Global presence, local touchKeith 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.

A reputation for innovationKeith Regan learns how North American Development GroupÔÇÖs comfort level with more complex projects has helped it add some innovative developments to its portfolio. North American Development Group (NADG) has been in the business of developing retail centers for more than 30 years and over that time has had a hand in developing, redeveloping or acquiring some 17 million square feet of retail and related space.

Paving the road to opportunityMichiganÔÇÖs $170 million Gateway Project will make it easier to move between the US and Canada, generate economic opportunities and knit together a neighborhood.

Sticking to the plan About five years ago, Memorial Hermann launched a massive building boom pegged to the systemÔÇÖs 100-year anniversary. Well over $1 billion worth of projects got done on schedule, and Keith Regan reports on the keys to that success story.  Memorial Hermann officially came into being in the 1990s when two large Houston-area hospital networks merged into a single not-for-profit network of urban and suburban healthcare facilities.  Today the system is widely recognized for its acute and specialty care services.

Artful architectureThe ingenuity and unconventional thinking that defines this top-tier institution also defines the campus itself. Kate Sawyer reports. Leave it to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to create a physical structure with enough thought behind it to complete a doctoral dissertation.

Founded with a vision to exploit an abandoned nickel mine, Liberty Mines took control of its own destiny with the construction of a new nickel concentratorNickel has been mined in Canada for over 100 years. High concentrations of nickel-copper ore were discovered on the edge of the Sudbury Basin in Ontario in 1883, during construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

For over a century, Seattle-based Lease Crutcher Lewis has ridden out the ups and downs of the economy through a diversified portfolio of work, innovation, and an adaptable approach to meeting client needs, Gary Toushek learns  In 1886 in Great Falls, Montana, carpenter Newton Lease and a partner formed general contractor Lease & Leigland. Soon this was a leading Montana contractor, building projects such as the Cascade County Courthouse. Son Howard Lease moved the company to Seattle in 1939, where it constructed the main terminal at Sea-Tac Airport.

Collaboration sets the tone From the time its comprehensive plan first established the need for a new wastewater treatment facility, officials in King County, Washington, began building consensus and reaching out to the community.

Highway to heavenThe highway renewal program being undertaken by the Illinois Tollway promises increased capacity and a better driving experience for the Midwest, Ruari McCallion learns from Paul Kovacs. When General Dwight D. Eisenhower came back from Europe after World War II, he recognized the importance of a modern highway system as a means to protect the country and to facilitate economic prosperity.  As president, Eisenhower was able to deliver the vision.

Andrew Pelis learns how improved facilities, a focus on innovation and a booming market add up to a promising future for IDEXX LaboratoriesThe world of pet care is currently going through a boom period. At the cusp of pet care innovation, IDEXX Laboratories is now undertaking the renovation phase of a $75 million project to expand and update its flagship facilities in Westbrook, Maine.The need for expansion has been driven by the companyÔÇÖs success in adopting a blueprint formulated by Jonathan W.