Smoothing troubled waters┬áOne year on from its inception, steel trading giant Coutinho & Ferrostaal has integrated all elements of its merged identities and weathered the steel price storm. John Foster, COO of the US arm of the business, talks to Gay Sutton about the first year in operation. It was an interesting year for steel; it began with soaring prices, continuing consolidation in the market place and fierce competition.

Blowing hot and cold┬áBill Murdy explains to Gay Sutton how Comfort Systems, already the largest commercial HVAC company in the US, is expanding and moving into new markets. When the going gets toughÔÇöand thereÔÇÖs no denying the economic climate is very tough at the momentÔÇöit helps to be in a business that is essential to modern-day living, and that is exactly what Comfort SystemsÔÇÖ business is.   ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre not building anything anymore that isnÔÇÖt heated, ventilated and air-conditioned,ÔÇØ says chairman and CEO Bill Murdy.

Changing minds, changing┬áplaces┬áWhen the designs for the Water Centre project were first released, the reaction was not all favorable. But the City of Calgary has come to recognize the project for the cutting-edge sustainable design solution that it represents, as Keith Regan learns.  When the idea first surfaced to consolidate workers in the City of CalgaryÔÇÖs water divisions and create space for future growth, the assumption was that a traditional office building would be constructed to create the necessary space.

Old school┬ávalues, new opportunities┬áCentcom Construction has a history of resisting the temptation to grow larger during boom times to focus instead on building long-term relationships. Keith Regan finds out how that formula is part of a culture that has led to success for some 27 years.  Centcom Construction has seen its shares of boom times and hard times since being founded in 1981.

Main mine┬áSafety is at the top of Cementation CanadaÔÇÖs agenda, and it has helped deliver greater productivity and efficiency as well, Roy Slack tells Ruari McCallion. There was a time when underground mining was rightly regarded as one of the most dangerous activities on Earth. When news comes in of a cave-in or underground explosion from some or other of the worldÔÇÖs emerging economies, it may seem that little has changed.

Carry the weight┬áAs materials handling becomes faster and more complex, Cascade Corporation innovates and upgrades to help smooth and improve operations. While itÔÇÖs unlikely that they will ever eliminate warehouses completely, tools and techniques like lean manufacturing, with its constant companion, just-in-time delivery, have reduced the quantity of goods held in static big boxes, either as components or finished goods throughout the manufacturing process.   That doesnÔÇÖt mean fewer items are being shifted ÔÇö quite the opposite.

Experience matters┬áIn the current difficult construction climate, itÔÇÖs useful to have experienced hands on board, as Jeff Daniels learns. In one persona or another, the Callahan family has been building things for over a half century, since the time the present presidentÔÇÖs father set up shop in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, in 1954ÔÇöprimarily as a builder of residential properties to cater to the baby boom generation.So it follows that the various organizations within the Callahan Group have prospered through many a period of boom but more importantl

Family destinations┬áMyrtle Beach, South Carolina has become part of the national vocabulary, but its visionary owners have now taken the concept further afield, as Martin Ashcroft reports. The Burroughs and Chapin families have been associated with Myrtle Beach for over a centuryÔÇöthey were even responsible for its nameÔÇöand in that time have created what is now a premier family vacation destination.Twenty-three-year-old North Carolina native Franklin G. Burroughs arrived in Conway, South Carolina, in 1857 to seek his fortune.

The aging Shearwater helicopter base at Halifax, Nova Scotia is getting a new lease on life with a fast-track design-build contract awarded to Bird Construction. John O’Hanlon gets the story from project manager Bill Zister.

History with a cutting edge┬áAfter an extensive search, Bing Thom Architects was chosen to re-envision the Arena TheaterÔÇÖs Washington DC home. The result is a striking structure that knits together past and present and points to the neighborhoodÔÇÖs bright future, as Keith Regan details.