Savers depends on thrifty people to make its business a financial success. The resale giant is the largest for-profit thrift store chain in North America. It operates about 225 Savers, Value Village, and Village des Valeurs (in Quebec) stores in more than 20 US states, 10 Canadian provinces, and Australia. The company's retail outlets sell everything from designer and vintage clothing to unique home decor, electronics, hardcover and paperback books, and toys. Savers also partners with 120 charity offices. Founded in 1954 as Salvage Management Corp., Savers is owned by the private equity firm Freeman Spogli & Co.

Specialty Products & Insulation Co. is a division of Superior Plus LP, a wholly owned subsidiary of Superior Plus Corp (Trading Symbol: SPB on TSX). For more information visit www.superiorplus.com. Specialty Products & Insulation Co. (SPI) specializes in the domestic and global distribution and fabrication of mechanical, industrial, commercial, building, metal building and HVAC insulation systems; OEM products; passive fire protection systems; architectural/acoustical ceiling, wall and flooring systems and a wide range of specialty products. We are proud of our company and our customer focus. We believe our history and commitment to the future sets us apart from our competitors, and we invite you to explore the world of SPI.

QuikTrip provides a quick fix for those on the go. QuikTrip (QT) owns and operates some 535 gasoline/convenience stores in nine states, mostly in the central US. QT stores, which average 4,200 to 5,000 sq. ft., feature the company's own QT brand of gas and diesel fuel, as well as brand-name beverages, candy, and tobacco, and QT's Quik 'n Tasty and HOTZI lines of sandwiches. QT's 15-plus travel centers offer scales, food, fuel, showers, and other services for truckers. The firm's FleetMaster program offers commercial trucking companies detailed reports showing drivers' product purchases, amounts spent, and odometer readings. QT was co-founded in 1958 by chairman Chester Cadieux. His son Chet runs the company.

Family-owned and -operated Von Maur runs about 25 upscale department stores in 10 midwestern states, offering its customers amenities such as an interest-free credit card, free gift wrapping, and free shipping within the US. The stores range in size from 42,000 to 203,000 sq. ft. and offer clothing from brands such as Burberry, Kenneth Cole, and Tommy Bahama. Distinguishing itself from the rest of the pack, the Von Maur chain has avoided advertising and big blowout sales; it even closes up shop on traditional retailer high-dollar days such as the Fourth of July. The von Maur family opened its first store in Davenport, Iowa, in 1872.

Art Van Furniture Michigan's #1 furniture seller offers medium-priced home furniture and bedding in some 35 Michigan stores. The chain has undergone a renovation, adding more upscale furniture (it sells Sealy, Simmons, and Broyhill brands) and perks such as children's play areas. The company is known for its aggressive sales and service. (Employees have been known to greet patrons carside with umbrellas on rainy days.) Chairman Art Van Elslander, who has 10 children (some active in the business), founded the firm with an East Detroit store in 1959. The company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009.

Wolff Bros. Supply keeps the heat and the cold from the door. Through 10 locations in Ohio, Wolff Bros. Supply distributes wholesale cabinets, lighting, tools, and equipment and supplies for telecommunications, electrical power, HVAC, and plumbing. The business gets its tools and equipment from more than 500 vendors and has more than 25,000 products in stock. The family-owned company traces its roots back to the 1950s, when Norman and Harold Wolff began operating an electrical, plumbing, and heating contracting business out of the back of a truck.

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.

B&R Stores operates about 20 supermarkets in six cities across Nebraska and Iowa that operate under the Super Saver,Russ's Market,and ALPS(an acronym for Always Low Price Store) banners.The stores offer the usual grocery selections as well as carpet cleaner and video rentals.Other specialties include smoked meat products produced by in-store smokehouses at all Super Saver stores.The regional grocery chain was founded in 1962 by Russ Raybould (father of company president Pat Raybould) and Clayton Burnett.The Raybould family owns a majority stake in B&R Stores;employees own the rest.

United Dairy Farmers (UDF) changed the way Cincinnati bought its milk. UDF -- which buys milk from area dairy farmers, then processes and packages it for sale in its stores -- has grown into a chain of about 200 convenience stores, mostly in Ohio, but also in Kentucky and Indiana. The company, still owned and run by the Lindner family, sells its own milk products, its Homemade brand ice cream and sherbet, coffee, and a variety of other food products at its stores. UDF locations also offer in-store ice cream parlors and sell Mobil brand gasoline.

Food Lion brand products accounts for about 20% of sales. Founded in 1957 as Food Town, Food Lion is the largest US subsidiary of Delhaize America, a subsidiary of Brussels-based grocer Delhaize.Food Lion is a king among grocery chains in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions where it operates about 1,330 supermarkets under the Food Lion, Bloom, Bottom Dollar, and Harveys banners. About half of the company's stores are in the Carolinas, but it also has outlets in nine other states, including Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee. Food Lion, which prides itself on extra low prices, has taken a beating from low-cost competitors, most notably Wal-Mart Supercenters, and a weak economy.

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