillance equipment, and advanced engineering and integrated services to both government and commercial customers in the defense sector.

Down by the station┬áNorfolk, Virginia, is the smallest city in the US to receive federal funding for a light rail project. Climb aboard with April Terreri to discover what this project means for the future of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Transportation planners in Hampton Roads, Virginia, had long worried that congestion on major interstates and arterial roads was approaching critical levels, especially at the regionÔÇÖs numerous tunnels and bridges, where commuters regularly were encountering hours of stalled traffic.

Berth announcement┬áVancouver, CanadaÔÇÖs biggest and busiest port, has seen a huge increase in container traffic, and itÔÇÖs expected to triple by 2030. The construction of a third wharf at Deltaport will help, and John OÔÇÖHanlon speaks to the man responsible for building it. Deltaport is VancouverÔÇÖs largest container terminal, operated by TSI (Terminal Systems, Inc.) under a long-term lease agreement with Port Metro Vancouver.

Pressing ahead┬áThe Dermot Company seeks to distinguish itself in the crowded New York City real estate development space with its integrated approach. Even as banks tighten the flow of money, the company continues to press forward, Greg Andrews discovers. The Dermot Company was founded in 1991 as a traditional real estate developer, seeking opportunities in the already crowded New York City-area marketplace.  Today, Dermot employs a range of business models and development techniques to bring apartment and mixed-use projects to fruition.

Detecting improvement┬áKeith Regan talks with the vice president of operations of First Texas Products to learn how continuous improvement and other techniques are being brought to bear on a market segment that has traditionally been dominated by smaller operations. Traditionally in the industry, the types of specialty products made by the brands of First Texas Products have been made in small batches by relatively small specialty manufacturers.

Growth┬áformula┬áThe Douglas Company believes in building strong relationships with its customers and its suppliers. Ben Sansom reports on a period of exceptional growth, and then focuses on projects coming to completion in Florida. Headquartered in Holland, near Toledo, Ohio, The Douglas Company has spent 33 years since its inception building a reputation and a thriving business in the construction industry.

As part of a resort project in British Columbia, Darwin Construction is building a conference facility to lure conventions to a small resort town, bringing jobs to the area, both construction and post-construction, Andrew Pelis learnsLocated in CanadaÔÇÖs only official desert, a boom in property construction is unfolding. The town of Osoyoos is situated in British Columbia, with the picturesque setting of Lake Osoyoos only four minutes from the US border; indeed, the lake itself sits in both countries.

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.