Hannaford Bros. may have started as a fruit and vegetable stand in 1883, but it has expanded from its Maine roots to become an upscale grocer with more than 170 stores under the Hannaford Supermarkets banner throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, upstate New York, and Vermont. Still, produce continues to be a major focus at the Hannaford supermarkets, as are expansive meat selections and natural food products. More than 75% of the Hannaford stores are combination grocery stores and pharmacies. The stores average about 48,500 sq. ft. Maine's largest supermarket chain, Hannaford Bros. is owned by Delhaize America (parent of Food Lion), which in turn is owned by Belgium's Delhaize Group.

Blish-Mize Co. has distribution centers in Colorado and Kansas. Aside from its wholesaling business, Blish-Mize operates toolmaker Hardware House with House-Hasson. Brothers-in-law David Blish, Edward Mize, and Jack Silliman founded the firm in 1871 to outfit wagon trains. President and CEO John Mize, Jr., represents the fourth generation of the family-owned company. Hardware supplier Blish-Mize distributes more than 52,000 products to hardware stores, home centers, lumberyards, and paint stores in a dozen states in the heartland of the US. Its catalog includes hand and power tools, lawn equipment, hardware, paint, heating and cooling products, housewares, plumbing and electrical supplies, and sporting goods.

Homeland still has struggled as a result of stiff competition from Wal-Mart and other rival chains.Shoppers who call Oklahoma home shop at Homeland Stores' supermarkets. The regional grocery chain, a division of grocery distributorAssociated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), operates more than 45 stores throughout Oklahoma and a single store in Kansas. AWG operates Homeland stores through its Associated Retail Grocers subsidiary and supplies the majority of the products sold in Homeland stores. The stores sell groceries and general merchandise; most have delicatessens, pharmacies, and some have specialty departments (ethnic foods, floral services, seafood).

Waterloo Gardens was founded by James and Anna Paolini, parents of CEO Linda LeBoutillier, in 1942. Waterloo Gardens, Inc. is owned by the LeBoutillier family. Waterloo Gardens will defeat dull lawns and gardens. Waterloo Gardens, Inc. operates two nurseries in Devon and Exton, Pennsylvania, as well as a home-decor and outdoor furniture showroom in Wilmington, Delaware. Waterloo Landscaping by Design is the company's landscaping design and installation subsidiary. Waterloo Gardens offers potted plants, trees, shrubs, edible plants, and all the accessories needed to tend to them. The gardening retailer also sells grills, fountains, gifts, and home-decorating items and hosts gardening seminars and special events.

Duane Reade takes its name from the Company's first successful full-service drugstore, which opened in 1960 on Broadway between Duane and Reade Streets in Manhattan. (Yes, we know they don’t intersect…it makes for a better picture!) Since then, Duane Reade has grown to become the most recognized drugstore chain in metropolitan New York. Today, the Company operates over 253 stores in commercial and residential neighborhoods throughout New York. Duane Reade's conveniently located stores carry an extensive assortment of items, including those from the pharmacy as well as vitamins, nutritional products, cosmetics, greeting cards and photo processing. Duane Reade Inc. has ranked as the fastest-growing drugstore chain in the industry, and is number one in sales per square foot. Duane Reade completed its initial public offering of common stock on February 10, 1998.

E-Z Mart Stores founder Jim Yates kept his first convenience store in Ashdown, Arkansas, open until 11. The company now boasts 300 outlets across five southern states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas). Rather than build its own stores, the company usually expands through acquisitions. In addition to the standard hot dogs, chips, sodas, and cigarettes, most E-Z Mart locations also offer Shell, Conoco, Phillips 66, or CITGO gasoline. Yates died in late 1998 when the plane he was piloting crashed, leaving his daughter Sonja Hubbard at the company's helm as CEO.

Falkland Islands to and from the UK and Chile and provides other port services, including the "squishy" trade of squid fishing licenses. Its Momart International arm serves the fine art logistics market. FIH is also active in commercial and residential property development on the island as well as oil and gas exploration.Falkland Islands Holdings (FIH) does a little bit of Falkland everything. Through its Falkland Islands Company it runs about half a dozen retail (apparel, DIY, home furnishings, grocery, and building and office supplies) outlets, a hotel, and a pair of auto dealerships (Land Rover and Ford); its highly-evolved Darwin Shipping and Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company.

Fellow countryman John Scheepers founded the company in 1905; he made the tulip the symbol of spring and came to be known as The Tulip King. John Scheepers isn't sheepish about its specialty. The company sells more than 700 varieties of tulips, narcissi, lilies, amaryllis, and rare and unusual Dutch bulbs through catalogs and online. It also sells bulb food and offers tips and planting information on its Web site. Company president Jan Ohms owns John Scheepers and sister company Van Engelen, a bulb wholesaler. Ohms is a fourth generation bulb specialist from Holland.

Leon's Furniture Ltd. sells home furnishings, bedding, appliances, and electronics through about 65 company-owned and franchised stores throughout Canada and online. Its store banners include Shop for Furniture, Shop for Appliances, and Shop for Electronics. Its stores carry such brands as Frigidaire, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sealy, Simmons, and Whirlpool, among others. Leon's also wholesales appliances to builders, landlords, and retailers through its Canada Appliances division. Ablan Leon founded the company in 1909; more than a century later, it is still owned and operated by the Leon family.

Habitat UK Limited offers furniture, kitchenware, textiles, and decorative accessories from more than 30 countries. It vends its wares through some 70 stores in the UK, France, Germany, and Spain, as well as online and via catalog. In addition to these outlets, Habitat has retail distribution partners in about 15 other countries in Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. The company also sells ready-to-hang artwork through its Art on Demand Web site. Habitat was founded in 1964 by British designer Sir Terence Conran. Former owner The Ikano Group, a holding company owned by IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad and his family, sold the chain to an affiliate of Hilco in December 2009.

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