Avison Young's recent acquisition of Montreal-based project management firm Roy et Tremblay is indicative of an overall trend: It's harder these days for a small company. That's why the nine-person operation decided to join forces with the industry giant. Namesake Claude Roy tells us that being part of Avison Young means he no longer has to be the only one drumming up new biz. And it comes with a unique focus: Roy et Tremblay specializes in managing theatres, art schools, and museums, with $130M in projects currently under construction. Clients include Caisses Desjardins, Business Development Bank of Canada, McGill University, and L'Oréal Canada.

Avison Young CEO Mark Rose says the acquisition will enable his company to bolster its operations in Montreal and throughout Quebec, part of the Toronto-based firm's aggressive expansion plans (it's already grown from 11 to to 58 offices over the past five years). The two firms have been talking about joining for more than a year. "Everything comes back to culture," Mark says, and Claude and his team were the "right fit in the right location." One possible hurdle to cultural harmony: Mark's hockey allegiance. "I'm a die-hard New York Rangers fan," he tells us.