"We''ve finished the GPS collection project for fire hydrants and have since GPS-ed storm drain inlets and about 20% of the water valves," says David Allen, GIS manager for Euless. "Our storm drain maps were generated for a Governmental Accounting Standards Board statement but are useful to the fire department in containing chemical spills."Another benefit: Firefighters no longer have to GPS-locate hydrants. "I typically go out and GPS the new ones as they are installed," Allen says. "Since this is only a few each month, it is easy for me to keep the maps current."

Happy with hoopsHoop buildings are a top pick on the Stockmen''s Survey[TM] as a management change tied to a product. With pigs from 900 sows being finished in 12 hoop barns, Dave Struthers (shown on page 33) has learned a bit about this housing system since he built his first barn in 1996. The materials (wood, concrete, poles, and tarp) for a hoop barn that holds 200 finishing pigs costs about $8,000. Most of Struthers'' barns are made by Sioux Steel.Struthers, who farms with his family near Collins, Iowa, says hoop production works well for him and offers these tips based on his experience:

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