On┬ásolid ground┬áThe Panama City campus of Florida State University has nearly doubled its student capacity with the construction of a new academic center. Linda Seid Frembes talks to Peter R. Brown Construction about the uniqueness of the project. Two years ago, the Panama City campus of Florida State University (FSU) embarked on an ambitious construction project for its new Alfred P. and Mamie V. Holley Academic Center. Dedicated in January 2009, the 105,000-square-foot Center effectively doubles the amount of capacity and space for FSU students.

Peak performance┬áAs the economic crisis rattles the US oil and natural gas industry, one company is poised for peak performance when markets recover, reports Brendan A. Smith.  Peak USA Energy Services helps oil and gas firms reach optimum production levels. Specializing in rig moving, custom heavy hauling, crane and rigging services, general freight, hot shot deliveries, and oilfield transportation, Peak offers more than 20 years of experience backed by a world-class fleet of over 250 trucks.

Off the beaten path A longtime joint venture is tackling a new challenge: building an upscale condo and hotel project hours from a major city and between two active ski mountains. Keith Regan learns how PCL Construction Services and CFC Construction are using their individual and collective strengths to do everything short of moving mountains.

Building on a reputation Pavarini McGovern is a mid-sized construction management firm with the capabilities of a larger player and the senior management involvement of a smaller one. As Keith Regan learns, the soon-to-be-completed Smyth Hotel is a glittering example of what can happen when those attributes are combined.

The Ontario Clean Water Agency relies on staff experience and continuous IT investment to service more than 500 utility locations in the Province of Ontario. Linda Seid Frembes finds out moreWater ÔÇöit sustains life and plays an important role in our environment, but most people take it for granted. No matter what time of day, it is expected that clean, clear water will pour from the faucet every time the tap is turned on.

Winds of change┬áKeeping up with growing demand is an interesting problem to have in a declining economy, Moventas Wind Gear Service vice president Juha Paananen explains to Gary Toushek. The wind turbine industry has been enjoying steadily escalating growth during the last decade in the US and Canada, and it was recently spurred on by the alternative energy strategy of President Obama. Component manufacturers like Moventas, based in Jyv├ñskyl├ñ, Finland, are trying their best to keep up with demand.

Between a rock and a hard place┬áAlthough thereÔÇÖs plenty of lucrative building work in Las Vegas, itÔÇÖs not always possible to get complete and unfettered access to the site, as Alan T Swaby learns. From a vacationerÔÇÖs point of view, possibly one of the biggest turn-offs possible is to find construction work taking place at the resort youÔÇÖve chosen. By the same token, few if any resort owners can afford to shut their premises down while major refurbishments are taking place.

The long viewThe Three-Sixty Residences luxury high-rise condo development in downtown San Jose, California, is a positive public-private partnership in an urban setting, Gary Toushek discovers. Chicago-based Mesa Development is providing San Jose, California, with one of its first downtown luxury condo high-rises, and it happens to be one of the tallest residential buildings in the city. It also happens to be on a previously underutilized parking lot that the city had slated for redevelopment, so everyone wins.

A whole new crossing┬áBrendan A. Smith learns about the contribution being made to a new mixed use property development by a local site developer, McManus Excavating Company. The famous town of Gloucester, Massachusetts, will soon be Cape AnnÔÇÖs premier retail destination, and a local site work development company is playing a vital role.

In the pipeline┬áMacro Industries is at the heart of the oil and gas extraction that is driving CanadaÔÇÖs economy from some of its remotest regions: terrain that demands special expertise and flexibility. John OÔÇÖHanlon looks at the company and the industry. The stone flung into the world economy has rippled every part of it, and the energy sector is no exception.