As our community puts itself back together after a beating at the hands of Mother Nature, our focus shifts now to the summer rhythms of business.

Houston naturally slows down during the summer — not so much a choice as a physical requirement in this climate. It means blissfully easier commutes for many, as well as immeasurable difficulty scheduling meetings around vacation schedules. We trade our woolen suits for linen and watch our calendars magically empty of the networking and black-tie events that crowd the rest of the year.

But I suspect that this summer, amid the pressure of low oil prices, will move a little faster than the last few. We’ll squeeze every deal we can out of what I have dubbed the Hardworking Summer, though we may permit ourselves a glass of rosé while we do it as a compromise.

Here are five Houstonians to know this summer — many of them expanding despite the oil slump. Read to the end for a summer bonus.

Marsha Murray, founder of Murray Resources Ltd. — Murray runs a staffing firm, which has been a real good space to be in during Houston’s energy boom. But now we hear such operations are tightening up, prepared for the downturn in the cycle when less hiring happens. Not so at Murray’s operation. She just made the first acquisition in the company’s 27-year history, buying a Kingwood firm that opens up a new segment for her business — spoiler alert: It’s not in energy. She also expanded into Austin and Dallas in April. Sounds like Murray isn’t ready to take the slump sitting down.

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