The goal for the American companies is to become leaner and more nimble competitors with the Japanese.

Toys that have been hot, like the Beanie Babies, are increasingly coming from smaller, more nimble competitors.

Hasbro's game business has slipped significantly as nimble competitors have rolled out products like Scene It?

What was once the 800-pound global telecommunications gorilla became a sitting duck with deregulation, rapid changes in technology and the emergence of more nimble competitors.

The government has been urging banks here to combine and expand abroad or risk losing out to more nimble foreign competitors.

Spin 4) Merrill has already lost out to scrappier, more nimble competitors.

Overseas sales could be lost to more nimble competitors abroad, the panel warned.

The result, an empire of sorts but one unable to strike back against more nimble and focused competitors.

Its big corporate health care business was being outmaneuvered by more nimble competitors in important markets across the country.

Even so, industry followers say nimble new competitors are waiting in the wings.