From Here to There

Nestled alongside an unexpected desert lake, Tempe, Arizona has become an oasis for both work and play. When Business in Focus profiled the city of 190,000 residents in August of last year, we learned about the community’s commitment to business growth and livability. We checked back this month for updates on Tempe’s latest development projects.

Arizona’s Expansive Frontier
Maricopa Economic Development Alliance

Maricopa, Arizona is enjoying remarkable growth as newcomers are drawn to the community’s economic opportunity, exceptional diversity, quality of life, and affordability, which make the city an attractive alternative to nearby Phoenix. Since 2000, Maricopa’s population has skyrocketed from approximately 1,200 people to 75,000. Just two decades ago, “We were nothing but farmland,” says Christian Price, the former Maricopa mayor and current President and CEO of the Maricopa Economic Development Alliance (MEDA).

Have It All
Cayuga County

Surrounded by nature and recreational activities, built on a rich history, and overflowing with a wealth of business opportunities, Cayuga County has it all.

Retail Therapy
Buying Behaviours in a Changed World

Along with health and safety procedures, vaccine awareness, supply chain issues, and travel advisories, the COVID pandemic has also affected more basic practices, including how consumers are behaving, shopping, and, in many ways, thinking about how and where they spend money.

Proof That Top-Class Automated Packaging Takes Top-Class People
Viking Masek

When Leonhard Packaging Solutions (LPS) was founded by Robb Leonhard and his older brother Rick in 2002, the company started small, with Rick serving as President and Robb filling the role of Vice President. The brothers had the drive and talent for finding the right people and empowering others, a quality they brought to the newly formed business. In the next few years they brought in RC Huhn and Scott Miller to the ownership team. Both brought strong skill sets that complemented the team.

Exciting Expansion for Well-Engineered Machinery
Expand Machinery

Beginning as a modest family business in 1985, bringing to market machine tools with the best value and productivity for precision machining, Ganesh Machinery grew in just three short years into a 4,000-square-foot operation, followed by a successful 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art enterprise supported by a 40,000-square-foot machine warehouse. The product lines GEN MILL, GEN TURN, and Ganesh were bought by Expand Machinery in 2019, positioning the company on a new, exciting path dedicated to ensuring excellent after-sales service and high-quality, well-engineered machinery for all its clients.

Looking To Cornerstone for What’s Best in Corrections
Cornerstone

Before founding Cornerstone Detention Products Inc. in 1998, Charles ‘Mitch’ Claborn had already dedicated years of his life to honing his experience in the corrections industry.

A Team Approach to Every Project
Amcon Construction

To stay successful in the construction industry requires more than experience and on-time/on-budget delivery; it also takes flexibility, and few live by this credo more than Amcon.

The Evolution of Shopping Centres
How the Pandemic Altered the Retail Landscape

by Jessica Ferlaino

Indoor shopping malls have been the centre of retail activity for more than half a century, and during that time became a social and cultural mecca for countless generations of consumers who have flocked there to find the latest styles, check out the latest trends, indulge in some delicious foods and snacks, catch a movie, or hang out with friends.

A Controversial Project Nears Completion
At Look at Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown Light Rapid Transit Line

by Nate Hendley

On August 10 of this year, Phil Verster, CEO of Metrolinx, the regional transportation agency for the Ontario government, made a major announcement about Toronto’s long-delayed, multi-billion dollar Eglinton Crosstown Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system. Metrolinx, which is overseeing the troubled transit project along with another provincial agency, Infrastructure Ontario, could be in a position to announce an opening date in the near future, said Verster.

Building a Community for the Future
Bay Future, Inc.

by Jessica Ferlaino

“Our community is really embracing what the future could be.” – Trevor Keyes

Sunny Days and Starry Nights
City of Flagstaff, Arizona

With 266 sunny days per year, thousands of nature trails, a top research university, and a thriving job market, Flagstaff, Arizona is an ideal place for work and play. The city’s elevation—6,903 feet—leads to relatively mild weather, so residents can enjoy the outdoors whatever the season.

Knuckling Down, Sprucing Up, and Growing Better Each Day
City of Westland, Michigan

by Pauline Muller

Like the Middle River Rouge running through Hines Park in the City of Westland, prosperity and positive change are flowing into this lush, 22-square-mile town.

Pjila’si! – The Perfect Invitation to any Traveller
North Cape Coastal Drive

by Margaret Patricia Eaton

When Mi’kmaq people greet a visitor with “Pjila’si,” they’re not only saying “Welcome,” they’re saying, “Come in and sit down!”

Home Building to the Highest Standards
Jeffery Homes

Over his years as one of Ontario’s premier home builders, Scott Jeffery has learned many things, particularly respect for customers and for the trades who work to ensure the Jeffery Homes brand maintains its sterling reputation. Jeffery and his team strive for better than the best—something the company has maintained for almost 60 years.

Affordable, Liveable Homes, From One Family to Another
Huron Creek Developments

Recognized as a leader in innovation in new home construction and neighbourhood growth, Huron Creek Developments has over 80 years of combined building expertise and has delivered more than 10,000 new homes to neighbourhoods over the past 20 years. In both its current and future communities, Huron Creek strives to give its homeowners outstanding value and a top-notch building experience.

Built for Real Life
Cardel Homes

by Jessica Ferlaino

A home is a sacred place where individuals live their lives to the fullest, something that Cardel Homes is deeply aware of. For 50 years, this family-owned homebuilder has continually grown its capacity and thus, its impact, a testament to the homes it has built, the spaces it has created and the relationships it has formed in the many communities it serves across North America.

Waste Not! – Keeping Food Colder and Fresher for Longer
Deepchill®

Despite what you may think, make no mistake: Slurry ice is not all the same, and Deepchill® Technologies Inc., the main global provider of cutting-edge chilling and food preservation technologies to industry leaders, knows this better than anyone.

Wrapping Products in Sustainability
Sonoco

For some companies, ‘sustainability’ is little more than a buzzword. For Sonoco, sustainable packaging, programs and services are integral to every part of the business, including packaging design, sourcing and end-of-life.

The Future of Automation
Edgewater Automation