Founded in 1932, the firm is majority owned by private equity firm The Carlyle Group. Brentwood Associates owns about a 25% stake. Oriental Trading Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2010 and is reorganizing. Party planners don't have to travel to stock up at Oriental Trading Company. The company sells more than 30,000 products, including party supplies, toys and novelties, arts and crafts, and home decor through its websites and catalogs. It mails about 300 million copies of its seasonal catalogs, which include such titles as Oriental Trading Company, Terry's Village, Crafts, Hands on Fun, and Inspirations. Oriental Trading supplies carnivals, schools, churches, nonprofits, and businesses.

Founded in 1962 by Abe Baidas, General RV Center is still owned and operated by the Baidas family. General RV Center can get pretty specific about the traveling homes it offers for sale. Operating through more than half a dozen locations in Michigan and Ohio that include more than 100 service bays, the #1 RV dealer in the nation (by volume) sells more than 5,000 new and used camping trailers, motor homes, RVs, travel trailers, and truck campers a year. It stocks popular brands, such as Dutchmen, Starcraft, Forest River, Monaco, Newmar, Fleetwood, and Winnebago. General RV Center also rents RVs at a handful of its locations. Online, RV shoppers may search its inventory and owners may apply for insurance.

Internet Brands was founded in 1998 as CarsDirect.com. CarsDirect quickly gained popularity with consumers and advertisers, winning numerous industry awards, such as one of the "50 Best" websites in the world by Time Magazine, a "Top 100 Classic Website" by PC Magazine, and a "Top Site for Buying or Selling Anything" by PC World. But that success was only a seedling. In 2005, the company began an enormous transition - from a single vertical to a diversified, platform company that would scale much larger. In 2006, the company changed its name to Internet Brands and started to accelerate its diversification and growth. On November 16, 2007, Internet Brands became a public company, listing on the NASDAQ exchange with ticker symbol INET.In 2008 and 2009, the company continued to grow its EBITDA profitability and its "same store" revenue at double digits, despite the recession.

Backcountry.com is an online retailer of outdoor and backcountry gear. The company sells products for activities such as skiing, backpacking, camping, snowboarding, rock climbing, kayaking, and mountaineering. Its offerings include more than 400 brands, such as Burton, K2, The North Face, Oakley, and Rossignol. Backcountry.com was founded in 1996 by CEO Jim Holland and president John Bresee. Backcountry.com is a subsidiary of Liberty Media, which owns more than 80% of the online retailer's equity.

Global Imaging Systems (GIS) is a leading provider of business technology solutions. GIS companies sell and service Document Management Systems including printers, multifunction devices and copiers; Network Integration Services; Software Solutions; and Audio Visual & Video Conferencing Systems. Our solutions incorporate products from Xerox, Konica Minolta, Kyocera Mita, Sharp, Panasonic, Muratec, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, InFocus, Equitrac, eCopy, Sony, and other leading companies. We also offer a variety of service contracts, including maintenance, supply, network management, technical support, and training. We currently operate in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Since our founding in 1994, we have acquired more than 95 businesses within the United States. Our operating companies are organized into core companies in key markets across the U.S. The remaining businesses operate as satellites of the core companies. Under the Company philosophy of “Think Globally, Act Locally” and a decentralized structure, core companies operate under their pre-acquisition names and management, preserving and building upon existing customer relationships.

Snow & Rock are two key words constantly rolling in the back of the minds of adrenaline junkies, as well as the name of one of the suppliers of the equipment to satisfy the urge to plunge, climb, or swoop. The company, founded in 1982 by former managing director Mike Browne, operates more than 15 retail stores in the Central and Southern areas of the UK. Snow & Rock's stores specialize in apparel and equipment for skiing, snowboarding, climbing, and alpine hiking. The company peddles several top brands, including Salomon and The North Face. Snow & Rock also sells its products through a pair of catalogs and the Internet. Andrew Browsword, an entrepreneur, bought the company from Mike Browne in 2004.

Tandus Flooring works in tandem to carpet floors in businesses, retail locations, schools, hospitals, and government offices in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. With manufacturing operations in North America and China, Tandus Flooring, Inc. offers three brands of carpet: C&A Floorcoverings, Monterey Carpets, and Crossley Carpet Mills. Its products are sold through its own showrooms and sales offices as well as through independent distributors. Tandus also provides needs analysis, carpeting plan design, installation, and maintenance services. Tandus Flooring, Inc. specializes in environmentally friendly flooring options and works with local and regional suppliers and contractors.

Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) can prepare you for a life of climb. EMS sells a wide range of outdoor gear, apparel, footwear, and accessories from about 65 stores in a dozen East Coast states from Maine to Virginia and on its website. Outdoor enthusiasts can purchase or rent tents, sleeping bags, and other equipment -- choosing from brands such as Patagonia, Columbia, The North Face, and Teva. The retailer's own EMS branded products account for more than a third of sales. EMS offers outdoor skills clinics, provides guides for hire, and arranges day and overnight trips. It also operates climbing and kayaking schools. EMS was founded in 1967 by two New England rock climbers.

Proftech was founded in 1980, but it was first conceived the company in a college paper Montiel wrote about recession-proof industries. No matter what the economic outlook, people will always need office supplies. That was president Jose Montiel's theory when he started Proftech, a major distributor of office products and supplies to customers throughout the US. The company offers next-day delivery with no minimum order. Aside from the customary pens and notepads, Proftech supplies innovative products such as SMART Technologies' "smart board" and its own oil clean-up material, HTP. The company's products are distributed through about 50 facilities nationwide and can be ordered over the phone or online.

Gameplay GB Ltd. sells new video games at discounted prices for popular platforms, such as the PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii. Games from a variety of studios are distributed through Gameplay's Web site to European and other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and the US. In 2004 the company was acquired by THE GAME GROUP, which has become a leading software and game retailer in Europe.

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