The crossroads of growth┬áAs Keith Regan learns, Opus WestÔÇÖs Energy Crossing project will offer top-shelf office space to the space-hungry energy corridor outside of Houston at affordable prices.  Many of the worldÔÇÖs largest oil and gas companies have long maintained headquarters in the Houston area, and the energy services companies that support themÔÇöthose specializing in offshore exploration or deep-water drilling techniques, for instanceÔÇöare eager to set up shop nearby.

Global presence local touch┬áKeith Regan finds out how melding big-company resources with a small-company approach has paved the way for OdebrechtÔÇÖs growth in Florida and beyond.  Odebrecht is one of Latin AmericaÔÇÖs most formidable construction companies, with a significant presence around the world. The companyÔÇÖs US division is based in Coral Gables, Florida, and has become a fixture in helping to build out the infrastructure of southern Florida over the past two decades.

Turning up the heat┬áOnce the smallest university in Ontario, Nipissing University is enjoying a growth spurt, expanding its offerings and its facilities, Andrew Pelis finds out. In the current environment, competition is rife at all levels of business. The same can be said of education, as universities across North America compete for the very best talent.Despite being known until recently as the smallest university in the province, Nipissing University, set in northeastern Ontario, has made giant strides in its quest to think big.

Growing along with clients┬áIn the past two decades, Miller Electric Company has seen exponential growth and expanded into a more diversified business. The companyÔÇÖs president tells Keith Regan that the growth can be traced to the firmÔÇÖs customer-first philosophy.  Miller Electric Company is just a few years shy of celebrating 100 years in business. After decades as a small but reliable provider of electric contracting services, Miller grew and expanded rapidly during the 1980s and 1990s.

Florida-based Lionstone Development may well be the leading residential and hospitality developer in the Caribbean and Latin America, as well as its home state. Ruari McCallion has been sampling what it has to offerThe landscape of Miami seems to be constantly changing, and itÔÇÖs hard to find any building that can truly be described as a landmark in an area where so much is eye-catching. But thereÔÇÖs a new shape rising in the downtown area, where the Miami River meets Biscayne Bay, and itÔÇÖs enough to make anyone sit up and take notice.

Opportunity in challenges┬áThe historical preservation challenges of the Fairmont Heritage Place at Ghirardelli Square project in San Francisco turned out to be an opportunity in disguise for JMA Ventures, as Keith Regan learns.  San FranciscoÔÇÖs Ghirardelli Square is a well-known landmark, a key piece of real estate along the cityÔÇÖs storied waterfront and near the iconic FishermanÔÇÖs Wharf area, with historic roots in the regionÔÇÖs Gold Rush years.

Tunnel vision┬áJ.F. Shea Construction is building an extension to New York Metropolitan Transit AuthorityÔÇÖs No. 7 Line Subway that will improve the quality of the cityÔÇÖs cultural and business life, as John OÔÇÖHanlon learns. Anyone who rides the New York City subway system knows what the inside of a can must feel like to a sardine.

Hotel 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.

Perfect persuasion┬áFor HCA, the largest for-profit healthcare company in the US, the process of designing new hospitals and upgrading older ones is an essential part of continually improving patient care and refining hospital practice. Bryan Seely explains to Gay Sutton why lean design lies at the heart of HCAÔÇÖs hospital efficiency. Managing the construction and upkeep of the properties in the HCA portfolio is a monumental feat of administrative and management ability.

Cost control┬áGreater Rochester International Airport has welcomed a record number of travelers this past year. Keith Regan learns how the airport continues to build on its strengths to keep down the cost of flying. When aviation director David Damelio talks with airlines considering flying out of Rochester, he doesnÔÇÖt try to compare Monroe County to larger airports across the US or even his closest competitor, the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, located just 60 miles away.