The stimulus act promises a lot: Hundreds of billions of dollars for an upgraded electric grid, advanced scientific research, new roads and better bridges.

What's more, the act promises to accomplish these goals by parceling out projects to private companies.

That has owners and managers excited -- or at least hopeful -- at companies ranging from giant public utilities like Florida Power & Light to small construction contractors.

Some nonprofit organizations, like the University of Miami, also are in the game, trying to fast-forward dozens of research projects that could someday cure diseases -- and create jobs.

So far, the process is moving slower than many had hoped. Although the White House Recovery Office says 38 percent of planned stimulus spending has either been spent or distributed to state governments, other sources, such as the U.S. Conference of Mayors, cite lower figures.

And the head of the U.S. House transportation committee recently complained that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist isn't moving fast enough to spend the money he was given for highway projects.

Nevertheless, for firms hoping for a piece of the stimulus pie, crunch time is near.

In the weeks and months ahead, The Miami Herald will follow four local companies as they navigate their way to stimulus contracts.

Their experiences should shed some interesting light on the government's $787 billion plan to jump-start the economy.

But they're just a few examples. Others range from Coral Gables-based MasTec, a contractor specializing in utility work, to Fort Lauderdale-based Spherion, a provider of workers with various skills.

For MasTec, the stimulus was an important part of the story the company told institutional investors in a road show earlier this month.

MasTec's businesses include building wind farms, electric lines, natural gas pipelines, and water and sewer systems.

``Everything we have is really touched by the stimulus,'' said J. Marc Lewis, vice president for investor relations at MasTec. ``It's going to be a great five years for us.''

The company is not making specific revenue predictions beyond this year, however.

Spherion, meanwhile, is seeking stimulus opportunities through its Mergis Group unit, which provides workers in white-collar fields like accounting, finance, law and engineering.

From home-loan modifications and bank closures to modernizing health records and building solar energy farms, the company sees opportunities to provide workers, said Joe Burkhart, director of an economic recovery initiative for Mergis in McLain, Va.

And many companies working on government contracts will want to use temporary workers because they don't know how long the jobs will last, Burkhart said.

``Because the economy has a lot of uncertainty behind it, I think the employer is often more comfortable with a contingent workforce than a permanent workforce in this market,'' he said.

MasTec and Spherion illustrate the diversity of the businesses that hope to profit from the stimulus. For some firms -- like MasTec and its customer, FPL -- the decision to seek stimulus money is a no-brainer, because their industries are specifically targeted in the legislation. Some types of construction contractors also could fit in this category, since local agencies have asked Washington for millions of stimulus dollars for roads and government buildings.