The mechanics of expansion┬áChris Durand explains to Gay Sutton how Kinetic Systems has expanded into new markets, paid down its debts and moved into profit, all during a year when most companies have contracted and retrenched. The turnaround at global mechanical solutions provider Kinetic Systems had its beginnings over five years ago, when the company developed a strategy to refine its project execution and arrive at a standard of excellence.

A family affair┬áAlready unique for being a family-run company 117 years after its founding, J. P. Cullen & Sons is pioneering the use of continuous process improvement and utilizing the latest technologies, president and CEO David Cullen tells Gay Sutton. At construction company J. P.

BIM,┬ábam, boom┬áEvery now and then new technology comes along that is worth its weight in gold and changes the way projects are managed, as Alan T Swaby learns. Visualize for a moment the Windows screen saver where a million tubes writhe around the screen like a basket of snakes, twisting and turning out of the path of their neighbors.

Getting results by any measure┬áThe Iredell-Statesville School District earned the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award by focusing on process improvements and breaking through resistance to change, Keith Regan learns. Not surprisingly, the Iredell-Statesville School District has been deluged with requests to share its secrets in recent months, especially since the North Carolina district won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for 2008.

More from less┬áKeith Regan learns how long-term partnerships and careful oversight have helped the Indianapolis Public Schools get more bang for the taxpayer buck. The Indianapolis Public School district knew it had long deferred investment in new school buildings and upgrades to its existing facilities. To fulfill part of a long-range strategic plan created in 1999, the district commissioned a facility study in 2000 to find out just how much it would take to create the educational environment it wanted.

The high road┬áEngineering consultancy Hatch Mott MacDonald is developing a thriving business in the Vancouver region. Vice president Tony Purdon talks to Gay Sutton about the projects spearheading that growth, and how developing leaders from within is driving its success. Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) was established in 1996 by two global consulting engineering companies, Canadian Hatch Associates and the UKÔÇÖs Mott MacDonald, which had been engaged on engineering projects across the continent.

Fine tuning┬áIconic guitar-maker Fender is introducing lean to the factory floor and creating a learning organization. Gay Sutton talks to senior vice president of global manufacturing Russell Espinosa and discovers how a disciple of Taiichi Ohno is sharing his knowledge to keep the company rocking. Think Fender and the name conjures up an image of mighty power chords, screaming guitar solos and sheer rock ÔÇÖn roll. The guitars themselves have achieved iconic status.

Help thy neighbor┬áFred Zaziski, CEO of oil and gas exploration and production company Epsilon Energy, talks to Gay Sutton about the companyÔÇÖs strategy on risk and expansion, and why, in such a cutthroat industry, competitors help their neighbors. Epsilon Energy is a relative newcomer into the highly competitive oil and gas industry, one of a new generation of companies that are locating and extracting these valuable resources, often exploiting areas that had previously been deemed too difficult.Formed in 2005 by Zoran Arandjelovic, who is also chairma

The Roundup Centre at the Calgary Stampede is expanding to become a world-class, year-round destination. The non-profit organization hosts over 1,200 events every year and is a vital tourism destination for the regionThe Calgary Stampede likes to call itself ÔÇ£the greatest outdoor show on earth.ÔÇØ It is certainly the worldÔÇÖs largest outdoor rodeo, and one of CanadaÔÇÖs largest annual events, taking place for ten days every summer from early to mid-July.

As Keith Regan learns, Dimeo Construction believes in constantly evolving and improving how it manages projects, as the Ocean House waterfront mixed-use project exemplifies Dimeo Construction knows that when project owners tap it to serve as construction manager or lead contractor, they are looking to the firm to help take risk out of the project. Providence, Rhode Island-based Dimeo has been doing that for almost 79 years, serving the institutional, higher education and commercial and mixed-use markets from branch offices in Boston and New Haven.