The San Jose Sharks professional hockey franchise represents the San Francisco Bay Area in the National Hockey League, having joined as an expansion team in 1991. Despite some success in reaching the playoffs the past several years, fans are still waiting for an appearance in the Stanley Cup finals. The team plays host at HP Pavilion, affectionately known as "The Shark Tank." George and Gordon Gund, former owners of the Cleveland Cavaliers, were originally awarded the NHL franchise; Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment, an investment group led by veteran sports executive Greg Jamison, has owned the team since 2002.

Florida Panthers Hockey Club operates the professional hockey team that represents the Miami area in the National Hockey League. The Panthers entered the NHL as an expansion franchise in 1993 and boasts a few playoff berths, including a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1996. (The team lost to the Colorado Avalanche that season.) Wayne Huizenga, who once owned the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Marlins, was awarded the franchise and later sold the team to a group of investors led by Alan Cohen in 2001. Cohen's Sunrise Sports & Entertainment controls the Panthers, as well as its BankAtlantic Center home arena.

Troon Golf company manages the links at more than 180 golf courses throughout US states and in about 30 other countries, including such exotic locales as the United Arab Emirates, Fiji, and St. Lucia. The company offers its management clients design and development services, payroll and human resources, agronomy, sales and marketing, and food and beverage operations. Priv� is its special division dedicated to serving private golf clubs. In addition, Troon Golf offers golf vacation packages and it runs golf schools. Former CEO Dana Garmany founded the firm in 1990 with the opening of his first property, the Troon North Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Kennywood is not the Islands in the Stream counterpart to singer Dolly Parton's Dollywood. (Turn to Herschend Family Entertainment for that distinction). It does own and operate four amusement parks in Pennsylvania: Kennywood Park, Idlewild & Soak Zone, Sandcastle Waterpark, and Pittsburgh's Riverplex, a traditional picnic-type park located next to Sandcastle. Kennywood Entertainment Company, Inc. markets its parks for group outings, and offers event planning and catering services. Kennywood Entertainment was founded in 1898. It is a subsidiary of Spanish theme park company Parques Reunidos.

Maui Wowi Hawaiian is as close as you can get to going to Hawaii without hopping on a plane. It is a cool gathering place where you'll find great Hawaiian coffees, all-natural smoothies and lots of island attitude. Maui Wowi Franchising, Inc. operates a leading chain of smoothie stands with more than 600 franchised Maui Wowi Hawaiian locations worldwide. The chain's menu boasts several varieties and flavors of blended fruit smoothies, coffee and espresso drinks, and other snack beverages. The Maui Wowi chain is made up mostly of retail locations in high-traffic areas, but it also includes drive-thru locations and mobile carts. Husband and wife team Jeff and Jill Summerhays started the Maui Wowi concept in 1983.

Aberdeen Football Club owns and operates the Scottish Premier League soccer team known to fans as The Dons. Formed in 1903, Aberdeen FC has won seven Scottish Cups (its last in 1990) and four Scottish League championships. The company, which generates revenue primarily from gate receipts and sponsorships, also owns the team's home pitch at Pittodrie Stad.

Florida Gaming Corporation engages in the ownership and operation of two jai-alai frontons and inter-track pari-mutuel wagering facilities in Florida. Florida Gaming Corp. operations primarily comprise card rooms, live jai-alai performances, inter-track pari-mutuel wagering on jai-alai, horse and dog racing, and the sale of food and alcoholic beverages. The Fort Pierce location provides inter-track wagering on interstate simulcasting of horse and dog racing, and jai-alai from various tracks and frontons in the United States. The jai-alai games are played live and simulcast from the Miami facility via satellite to 62 pari-mutuel wagering locations in Florida, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, as well as in Mexico, Central America, and Austria.

Simworx Ltd. creates simulation systems for entertainment, educational, and promotion purposes. Its products include capsule simulators, motion theatres, and 3D/4D effects theatres which have seats that move in sync with the action on screen, as well as spray audiences with water, smoke, and bubbles. Simworx systems are used at venues such as theme parks, zoos, museums, and schools. Simworx Ltd. also has library of live action and computer-animated content in 2D and 3D.

Prodrive is a real pro in the motorsport and automotive technology industries. Prodrive has managed Formula One, World Rallying, touring, and sports-car racing teams for such companies as Subaru, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, and Honda. The company also develops, designs, manufactures, and sells high-performance vehicle components, including engines, powertrains, chassis, brakes, and body styling products. Prodrive's consulting services include brand, product, and marketing strategy. Investment firm Apax Partners owns about half of Prodrive, which has operations in Australia, Germany, Thailand, the UK, and the US.

Bagels and coffee are key ingredients for this company. Einstein Noah Restaurant Group is the largest bagel shop operator in the US, with more than 690 company-owned and franchised locations in more than 35 states. Its flagship chain, Einstein Bros. Bagels, offers more than a dozen varieties of fresh-made bagels and spreads, along with coffee, pastries, and a menu of sandwiches and salads at its more than 530 outlets. In addition to Einstein Bros., New World operates the Noah's New York Bagels and Manhattan Bagel chains. About 430 of the bagel shops are company-owned, while the rest are operated by franchisees or licensees. Investment firm Greenlight Capital controls about 65% of Einstein Noah.

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