Step inside the boardroom of any successful enterprise, large or small, public or private, and you’ll find strategy, capability and commitment — the vital building blocks to competitiveness. Building the Best goes behind the scenes of 10 highly regarded businesses and shares the stories of how owners and managers of these companies — all winners of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies awards program — have addressed challenges and won.

Anthony Grnak and John Hughes, two Deloitte partners with decades of experience in advising businesses, have teamed up with award-winning writer Douglas Hunter to produce an instructive glimpse into of some of this country’s most successful — and most intriguing — enterprises.

Many of the companies are privately held or employee-owned, and each was selected for its ability to illustrate successful management practices. Every chapter offers an insider’s perspective on a key lesson learned by these successful companies.

1. Developing an executable strategy to achieve sustainable growth: Magnotta Winery
2. Pursuing and managing alliances, acquisition, and other strategic relationships: Spin Master
3. Managing the risks associated with growth: Boston Pizza
4. Capitalizing on technology solutions: EllisDon
5. Building and sustaining a customer-focused approach to sales and marketing: Harry Rosen
6. Developing and leveraging core competencies: Armour Transportation Systems
7. Attracting capital and managing finances: MediaGrif Interactive Technologies
8. Designing the right organization and processes to support growth: PCL Construction Group of Companies
9. Creating the right leadership and communicating the vision: Cirque du Soleil
10. Attracting and retaining talent to build an exceptional culture: National Leasing

Published by Penguin Group (Canada), Toronto
ISBN: 0-670-06383-5

The book can be purchased online from chapters.indigo.ca.