A bright ideaThrough an expert blend of dental industry know-how and business prowess, Discus Dental employs an all-in-one approach to outshine competitors. Kate Sawyer reports. Sometimes, opportunity knocks during the most unlikely of circumstances. Take Robert Hayman and Dr. William Dorfman, of ABCÔÇÖs ÔÇ£Extreme MakeoverÔÇØ fame. The two met at a University of California, LA BachelorÔÇÖs Auction Charity Event in 1991.  With disparate backgrounds, the two found common ground between their respective professions of dentistry and business.

To boldly goÔǪMark Kolebaba explains to Gay Sutton how Diamonds North is doing things differently, not so much to lead the field, but to accelerate the diamond exploration process and stay ahead of the competition. The cold Northwest Territories of Canada are inhospitable, dark and icy for several months of the year, and yet they are potentially rich in quality diamonds that rank among the best in the world. The mines already operating there can yield gems priced at anything from $150 to $300 per carat, whereas diamonds from South Africa, for example, w

Strengthening the chain Keith Regan explains how Deckers Outdoor Corp. is in the midst of a shift in how it handles its supply chain and corporate responsibilities, an evolution that will enable sustainability to come to the forefront across the company. In some ways, Deckers Outdoor Corp. has stayed true to its roots.

After writing last year about De BeersÔÇÖ progress towards its first diamond mine in Canada, Martin Ashcroft finally has the opportunity to cover not one, but two official openingsAlong and winding road reached a milestone in July with the historic official opening of two new diamond mines in Canada. On Friday 25 July, De Beers Canada cut the ribbon on its Snap Lake mine, located 220-kilometres northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.

Mind over materialsDearborn Fabricating & Engineering Corp. and Mid-West Conveyor Co., two companies founded in 1947, merged in 1995 to become Dearborn Mid-West Conveyor Company. John OÔÇÖHanlon speaks to company president Frank Warmoth about the challenges facing the materials handling industry today. Dearborn Mid-West has spent most of the last 20 years as part of a UK industrial group, Tomkins plc.

The power of customer focusKeith Regan learns how Connecticut Light & Power CompanyÔÇÖs focus on the delivery side of the industry has enabled it to improve its customer service both in quiet times and during the worst storm events. ┬áConnecticut Light & Power Company (CL&P) handles the distribution of electric power to 1.2 million customers in 149 communities across Connecticut.

Healthy outlookChristina Ayers, director of the Office for a Healthy Environment at Cleveland Clinic, one of the top five healthcare providers in the US, speaks to Ruari McCallion about sustainable improvement in the built and operating environment. You can tell a lot about the health of an organization by looking at its production of waste.   ┬áIf everything is going into the same waste stream, regardless of source, quality or content, then expect malfunction inside the walls.

Living largeIn a depressed residential market, Signature Place rises above other condo developments, Fred Gordon learns. In Florida, a state currently undergoing a dismal residential market, where at least 75 percent of condominium towers sit in various stages of construction, some completed but most empty, Signature Place, a $170 million development by Tampa Bay-based Cantor Development in downtown St. Petersburg is in its final phase of construction and about 80 percent sold. Why?

A cut aboveCanfor Corporation, a Canadian forest products company based in Vancouver, utilizes every aspect of forestry to maintain a lucrative portfolio of lumber and pulp products. Kate Sawyer reports. As the largest producer of softwood lumber in Canada, Canfor Corporation understands that what gives a company success and longevity is a reactive business model that responds to changing economic conditions.

Already thereAmeriCold Logistics is the largest provider of temperature-controlled warehousing and distribution services in the United States. John OÔÇÖHanlon asks transportation director Greg Bryan how it continues to grow despite the general downturn. From its Atlanta headquarters, AmeriColdÔÇÖs network covers all 50 states, with more than 110 warehouse locations. Efficient management of these storage, loading and transportation interchange points is one of its great strengths.