Minnesota Wild Hockey Club owns and operates the Minnesota Wild professional hockey franchise. The team joined the National Hockey League in the expansion of 2000 (along with the Columbus Blue Jackets), filling the void left after the Minnesota North Stars moved to Texas in 1993 to become the Dallas Stars. An investment group led by Robert Naegele Jr. helped bring hockey back to the Twin Cities. Former Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold acquired control of the team from Naegele in 2008.

The Missouri Lottery Commission offers lotto number games (Pick 3, Pick 4, Lotto), as well as scratch-off and pull-tab games (Solid Gold, Count De Money, Cashville). Missouri also participates in the multi-state lottery known as PowerBall. The Missouri Lottery sells its gaming products through a network of about 5,000 retailers located throughout the state. First created in 1985, proceeds from the Missouri lottery directly fund the state's public education system, a change that occured in 1994.

Pastry fans might like to go a lap with this company. Great Circle Family Foods is a franchisee of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, with about a dozen stores operating in Southern California. The shops are popular for their raised, glazed doughnuts that are served fresh and hot out of the fryer; the chain's menu also features cake and filled doughnuts, crullers, and fritters, as well as hot coffee and other beverages. CEO Roger Glickman and his father-in-law Richard Reinis started the company in 1998. Great Circle Family Foods exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009.

The R&A is the governing body for golf in most parts of the world (the United States Golf Association, working in cooperation with The R&A, fulfills that role in the US and Mexico). It was formed by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews to take over the administration and business activities of golf. (Founded in 1754, the Royal and Ancient helped establish the game of golf and first codified its rules.) The R&A administers rules and helps to foster the development of the sport; it runs about 10 championships and international matches, including the Amateur and Open Championships. The R&A was established in 2004.

Whether you crave bisque on china aside the Seine or a glass of Bordeaux during opera intermission, Groupe Flo is your French connection. The company is one of France's top restaurant groups with more than 165 locations throughout the country. Groupe Flo's operations include brasseries (eateries and breweries) such as La Coupole, Le Boeuf sur le Toit, Petit Bofinger, and Le Vaudeville; the Italian-themed Bistro Romain; the steakhouse chain Hippopotamus; and event catering through its Raynier & Marchetti concessions unit. Chairman and former chef Jean-Paul Bucher and his family control almost 55% of the group.

Drury isn't dreary, but it is for the weary. The company offers more than 100 places for travelers to rest their heads in some 20 states, mostly Missouri (about 35 locations) and Texas (some 20). Its hotel brands include Drury Inn, Drury Suites, Drury Inn & Suites, and Pear Tree Inn by Drury. The company also has three Drury Plaza Hotel locations that offer enhanced meeting space and on-site dining. The chain, established in 1973 by the Drury family, was one of the first hotels in the limited-service segment. The family runs the company and owns all the Drury hotels.

Harlem Globetrotters International owns and operates the famous Harlem Globetrotters basketball troupe, known for its display of outrageous hoops skills, stars and stripes uniforms, and iconic Sweet Georgia Brown theme song. The team was formed in Chicago in 1926 as the Savoy Big Five and has performed in 120 countries; its roster has included such notable players as Wilt Chamberlain, Curly Neal, and Meadowlark Lemon. Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc. is 80%-owned by investment fund Shamrock Capital; chairman Mannie Jackson, a former Globetrotter himself, owns the rest.

If you want some Italian cooking from this company, apparently all you have to do is ASK. ASK Restaurants is a leading casual dining operator in the UK with about 120 locations. The chain's menu features a variety of pasta dishes and rustic-style pizzas, as well as several choices of antipasti. In addition to its flagship brand, ASK operates the Zizzi chain of upscale Italian eateries that offer authentic Italian favorites in a contemporary setting at about 100 locations. ASK is a unit of Gondola Group, which also owns the PizzaExpress chain. Brothers Adam and Sam Kaye started the company in 1993.

Here's a motel you can find in the dark. With its homey advertising tag line, "We'll leave the light on for you," Motel 6 is the established economy lodging chain, with some 1,000 locations in the US and Canada. The brand caters primarily to families and other budget-minded travelers with a limited selection of amenities, including cable TV, free local calling, and complimentary coffee in the morning. It also has an extended-stay offshoot brand, Studio 6, which caters more to business travelers, providing larger suites equipped with kitchens. Motel 6 is the flagship budget brand of Accor North America.

Waterford Gaming, LLC helped develop and manage the Mohegan Sun gambling resort through a partnership with Kerzner International. The Connecticut resort is now managed by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, but Waterford continues to earn revenue from the resort's operations, which include several casinos, restaurants, nightclubs, and a 10,000-seat arena. Waterford Gaming, LLC has additional operations in Colorado (various racetracks), New York (development stage gaming and entertainment facility), and Rhode Island (Twin River gaming and entertainment). Waterford Gaming is part of the Waterford Group.

Inviting Real Estate Agents, Job Placements Agents, Educational Institutes, Software Service Providers, Real Estate Builders, Marriage Bureaus, Travel Agents, Restaurant Owners, Health & Fitness Centers and other Local Businesses to Post a FREE Classified Advertisement on Cootera.com Classifieds Website.