Several U.S. thin film companies, which use semiconductors that allow them to create ultra-thin solar panels, are in production expansion mode.

FORBES: Report: Solar Panel Supply Will Far Exceed Demand Beyond 2012

On the heels of a recession and devastating earthquake, his youth-oriented apparel retailer, Uniqlo, is in major expansion mode in what looks like a direct challenge to U.S. clothing sellers like Zara and the Gap.

FORBES: Magazine Article

While the restaurant industry has been hammered over the past couple of years by a consumer-spending pullback, lower real-estate and development costs and lower rents have emerged as a tailwind for those chains still in expansion mode.

WSJ: Expanding Eateries Target Shuttered Sites