R.C. Willey Home Furnishings drives traffic by giving away some 600,000 hot dogs a year at about a dozen stores in California, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. Despite Sunday store closures and operations in only four states, R.C. Willey is one of the nation's largest furniture retailers. Its offerings include furniture (La-Z-Boy, Flexsteel), appliances (GE, Maytag), electronics (Sony, Panasonic), and flooring. The firm also sells mattresses (Serta, Spring Air, Simmons). In 1932 Rufus Call (R.C.) Willey sold appliances door-to-door; today the company he founded is run by his son-in-law, chairman Bill Child, and grandsons. Berkshire Hathaway purchased the company in 1995.

Founded in 1952 by namesake -- the late Jack Fruth -- the company is family owned and operated. Fruth Pharmacy operates about 25 drugstores in southern Ohio and West Virginia. While prescriptions account for the majority of sales, Fruth pharmacies also sell gift items and computer supplies, and have floral departments and digital printing. The regional drugstore chain competes by constantly trying new things, such as participating in the Face2Face diabetes program and testing in-store dollar departments. It is countering Wal-Mart Stores's $4 generic offering with a discount generic drug program created by Cardinal Health.

Milaeger's was founded in 1960 by Dan and Joan Milaeger. Milaeger's has the difficult task of keeping things green on the banks of Lake Michigan. The company operates two nurseries in Racine and Sturtevant, Wisconsin, selling seeds, soil, plants, mulch, as well as apparel, Christmas collectibles, figurines, folk art, outdoor furniture, and home decor. It also offers landscape services including lawn, tree, and shrub care along with design services. Milaeger's regularly hosts shows by collectibles merchants, local fashion shows, and gardening workshops. The company's Java Garden Cafe, onsite at both locations, offers hot and cold beverages, dessert, and light lunch and dinner items.

Baltimore Door & Frame was founded in 1982. Baltimore Door & Frame is looking to have customers line up at its doorstep -- for its doors. The company makes and markets wood and metal doors, door frames, and related hardware accessories. Baltimore Door & Frame's inventory includes hollow metal doors and frames manufactured by Pioneer, detention doors, wood doors, exit devices, door closers, hinges, Schlage and other locks, door stops, and other goods. As part of its menu of services, the company also offers residential and commercial keying services.

Founded in 1980, Room & Board operates about a dozen stores in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, and the District of Columbia. The company's furniture collections feature contemporary sofas, chairs, and tables (dining and accent), as well as office, bedroom, and outdoor furniture. Room & Board's Shop From Home operation, which consists of a print catalog and website, is the fastest-growing segment of its business. And despite a slump in furniture sales in the US, the company is expanding.

Drugs are merely part of the story at Discount Drug Mart. One of the largest drugstore chains in Ohio, Discount Drug Mart, Inc. offers pharmacy services, medical and home health care supplies, and over-the-counter medications, as well as groceries (including fresh produce), beauty aids, pet supplies, housewares, and hardware. It also provides video rentals and photo developing service. Discount Drug Mart's nearly 70 stores are 25,000 sq. ft. on average, about twice the size of its rivals' locations, but smaller and more convenient than its national big-box competitors, such as Wal-Mart and Target. Chairman and CEO Parviz Boodjeh owns Discount Drug Mart, Inc., which he founded in 1969.

Temperature Equipment Corporation has been selling Carrier equipment for over 70 years. TEC, started in 1935, is Carrier's third oldest independent distributor and one of Carrier's top performing distributors. TEC provides all HVAC needs from residential to commercial to industrial including equipment, controls, parts and supplies. TEC sells all Carrier brands, including Bryant, Payne, and Racan. TEC also sells complementary equipment and accessories. Headquartered in Lansing, IL, TEC's distribution territory covers all of Chicagoland, southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana with locations East to South Bend, IN and Northwest to Rockford, IL. TEC serves its customers from 16 locations. In addition to its HVAC business, TEC-Properties leases office and warehouse space to a variety of tenants.

Through its websites (Art.com and AllPosters.com), Art.com sells art prints, posters, framed works, and other specialty items. Customers can browse its inventory of more than 700,000 items, ranging from inexpensive wall posters and signed limited-edition works to wall murals and tapestries, as well as order custom framing and mounting services. More than 10 million customers in some 120 countries worldwide have decorated their walls via the company's websites. Formerly named Allwall Technologies, Art.com was founded in 1995 and merged with rival AllPosters.com in 2005.

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.

Founded in 1923 by Barney Pressman, Barneys New York is owned by an affiliate of Istithmar PJSC, an investment firm owned by the Dubai government. After a tough couple of years for luxury retailers, Barneys has a new leader and is looking to recover. Barneys New York is no purple dinosaur, even if it did have a brush with extinction. The luxury department store chain sells designer apparel for men, women, and children; shoes; accessories; and home furnishings. It operates more than 40 locations including about 10 full-size Barneys New York flagship stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago, and other major cities; some 20 smaller Barneys Co-Op shops; and about a dozen outlet stores.

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