Tilting at giants┬áWith Quixote-like fervor, Windmill West and Vancity Enterprises are taking the sword to conventional property development ideas and proving that building green can be a profitable approach, as Alan T Swaby learns. Victoria, British Columbia, is a pretty, touristy town of around 80,000.

Predictable results┬áThe Weitz Company continues to build on the core values of its founder in the development of two senior living communities, finds Brendan A. Smith.  A century and a half ago, Charles H. Weitz, founding father of the Weitz Company, came to the United States from Germany eager to display his passion and skills in the carpentry field. In 1855, the year of his arrival, Weitz quickly launched his venture by winning contracts to build homes and government buildings in Des Moines, Iowa.

WaterFurnace International manufactures geothermal heating and cooling systemsÔÇöan environmentally friendly alternative energy source. Executive vice president John Groulik tells Linda Seid Frembes about good stewardship of the earth and of the workforceWaterFurnace International specializes in the ultimate green technologyÔÇögeothermal heating and cooling systems for the residential market. Geothermal technology is not as well known as solar or wind power, but John Groulik, executive vice president of operations for WaterFurnace, thinks that will change very soon.

Building for tomorrow's Army ┬áAs part of a sweeping effort to realign Army bases across the country, Fort Benning is seeing some $2 billion worth of infrastructure and facilities construction. Keith Regan learns how the US Army Corps of Engineers is using an all-hands approach to managing the work.  The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program of the Department of Defense is bringing about sweeping changes at bases across the country.

Building┬áAmerica from the ground up┬áKeith Regan learns how Sterling Construction CompanyÔÇÖs approach enables it to win jobs through competitive bids but remain viable through efficiencies gained from experience. Sterling Construction Company, Inc. got its start half a continent away, in Michigan, where a pair of brothers, Richard and Jim Manning, founded it in 1955.

Driving new opportunities┬áTarpon Energy Services has grown rapidly during its five-plus years in business, evidence of the strong demand for its electrical products and services and its related expertise. With its six-year anniversary on the horizon, Tarpon is eyeing growth in the US and other markets. Even with oil prices well off their historic highs of a year ago, energy companies remain active in the exploration and production of both alternative and traditional sources of fuel for power.

Building high and┬ágreen┬áKeith Regan learns how the unique blend of office and hotel space, innovative construction techniques and green elements of Suffolk ConstructionÔÇÖs Met2 project help it stand out in a competitive market. Just a few short years ago, construction cranes towered over much of Miami, as developers pushed to bring high-rise condominium projects to a then-booming housing market. This year the landscape is starkly different, with the only active projects now all in the commercial category.

Motoring down the lean road┬áSL Montevideo Technology owes much of its success to its efforts in the fields of quality and lean, vice president of operations Dave Scott tells Andrew Pelis. SL Montevideo Technology Inc., a division of SL Industries, has been involved in the design and manufacture of high-performance precision AC, DC, BLDC and stepper motors, power electronics, controllers and windings for aerospace, defense and industrial markets worldwide since 1949.

Opportunity meets innovation┬áSimon Fraser University has been changing its campus to address the future growth areas for the school. Keith Regan learns how innovation has kept key projects moving forward.  Simon Fraser University (SFU) has a history of rapid growth and of being responsive to the changing needs of the students it serves. The university, named after explorer Simon Fraser, literally sprung up in 1965 when, after just 18 months of planning, the campus opened with 2,500 students.

Time management┬áPhoenix College is updating its campus with three new building projects. Director of facilities and construction Doug McCarthy gives Linda Seid Frembes some insight on how they were completed without disrupting classes. Phoenix College (PC) in Phoenix, Arizona, is the flagship college of the Maricopa County Community College District. Situated in downtown Central Phoenix, the college provides a central location for more than 10,000 students on its 52-acre campus.