William Sinclair Holdings took hold in UK gardens more than 120 years ago when it was founded by William Sinclair. The company makes gardening products for commercial and home use, exfoliated vermiculite, and expanded perlite (products that are used in different forms of insulation). Brands include J Arthur Bower's, Silvaperl, and New Horizon. The firm exports horticultural products to more than 50 countries. Over the last few years, the company has pared down its operations and is focusing on innovating recycled green products for both industrial and horticultural clients. Its products are sold through wholesalers, catalogs, and the company's Web site.

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.

he regional grocery chain also operates about a half a dozen larger Smith's Marketplace stores (154,000 sq. ft. on average) in Utah that combine full-service grocery, pharmacy, and general merchandise departments. Smith's joined the Kroger family when Kroger, the 1 US grocer, bought its parent, Fred Meyer, in 1999.From a small grocery store founded by Ren Smith in Brigham City, Utah, Smith's Food & Drug Centers has grown into a regional powerhouse with supermarkets in Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, and four other western states. Most of its 130-plus stores are conventional supermarkets with in-store pharmacy departments and many offering bakeries, one-hour photo labs, and other services.

Founded in 1912, furniture retailer Star Furniture operates 10 stores in Texas (seven in Houston and one each in Austin, Bryan, and San Antonio). The regional chain sells bedroom, dining room, living room, and home office furniture, as well as clocks, home entertainment walls, rugs, and more. Brands include Bernhardt, Broyhill, Howard Miller, Natuzzi, Hooker, Kincaid, Serta, Tempur-Pedic, and Thomasville, among others. The company also carries big screen HD televisions in its home theater department, but does not stock other appliances. Star Furniture is owned by billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.

Northern Tool rings up revenues through its catalogs (biggest sales channel), websites, and more than 60 retail stores in a dozen states. CEO Donald Kotula founded Northern Tool as a mail-order shop in 1981. Serious do-it-yourselfers put their kids to sleep with bedtime stories from the catalogs of Northern Tool & Equipment. Stocked with more than 27,000 products, the company offers an assortment of heavy-duty tools as well as construction and industrial equipment (such as air compressors, power generators, and pressure washers). Its primary customers include building contractors, automotive shops, and the do-it-yourself crowd. The firm also markets gadgets and gifts through its Kotula's division.

Schnuck Markets founded in 1939, the company is owned by the Schnuck family and run by CEO Scott Schnuck and president and COO Todd Schnuck.If you'll meet me in St. Louis, then chances are there'll be a Schnucks in sight. The region's largest food chain, Schnuck Markets operates about 105 stores, mostly in the St. Louis area, but also in other parts of Missouri and in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. All stores offer a full line of groceries, and most have pharmacies, video rental outlets, in-store banking, and florist shops. Although most stores operate under the Schnucks banner, the company also runs about a half a dozen Logli supermarkets in Illinois and Wisconsin, and a specialty pharmacy.

EmbroidMe is on the fast track. As a franchise operation, EmbroidMe.com Inc. offers custom embroidery, screen printing, and promotional products through about 350 shops in nearly 10 countries (including Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US). Stores specialize in emblazoning custom designs on items such as golf shirts, ball caps, towels, uniforms, jackets, and bags, as well as promotional fare (pens, mouse pads, and mugs). EmbroidMe outlets feature brand-name apparel (such as adidas, Liz Claiborne, and Nike Golf) and its own private-label products. EmbroidMe.com Inc. is part of United Franchise Group. It was founded in 2000 by Ray Titus, the group's CEO.

Bossini wants to be the boss of Asian apparel retailers. Bossini International Holdings Limited company manages a brand of casual fashion wear and accessories in the Asia/Pacific region; its core markets are Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Products include clothing for women, men, and kids. Bossini operates more than 1,000 directly owned and franchised outlets in some 30 countries. It opened its first exclusive store in Hong Kong in 1987. Bossini International Holdings Limited company is now one of the largest retail fashion chains in the region. Through business partners, Bossini has exported franchised outlets across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Central America.

Groupe Lapeyre is one of France's largest manufacturers and distributors of joinery (doors, windows, and cabinetry). Its business-to-consumer unit includes Lapeyre, which distributes kitchen and bathroom products, as well as exterior and interior doors, windows, staircases, and flooring, through about 130 sales outlets. The division also includes some 180 K par K stores that sell and install windows and verandas, and Gimm, which produces PVC and wooden windows and doors. Its business-to-business unit includes Oxxo and Les Zelles, which produce and sell PVC windows and shutters. Groupe Lapeyre is a part of Saint-Gobain's building distribution division. In France, the doors and windows are always open for Lapeyre.

Craving Italian fashions? La Rinascente operates more than a dozen upscale la Rinascente department stores in cities across Italy. The company's flagship store near the Duomo in Milan -- Italy's fashion capital -- accounts for about 50% of sales. The retailer also operates the UPIM chain of some 340 company-owned and franchised stores throughout Italy and a single concept store in Rome called Jam. La Rinascente tempts shoppers with luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Gucci. Aldo and Senatore Borletti founded La Rinascente in 1917. Today the company is owned by its chairman, the Italian entrepreneur Maurizio Borletti (Aldo's grandson)

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