Hampton Lumber Sales (HLS) is the sales division of privately held Hampton Affiliates. The division sells dimensional lumber, stud lumber, industrial lumber and clears, panel products, and engineered wood products. HLS sells more than a billion board ft. of Hampton's mill products and another billion ft. of outside-mill products. It ships products by unit, container, railcar (utilizing Hampton's private fleet of center beam railcars), or truckload to serve its wholesale customers. Additionally, the unit offers reload services from centers in California, Oregon, and Washington. Formed in 1950, HLS has grown to be one of the largest forest products wholesalers in the nation.

In Germany a trip to the corner drugstore is often a trip to Anton Schlecker. Fa. Anton Schlecker company is Germany's largest drugstore operator with about 10,650 discount retail outlets there. It also operates another 3,300 stores in about a dozen countries in Europe, including Austria, France, Italy, Poland, and Spain. Schlecker stores stock more than 4,000 product lines, including branded and private-label items. The shops also feature over-the-counter drugs, cosmetics, baby products, tobacco, photo services, and more. It is owned by German billionaire Anton Schlecker, who opened his first drugstore in 1975.

Liberty Media takes the liberty of arranging its varied businesses as it wishes. The holding company comprises publicly traded Liberty Capital Group, Liberty Starz, and Liberty Interactive Group. The arrangement separates the company's fast-growing video and online commerce operations from its less robust telecommunications and entertainment businesses. Liberty Media's largest holding, the QVC home-shopping network, is part of Liberty Interactive, as is e-tailer Provide Commerce. Movie producer and distributor Starz Media belongs to Liberty Starz and the Atlanta Braves baseball team both to Liberty Capital. In 2010 the company announced plans to merge and spin off Liberty Capital and Liberty Starz.

Kowalski's Markets is struggling to expand while it straps on its leather boxing mitts. The company, which operates about 10 supermarkets in the St. Paul and Minneapolis area of Minnesota, wants to be a heavyweight contender among high-end grocery stores there. However, stiff competition from other grocery chains and discounters have limited Kowalski's share of the Twin Cities market to just under 2%: an eighth-place ranking in the market. Indeed competition led the grocer to close a one-year-old store several years ago. Founded by husband and wife team James and Mary Anne Kowalski as a single supermarket in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1983, the regional grocery chain is still owned and run by the Kowalski family.

Groupe ADEO was formed in 2006 as an umbrella group for Leroy Merlin's growing stable of DIY chains worldwide. Groupe ADEO seeks to set the global house in order. An alliance of 18 autonomous companies (most notably France's Leroy Merlin) in nine countries in Asia, Europe, and South America, Groupe ADEO's business is home improvement. The alliance operates hypermarkets under the Leroy Merlin banner in Brazil, China, France, and Russia. Smaller outlets operate under the Aki, Brico, Dompro, and Weldom names in several European countries. Other retail concepts include Dompro (which sells industrial supplies, hardware, and tools for professionals) and a single Zodio home accessories store, both operating in France.

Locke Supply Co. was founded in 1955 by Don and Wanda Locke. After Don's death in 2000, the company's employees purchased Locke Supply from the family. Locke Supply has a lock on the HVAC business in Oklahoma City. Through about 160 locations in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, the company distributes air-conditioning, heating, plumbing, electrical supplies, and tools. It also sells whirlpool baths and refrigeration equipment. Locke Supply's 300,000-square-foot distribution center holds brands like DeWalt, Bradford White, Eljer, and Armstrong Air.

Borders Group runs more than 500 Borders superstores in about 45 states and Puerto Rico, as well as about 175 small-format shops under the Waldenbooks, Borders Express, and Borders Outlet banners. Its bookstores offer up to 170,000 book, music, and movie titles and regularly host live literary events and musician showcases to attract customers. The chain also peddles products via its website. Faced with declining sales due to the ailing book business, Borders sold its Paperchase stationery and gift business in the UK in 2010.

Furniture.com sells furniture online through its partnership with major furniture retailers in North America, including RoomStore, The RoomPlace, and Leon's Furniture. Product lines include bedroom, dining room, and living room furniture, as well as entertainment centers, lighting, and bedding. Furniture.com also offers branded sites and other e-commerce services to retail partners. It is operated by Blueport Commerce, an e-commerce firm formed by Furniture.com's management. Furniture.com has been in business since 2002, when CEO Carl Prindle acquired the assets of the failed e-tailer by the same name.

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.

Laura Ashley Holdings, once famous for its fancy floral print fashions, Laura Ashley Holdings has turned to furniture, home accessories, and decor (about 78% of sales) to fill the till. Of the company's some 230 UK shops, less than half carry its traditional product line of women's and children's clothing. The company has repositioned itself as a lifestyle brand that is largely home furnishings, as it has shuttered apparel and accessories stores. Also, to efficiently sell off excess inventory, the company opened a few outlet stores and has implemented a selling strategy at its stores to maximize sales per square footage.

Inviting Real Estate Agents, Job Placements Agents, Educational Institutes, Software Service Providers, Real Estate Builders, Marriage Bureaus, Travel Agents, Restaurant Owners, Health & Fitness Centers and other Local Businesses to Post a FREE Classified Advertisement on Cootera.com Classifieds Website.