Multiyork Furniture manufactures and markets custom-made contemporary home furnishings, including sofas (leather, upholstered, and sleepers), chairs, cabinets, and other living and dining room furniture pieces. Its mid- to upper-level products are sold through more than 60 stores across Great Britain. Multiyork Furniture has moved to the front of the UK home furnishings industry since its founding in 1978. Initially operating one store and workshop, the company was acquired by Wade Furniture Group in 1995, and CEO Peter Mallinson, former merchandise manager at Selfridges, was tapped to turn around the struggling firm.

Commercial Tire was founded in 1968. Commercial Tire is trying to roll out of Les Schwab's shadow. Commercial Tire offers tires and automotive services at about 40 locations in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, where Les Schwab holds rein as the largest privately owned tire dealer. Its menu of under-car services includes oil changes, alignment, battery installation, and brake repair. Commercial Tire shops also offer custom wheels for cars, trucks, and SUVs. Serving fleets as well as individual consumers, Commercial Tire Inc. operates four Bandag tire retreading plants.

Outlet mall capital Reading, Pennsylvania, has conceived more than bargain shopping. It's given us Boscov's Department Store, which operates about 40 stores (down from 50 in 2007) that anchor malls mainly in Pennsylvania and four other mid-Atlantic states. The stores sell men's, women's, and children's apparel, shoes, and accessories, as well as jewelry, cosmetics, housewares, appliances, and sporting goods. It also operates an online store. After expanding too rapidly amid a worsening outlook for department stores, Boscov's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2008 and was later purchased by a group led by its chairman and CEO Albert Boscov. Boscov's was founded by Solomon Boscov in 1911.

Giordano was founded in 1981 by Jimmy Lai. Think of Giordano International as the Old Navy of the Pacific Rim. Named after a New York pizzeria, the retailer is known for colorful, low-cost casual apparel and chipper service. Its store banners include Giordano, Giordano Ladies, Giordano Junior, and the budget-conscious Bluestar Exchange. Giordano operates or franchises more than 1,900 stores in China and Hong Kong (its primary markets), and a dozen other Asian countries, as well as Australia, and the Middle East. Expanding internationally it has opened its first stores in Egypt, Russia, and the US (in Los Angeles). Giordano International Limited company has been reducing its exposure to unprofitable garment manufacturing operations.

The Gymboree Corporation is a specialty retailer operating stores selling high-quality apparel and accessories for children under the Gymboree, Gymboree Outlet, Janie and Jack, and Crazy 8 brands, as well as play programs for children under the Gymboree Play and Music brand. The Gymboree Corporation's history begins with the founding of Gymboree Play & Music in 1976, making it one of the oldest companies in its field. The appeal of the Gymboree brand was so broad that in 1986 Gymboree entered the apparel business—designing, manufacturing and retailing unique, high-quality merchandise for children ages newborn to nine.

One man's corvette summer in 1974 turned into a lifelong business. Mid America Motorworks (MMA) is a large supplier of parts and accessories for Corvette, Volkswagen, and Porsche automobiles. Offering parts for every year the Corvette has been in production, Mid America Motorworks sells its products through catalogs, the Web, and, for those in the neighborhood, at its headquarters. It also installs custom interior and performance parts. MMA's annual Corvette Funfest lays claim to being one of the largest Corvette gatherings in the world. Mid America Motorworks also hosts biannual swap meets for Corvette and VW enthusiasts. MMA is owned and operated by Mike Yager, who started the business by selling Corvette parts and accessories.

EDION, which was established in 2002, also generates sales online and through a catalog. Gadget lovers in Japan look to EDION Corporation for a technology and A/C fix. EDION Corporation is one of the country's leading electronics retailers, but it also sells air conditioners, microwave ovens, rice cookers, and washing machines. EDION is a holding company that operates primarily through its handful of subsidiaries. During the past few years, EDION has been expanding its operations in western Japan. EDION Corporation serves customers throughout Japan from more than 1,000 stores that are mostly franchised.

ecohaus wants to improve on the home improvement store. The company offers some 1,500 eco-friendly building materials and products. It operates an online store for its green building supplies, as well as a pair of showrooms in Washington and Oregon for retail customers and trade professionals. Both showrooms were remodeled in 2008. ecohaus's products include reclaimed wood flooring, low-toxic paints, low-flow toilets, formaldehyde-free cabinets, and recycled-glass tiles. Matthew Freeman-Gleason, the company's chief knowledge officer, started the firm as a small storefront in 1992 on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Freeman-Gleason and chairman Tim Taylor are major shareholders of the company.

Coburn Supply was founded in 1934 by the late Albert J. Coburn. Coburn keeps things cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Coburn Supply distributes air-conditioning and heating equipment, builder, electrical, and plumbing products, refrigeration, and municipal and utility supplies. It operates offices and showrooms through about 30 locations in Louisiana, some 15 in Texas, and a few in Mississippi and Tennessee. Its featured manufacturers have included Trane (formerly American Standard), Cantex, Delta Faucet, Halsey-Taylor, and Maytag. Coburn Supply distributes its products to general, plumbing, HVAC, and mechanical contractors, as well as to home builders, municipalities, and public institutions.

J.P. Boden & Co. (better known simply as Boden) is a UK direct retailer of premium casual apparel. The company sells womenswear and menswear under the Boden name, teen apparel under the Johnnie B label, and children's clothing under the Mini Boden brand. It markets the collections through its catalogs and Web site. J.P. Boden also operates two retail stores in the UK. The company got its start in 1991 when chairman Johnnie Boden quit his job as a stockbroker in London to open up his own clothing business. Designing its catalogs to resemble those of J. Crew, the company's first editions featured friends and family striking poses as fashion models. Boden is a 50% owner of the firm.

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