Throughout Kansas, Missouri, and Southern Illinois, the St. Louis – Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council works for its more than twenty thousand members. The organization’s work provides contractors with a highly trained, safe workforce.

In 1970, four innovative brothers strived to start a business that was set apart by the way that it treated its customers. Tony, Harry, Steve and Jack Sarmazian started a Guelph, Ontario-based flooring installation company, and have since branched into other related services.

Award-winning concrete construction firm Milis Flatwork is a fairly young company, having been in business less than a decade. However, it was successful right from the start, thanks largely to owner and founder Dylan Milis’ extensive experience. Milis Flatwork specializes in agriculture-related and commercial concrete construction projects.

STANDARD Products is the second largest manufacturer and distributor of lighting solutions in Canada and it is through innovation, quality, performance, and a passion for efficiency that the company has been able to establish itself as a leader in both the markets and the communities it serves.

Valcor Engineering Corporation designs and manufactures fluid control components for a wide range of industries with aerospace, nuclear power, industrial, medical, and scientific laboratory applications. The company specializes in highly-engineered, custom solutions over commodity components.

Four years ago, Business in Focus explored the world of semiconductors through the lens of Minnesota-based Talon Innovations, a manufacturer of machined parts and complex assemblies for semiconductor tools. At the time, the company had been on a steady growth path with a plan to fully execute an acquisition, after which it would focus on the two primary goals of diversification and added capacity. We recently touched base with this ambitious company to see if it achieved its goals and find out what its plans are for 2019 and beyond.

SupplyOne partners with companies to deliver packaging solutions that simplify operations, ensure cost savings, and increase efficiency. Their interests are focused on the customer’s needs, both short and long term.

Marc-Antoine Cantin and his brother Jean-François have turned a once bankrupt fireplace manufacturer into an international player that is bringing warmth and comfort to homes around the globe. So you, too, can sit back and enjoy the coziness with a glass of wine.

In 2007, a group of IT professionals in Montreal, Quebec decided to launch a full-service IT solutions business that focused on value-added, engaged client services for mid- to large-sized businesses around Canada and the United States. The company, Quadbridge Inc., has experienced 2,100 percent growth in the last five years and is partnered with many of the technology industry’s major players – including Microsoft, HP, and Lenovo – while also serving its community through giving back.