Holt's Cigar Company gets stoked about stogies. The company sells more than 170 brands of premium cigars, including its Ashton and Holt's brands, and related smoking accessories (cases, humidors, lighters, ashtrays). Almost half of its sales are from wholesale distribution through a direct sales force. It also sells cigars through a catalog, its Web site, a pair of stores in Philadelphia, and a club in Philly's Wachovia Complex arena. Dominican Republic-based Fuente Cigar supplies two-thirds of the company's smokes. HCH Acquisition, controlled by Holt's Cigar CEO Robert Levin and the Fuente family, took the company private in December 2000.

Color Me Mine Enterprises brings out the Picasso in you. The company has some 150 franchise locations open or under development in about two dozen US states, as well as in Australia, France, Kuwait, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan. Customers can choose from more than 400 pieces of pottery and paint it on site, either solo or as part of a party package for birthdays, bridal showers, and other events. Color Me Mine To Go brings the pottery and paint to the party when you can't make it to the store. Some locations also offer workshops catering to students in kindergarten through sixth grades and home-school art certification.

Michaels Stores is pretty crafty. The nation's #1 arts and crafts retailer owns and operates about 1,040 Michaels Stores canvassing the US and Canada. Michaels sells more than 40,000 products including art and hobby supplies, decor, frames, needlecraft kits, party supplies, seasonal products, and silk and dried flowers. Michaels also operates about 140 Aaron Brothers stores in California, Texas, and about half a dozen other states, which provide framing and art supplies. The retailer's Artistree subsidiary manufactures frames and molding for Michaels and Aaron Brothers stores. Michaels Stores was taken private in 2006 by the investment firms Bain Capital Partners and The Blackstone Group.

3M Nederland finds that Post-it Notes work well in any language. The Dutch arm of US-based conglomerate 3M sells the parent's vast portfolio of consumer, commercial, and industrial products, serving markets such as electro/communications, office, industrial/transportation, and safety. Brands include such household names as Scotch tape, Scotch-Brite household cleaning products, Scotchgard protective products, Nexcare bandages, and Filtrete filters and air purifiers. 3M Nederland operates three manufacturing plants: one in Amersfoort, 3M ECC, which produces heat shrink tubes; another in Breda, 3M Filtrete, which makes filter materials; and a plant in Kerkrade that produces fluorpolymers, elastomers, and resins.

WH Smith PLC (known simply as "WHSmith") is one of the UK's largest book and magazine sellers. Its more than 570 high street stores sell reading materials, stationery, and movies. WHSmith also runs more than 515 travel shops in London and regional airports, railway stations, hospitals, and motorway service areas that offer selected newspapers, magazines, tobacco, and confectionery. Additionally, it operates the Internet site WHSmith Direct (the UK's second-largest online bookseller behind Amazon), and its Smiths News wholesale business is the largest magazine and newspaper distributor in the UK, supplying about 23,000 retailers daily.

State Line Tack is for people who delight in all things equine. The company provides accessories and equipment for riding horses and taking care of them. State Line Tack carries horse blankets, bridles, leads, saddles, and other tack, for English or Western riding, along with riders' apparel for horse shows and competitions. The company also offers instructional videos (Stacy Westfall Bridleless Riding), horse computer games (Paws and Claws: Pet School), and books (Braiding Manes and Tails). Established in 1974, State Line Tack is owned by PetsUnited, which bought the business in May 2007 when former owner PetSmart exited its equine business altogether.

Henricksen & Company, Inc. is owned by the founding Henricksen family who started the business in the 1960s. Henricksen & Company wants your company to be comfortable. The firm is an office furniture distributor, selling mid- and high-end office furnishings such as desks, chairs, and partitions from manufacturers including Allsteel, Falcon, HNI, KI, and Kimball. Henricksen also offers furniture warehousing, installation, maintenance, and cleaning as well as reconfiguration, design, and space planning services. It leases furniture as well. Customers have included Evanston Northwest Healthcare, Kohl's, the Green Bay Packers, DeVry, and Central DuPage Hospital.

Chesbro Music Co. distributes musical instruments, printed music, and music-related gifts through print and online catalogs in addition to its Idaho headquarters. Chesbro sells band and orchestra instruments, guitars, karaoke accessories, DJ equipment, and other musical accessories by Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, Yamaha, Mesa Boogie, and others. The printed music division represents more than 200 music publishers and hosts workshops and clinics each year. Chesbro is owned and run by fourth generation Chesbro family members.

Union Diamond Corporation continues to add twinkle to its sparkling reputation. Union Diamond Corporation sells wholesale and retail loose diamonds, pre-made and custom-made jewelry, and watches through its Web site and through a flagship showroom in Atlanta, Georgia. All products are distributed from one location. Prices range from $300 to $500,000, with some items topping $1 million. Customer service includes education by live diamond experts offering telephone consultations-- including advice from diamond industry veterans president and CEO Scott Anderson and COO Tony Rixom. The same pair owns Union Diamond Corporation company.

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.

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