Case Studies

As Heath Howe spoke with Blueprint earlier this year, one could hear thunder in the background. Seems that from his office in the northern Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Argyle, Texas, there was one of those frequent storms commencing that Howe’s employer, Bonded Lightning Protection Systems, may regard as free advertising. “There’s another reminder as to […]

Even the most ambitious company has got to know its limits, especially when overmatched by industry giants. It might prove better to specialize in a couple of areas rather than spreading the corporate capability too thin. Upon careful review, BlueNRGY Group Limited opted to do just that this past spring, finally phasing out the more […]

Increasingly popular, fitness trackers allow people to monitor, among other things, how many steps they take in a day. In many cases, simply by accounting for their steps, people are encouraged to walk more. What if we could bring that idea to, say, recycling? And get companies and institutions to track and increase their recycling? […]

Sam Wainer discovered his niche in the sustainability movement as a student at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management in 2010, when his department’s main building, Gallagher Hall, earned a LEED Platinum certification. While giving a tour of the new facility to the university’s board of regents, Wainer realized how nice it would be […]

For a business to cover all of Texas is an impressive feat. Never mind the added competition that comes with different markets, but most customers aren’t willing to wait up to 10 hours for a crew to cross the state’s deserts and plains. Then again, it can be worth it. “My customers understand that even […]

While concrete is just one of many elements of a construction project, James Harmon, project executive of Buchanan Concrete of the Carolinas, points out that it forms the foundation of every other trade. “We provide the foundation for all other trades by performing critical path work that has to be accurate and completed in a […]

For decades, if a truck passed under a concrete bridge with low clearance and hit one of the support beams, there was a standard fix. Depending on the severity of the damage, the struck section would be cut out and removed, a new beam lowered or hoisted in place and welded in. There’s a new […]

When big box stores, like Walmart or Menards, build a new location, erecting the steel framework is one of the most dangerous and time-consuming parts of the process. Entire construction crews have to work dozens of feet in the air, welding panels and structural steel. Even though this is how the industry has operated for […]

Amherst College is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts centers for learning, providing a variety of studies to students from 54 countries. And like any progressive institution, it’s only looking to get better with its planned New Science Center that will offer the ultimate innovative learning atmosphere with the finest state-of-the-art technology. Construction proceeds […]

Oil, like farm crops, shifts up and down in price every week, month and year. But unlike crops, oil companies can’t grow a fresh supply every season. Limited supply and worldwide demand make it a tough industry to thrive in, as evidenced by the last few years in which oil prices have plummeted due to […]