A flood of opportunity┬áAfter 65 consecutive years of sales growth and scores of product additions, Diamond V Mills has become a global player that saw its mettle tested when a flood struck its main manufacturing facility, as Keith Regan learns.  ┬áBy the time the Cedar River crested at a record level of more than 31 feet above flood stage on June 13, 2008, some nine square miles of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, lay under water, including many manufacturing facilities in the cityÔÇÖs industrial area.

Flying deep┬áBusiness strategies that seemed viable at the outset donÔÇÖt always live up to expectation. As Alan T Swaby learns from the COO of Deep Marine Technology, sometimes plan B is the better option. For all those young businesses finding the going a bit tough, take heart.

Conventional wisdomAs 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 learns. Located 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.

The look and feel of South CarolinaÔÇÖs Myrtle Beach has been changing beyond recognition, and Dargan Construction has been at the heart of it, Ruari McCallion learns from Don LloydThere has always been a certain something about the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina. The Atlantic Ocean can be calm or it can be mighty in its wrath, but it can never be ignored. The light has an almost magical quality as the sun rises out of the great sea.

Technology gets the assist┬áKeith Regan learns how Clark ConstructionÔÇÖs use of technology helps it keep even the most complex projects on time and on budget. With a track record reaching back more than a century, Clark Construction is one of the countryÔÇÖs most prolific construction firms. With over $4 billion in revenue, Clark ranked as the 13th-largest construction firm in the country last year based on total revenue, according to Engineering News-Record, and sixth-largest based on domestic revenue.

Special treatment┬áUpgrades to CalgaryÔÇÖs water treatment plants are well under way using the construction management approach, Gary Toushek discovers.

The tide of change┬áJason Burke explains to Gay Sutton how Caribbean Utilities Company has been rebuilding Grand CaymanÔÇÖs infrastructure and proofing its power generation equipment against the disruptions of hurricane season. Located on an idyllic coral island, surrounded by turquoise seas, where the main industries are tourism, banking and fishing, Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) operates a world-class electricity generation, transmission and distribution network supplying power to the people of Grand Cayman.

A minnow among whales┬áCanada Energy PartnersÔÇÖ CEO Ben Jones tells Gary Toushek how he left the exploited petroleum fields of Louisiana to explore coalbed methane in the wilds of British Columbia. Ben Jones seems like a down-to-earth character with a charming southern drawl and a drive to succeed. He considers himself a strange mixture, with a degree in engineering and another in theology. His career stomping ground for about 25 years was southern Louisiana, where he was a petroleum ÔÇ£explorationistÔÇØ in the Gulf coast region.

Ethical jewelry┬áWith increased awareness of the environmental damage caused by irresponsible gold mining, Birks & Mayors is among a growing number of retailers who are providing customers with an ethical alternative, as Alan T Swaby learns. In difficult trading times, the conventional wisdom is to cut costs. So why then would an organization choose a path that increases the cost and effort involved in producing its goods, for no appreciable economic benefit?

Onward and upward┬áBalfour Beatty ConstructionÔÇÖs combination of experience, excellent relationship building and forward thinking continue to make it a leading player in the hospitality and resort sector, Andrew Pelis learns. Orlando, Florida, has long been a haven for the hotel industry, and despite todayÔÇÖs general economic pressures, competition remains rife, so it is essential for each hotel to have its own unique appeal.With such ideas, the Peabody Hotel drew up ambitious plans for a grand renovation some 10 years ago, and after much deliberation