FJ Benjamin additionally controls an expanding roster of upscale pubs and sports bars in Singapore and Indonesia. Guess? what? FJ Benjamin brings 20-plus upscale western brands to Southeast Asia and Australia. The company operates about 185 retail outlets and distributes fashion apparel in eight Asia Pacific cities. (The company began opening Gap stores in Singapore and Malaysia in 2006.) With brands like Guess?, Valentino, Gap, La Senza, and house label RAOUL, FJ Benjamin derives two-thirds its turnover from the retailing and distribution of fashion products. The balance of its business lies in the distribution of timepieces, with Guess?, Girard-Perregaux, Nautica, and Marc Ecko boosting sales.

In 1974 our business opened its doors as Metro Builders Supply with the first appliance showroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 36 years later, Metro is now the largest appliance dealer in the Midwest. January 1, 2010 we changed our name to Metro Appliances & More to better reflect that selling appliances is the very core of our business. With 11 stores in five states, Metro has the buying power to offer the lowest possible price on more than 40 major brands of appliances. Whether you are a builder, contractor or homeowner, Metro has the product to meet your needs and your budget. Each of our locations provides an extensive display of products, many showcased in kitchen cabinetry. Our employee-owned company prides itself with expert salespeople who offer years of appliance sales experience and extraordinary customer service. Our showrooms in Springfield, MO and Oklahoma City, OK offer extensive lighting departments, as well. The largest selection at the lowest possible price...experience Metro.

T.K. Maxx takes bargain-hunting to the max. A subsidiary of US-based TJX Companies, T.K. Maxx is a leading off-price retailer in Europe. Launched in 1994, T.J. Maxx operates about 225 stores in the UK and Ireland and another 10 in Germany. The stores, which measure about 32,000 square feet, sell steeply discounted designer and brand-name apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and children; toys; sporting goods; furniture and assorted housewares, among other things. The deep-discount retailer has been expanding its footwear and accessories departments, which now number about 25. Ultimately, T.K. Maxx plans to grow to about 275 stores the UK and Ireland and as many as 300 stores in Germany.

Japanese take the family to FamilyMart, the country's #3 convenience store chain behind market leader Seven-Eleven Japan and LAWSON. About half of the fast-growing company's 15,000 stores are in Japan. FamilyMart also operates shops in China, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the US. The chain opened its first store in Shanghai in 2004 and has grown to number about 220 stores in China. FamilyMart entered the US market in 2005 and now operates about 15 upscale convenience stores in the Los Angeles area under the Famima banner. Many more are planned. To further strengthen its retail network, FamilyMart in December 2009 acquired smaller rival am/pm Japan Co. from owner REX Holdings.

In 1757 James Latham went deep into the woods and never came out. James Latham PLC imports and distributes hardwoods, softwoods, plywood, and related timber products. Its operating companies include Lathams Limited (timber and panel importing), ATP Limited (specialist panels), Bausen Hardwood (hardwood and engineered flooring) and James Latham Gateshead (sheet material and specialist fabrication). James Latham plc has offices scattered across England. James Latham plc also has a distribution center in Scotland. James Latham's founding Latham family still owns 54% of James Latham plc company.

Allied Building Products Corp. was founded in 1950 as a family-operated roofing and custom sheet metal fabrication business. Allied Building Products counts home builders and contractors as part of its circle of friends. Serving the commercial and residential construction markets, the company distributes exterior and interior building materials, including roofing, siding, drywall, and acoustical tile, from major manufacturers. Allied also markets products under its own Cutting Edge and Tri-Bilt brands. The firm operates about 180 branches in 30 states, and it maintains a fleet of more than 2,700 vehicles, including cranes and delivery trucks. Allied is a subsidiary of Oldcastle (itself a subsidiary of CRH).

Popular culture goes on sale every day at Bloomingdale's. It runs about 40 upscale stores in a dozen states, including California, Florida, Illinois, and New York. The company's flagship store at 59th and Lexington is a Manhattan institution and tourist attraction in its own right. A smaller Manhattan store opened in downtown's SoHo neighborhood in 2004. In 2010 Bloomies opened its first store outside the US: a 200,000-square-foot outlet in Dubai. Founded in 1872 by brothers Lyman and Joseph Bloomingdale, the store rode the popularity of the hoop skirt to sales success and practically invented the department store concept at the start of the 20th Century. Bloomingdale's is a division of Macy's, Inc.

Etna Supply was founded in 1965. Unlike the volcano in Sicily that shares its name, Etna Supply spews out water, not fire. The company distributes equipment and supplies for residential and commercial plumbing, hydronic heating, waterworks and sewage facilities, and fire protection. It operates through about 15 locations in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Etna Supply company also offers related services, such as custom pipe flaring and threading, welding, valve and hydrant maintenance, and meter reading. Customers include architects, engineers, contractors, and homeowners.

Rockler Companies, Inc. company was founded in 1954 as a mail-order supplier of woodworking materials. Rockler Companies, a nationwide retail chain specializing in woodworking supplies, operates about 30 Rockler stores in about 20 states under the Rockler Woodworking and Hardware banner. The stores sells hardware (hinges, drawer slides), hand and power tools, finishes, wood and supplies, and shop equipment -- primarily to do-it-yourselfer types. It also sells cabinets; closet, kitchen, bath, and TV organizers; and TV and computer mounting equipment. In addition, Rockler operates a catalog business, six Web sites (including one for women in woodworking), and distributes its products through more than 60 independent partner stores.

USG organized L&W Supply in 1971. At the construction job site A&W can supply the root beer, while L&W can deliver the gypsum wallboard and other building materials. L&W Supply distributes more than 40,000 building products made by its parent company, USG, and other manufacturers through nearly 200 locations in about 35 states. Besides wallboard (which accounts for about 30% of sales), L&W Supply's products include ceilings, insulation, joint treatment and texture products, metal framing, and roofing supplies. It also offers such services as delivery of less-than-truckload quantities, stocking, and lending. The company's customers are primarily builders and contractors.

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