During a recession, most businesses hunker down and work to maintain their client base, hoping to ride out the tough economic times without layoffs. Alex Garcia, president of El Taller Collaborativo (ETC), was undaunted by New Jersey's first recession in a decade and set out to dramatically expand his small Jersey City architecture and engineering firm.

Over the past year, ETC increased its staff by 57 percent, increased its payroll by 86 percent, and established itself as one of Jersey City's leading minority-owned business enterprises.

Founded in 1985, ETC was already an established architectural and engineering services company when Garcia decided it was time to expand. The plan involved expanding ETC's existing transportation and municipal markets, as well as establishing strategic new markets in education, land development and construction management. Garcia also wanted to expand ETC geographically and reach new businesses beyond the company's existing metropolitain base.

To accomplish this goal, ETC created a new senior-level management tier comprised of a vice president of construction management, vice president of civil and transportation engineering, and vice president of traffic engineering. Each vice president established new departments in the firm and worked to develop new business within their areas of expertise.

For PSGA, making its mark in the pharmaceutical industry does not mean leaving a mark on the environment. PSGA, a division of Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, a Johnson & Johnson Company, instituted a broad environmental management system to create new opportunities for reducing the company's environmental footprint.

The results have been dramatic. Measured against a 1991 baseline, the company slashed paper use by 75 percent, reduced solid waste disposal by 68 percent, generated 58 percent less wastewater, and cut hazardous waste generation by a whopping 88 percent (normalized to sales).

Among other things, PSGA used double-sided copying and increased the use of electronic mail to cut down on paper. Creative efforts allowed PSGA to recycle several materials, including wood pallets, metals, and containers made of fiber, plastic and steel. PSGA avoided generating 35,000 pounds of hazardous waste by finding creative reuses for hazardous materials such as waste methanol.

PSGA has also made environmental protection an every day part of doing business. Among other things, the company added environmental training to its required training program, included environmental issues as a standard agenda item for monthly manufacturing meetings, and incorporated environmental review into its standard operating procedures program.

For Aventis, it's not enough to develop the medicines that will become the choice of consumers and doctors throughout the world. Aventis Pharmaceuticals, which conducts the U.S. perscription drug business of Aventis, S.A., recently undertook an initiative to become the employer of choice for the pharmaceutical industry.

Last year, Aventis Pharamacueticals implemented its Total Rewards Program to focus on the two things studies show employees value most-financial stability and time off.

In addition to a competitive salary and compensation bonuses, Aventis provides employees with a nonstandard benefit package that ties additional rewards to the company's performance. The Aventis Total Rewards program offers four weeks vacation for all associates, 13 paid holidays, three emergency days, and a generous family and medical leave policy that allows an associate up to 26 weeks of continuous leave-far beyond the requirements of all state and national regulations.

Additionally, Aventis Pharmacueticals offers deferred compensation to all employees at the director level and above, stock options to all associates at the manager level and above and a generous retirement savings program.

But being the employer of choice for new employees is only part of the plan. Aventis also made a dramatic commitment to its existing employees by offering a generous relocation package when it moved its North American headquarters to Bridgewater.

As owner of Myron Corp., Elaine Adler has made charitable contributions an integral part of her business. She gives between $240,000 and $500,000 every year to everything from flood relief to food banks. All in all, 94 charities have benefited from Adler's generosity.

But often, money alone is not enough. Elaine gets directly involved. She is a founding board member of Gilda's Club, which helps families cope when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. She served on Gilda's development committee and helped make the group's clubhouse a reality.

As an active supporter of Ramapo College, she helped the theater arts program obtain a fully-equipped, state-of-the-art theater. As a member of the College's foundation, Elaine and her husband Mike are energetic fundraisers, hosting private functions with prospective donors at their home, preparing letters in support of college projects, and arranging appointments with other philanthropists.