Turning a problem on its headConcern for the environment has led to a unique approach to road building in sensitive areas, as Jeff Daniels learns. When drivers traveling between the small towns of Washington and Chocowinity in North Carolina eventually gain access to the new Highway 17 bypass at the end of this year, their thoughts no doubt will simply revolve around the lower levels of congestion that the $192 million project has delivered. But this has not been just any old stretch of road.

In the pipeline┬áPipeline construction is a tough industry, but for those who get it right, the rewards are enormous. Wes Waschuk tells Gay Sutton how a small family company has grown to become CanadaÔÇÖs largest oil and gas pipeline builder. Canada is in a fortunate situation, rich in oil resources at a time when the world is clamoring for security and continuity of supply. ÔÇ£Right now weÔÇÖre in a really exciting time for Alberta,ÔÇØ says Wes Waschuk, president of Waschuk Pipeline, headquartered in Red Deer, Alberta.

All about culture┬áWardrop Engineering has been providing engineering services for infrastructure, energy and mining industries for over 50 years. Jaclyn Beck reports on the core values that keep the company going and growing. Like any fast-growing company, Wardrop Engineering continues to change as rapidly as it grows. Shayne Smith became its fourth CEO in early 2006 after 20 years with the company, and knowing that rapid growth requires careful management, he was concerned with maintaining its performance levels.

An eye to the sky┬áAs airports across the globe search for extra revenue opportunities, British ColumbiaÔÇÖs Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has a new master plan for airport development, reports Brendan A. Smith.

From flaw to sealing┬áTremco Global Sealants offers flawless sealing solutions for commercial and residential construction and industrial applications. Jaclyn Beck reports on the companyÔÇÖs latest innovations. One Pierrepont Plaza ascends 20 stories high in the heart of BrooklynÔÇÖs MetroTech Center, a 16-acre, 14-building corporate complex.

Hot stuff┬áGeothermal power is a growing renewable energy source, which is good news for ThermaSource, Inc., a leading geothermal drilling, engineering and consulting firm, executive vice president Jim Hanson tells Ruari McCallion. No one who has watched a volcano erupt, experienced an earthquake or watched a geyser blow off steam can fail to be impressed with the power of the planet. The challenge is, as always, how to control and tap it.

Learning curve┬áThe Texas Tech University System is about halfway through a $1 billion-plus program of investment in facilities and expanded capacity. Ruari McCallion finds out from Mike Ellicott how the landscape is changing. Lubbock, Texas, could be described as centrally placed. ItÔÇÖs around 350 miles from Albuquerque, New Mexico; 350 miles from El Paso, Texas; 350 miles from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and about the same from Dallas, Texas.

A touch of Europe┬áSparkling Hill Resort & Wellness Hotel seeks to bring a true European wellness center experience to Western Canada. As Keith Regan learns, the spectacular setting is expected to draw visitors from around the world.  The mountains of British Columbia are a long way from the wellness resorts found in rural Austria, but in the vision of the developers of the Sparkling Hill Resort & Wellness Hotel, the two fit together perfectly.

Putting cities back on the map┬áWith a focus on true mixed use and sustainable design, Sand Hill Property Company is helping to bring sunny days back to one California downtown area with its Downtown Sunnyvale project, as Andrew Pelis learns from Reed Moulds. In the current economic climate, every town has a tale of woe to tell.

Gold standard┬áQueenston Mining has quality gold resources and is poised to exploit them, thanks to growing world demand and a consequent improvement in prices, CEO and president Charles Page explains to John OÔÇÖHanlon.  Gold may no longer underpin the economy, but when, as now, currencies flutter around like leaves driven in the wind, gold again begins to look like a very sound commodity to hold.