Can you imagine a thousandth or even a hundredth of an inch? Well, Richard Peattie lives his life within not only thousandths, but millionths of an inch. As founder of Surface Engineering, a high-precision manufacturing company, Peattie has shown an incredible knack for finding solutions.

“Customers come to me with a product and ask, ‘can you make this?’ ” Peattie explains. “And I say, ‘No, I can’t make that, but tell me how you’re going to use it, and we can help you design something that can be made.’ If they are willing to work with us, we can redesign the product so it becomes much more manufacturable.”

Thirty-five years ago Surface Engineering was a one man show with one machine in a small shop. Back then he focused on manufacturing parts. Now the company has grown to fill an 18,000 square foot facility. Many of Peattie’s clients now come to him from design through production.

As the company has grown so have customer expectations. A large portion of Surface Engineering’s work is in the hi-tech industry and as technology has advanced so has the necessary precision.

"Today, with the equipment we have, we’re able to move in space within about four millionths of an inch," Peattie says. "And we can do ten, twenty millionths tolerances reasonably well."

Surface Engineering has worked its way into a very tight spot, which is exactly where Peattie wants it to be.

Everyday at the Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC), employees and interns alike work to save lives. Since 1973, the organization has been offering mental health services through a variety programs and counseling opportunities for individuals and families.

CHAC stays busy working in 33 elementary, middle and high schools in Mountain View, California, and in the surrounding area. This allows the dedicated staff and interns to work with more than 11 thousand youth and individuals each year.

"I am always deeply touched and moved that we touch the lives of so many children and youth, changing their lives for the better," said Monique Kane, Executive Director. "I am always in awe at the work we do."

Many programs are designed to protect young people from high–risk behaviors such as alcohol or illicit drug abuse while building personal assets such as school success, valuing diversity and maintaining good health.

“If we can help the children work out their emotional difficulties and do well in school then the child feels good,” Kane explains. “Then the child, the family, school, community, everybody benefits.”

Kane contributes the agency's success to the great staff and to the support of the local community through donations. This success has also made them a very popular site for internships. Currently, more than 80 interns working to become licensed marriage and family therapists are working with CHAC.

If you're looking for the best barbecue this side of Texas, you've found it. Armadillo Willy's founder John Berwald has been providing authentic, oak-wood fire barbecue to generations of Bay Area families since 1983, and his special recipe of service and savory seasonings is still drawing crowds today.

"There wasn't anything like it out here in Northern California," said Armadillo Willy's company president, Bob Deagen. "Barbecue was very popular in other parts of the country and we thought there was no reason it can't be popular out here. So we tried it. And sure enough, people loved it."

With more than 200 employees and eight locations throughout the Bay Area, Armadillo Willy’s stays focused on what matters most: Great food in a family environment.

"It is about the quality of food,” says Deagen. “We never cut our portions. We never use sub-par ingredients. And we are always getting better at what we do."

Deagen contributes a part of Armadillo Willy’s success and customer loyalty to the baby back pork ribs, Memphis pulled pork and the famous 18-hour beef brisket. No matter what the dish, Armadillo Willy's prides itself in dishing up the best barbecue in Northern California.