Advanced Book Exchange Inc. provides more than 110 million new and used books, including textbooks, as well as rare and out-of-print books, on its Web site. The books are supplied to the site by more than 13,500 booksellers worldwide. Abebooks also offers booksellers a variety of services such as inventory management software, and dedicated support. In 2008 the company was acquired by former strategic partner Amazon.com.

Florida Transportation Systems makes sure the wheels on the bus go round and round. The company sells and services Blue Bird school buses and other commercial buses, such as transit and shuttle buses made by Thor Industries, ADA-accessible paratransit vans made by The Braun Corporation, and minibuses made by Girardin. Customers include Florida school districts, transit agencies, and local governments in the Sunshine State. Florida Transportation Systems was founded in 1982.

Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. engages in the retail and direct marketing of vitamins, minerals, nutritional supplements, herbs, sports nutrition formulas, homeopathic remedies, natural pet food, low carb foods, diet and weight management supplements, and other health and beauty aids primarily in the United States. It sells its products through its retail stores, as well as through its catalog and Websites, primarily vitaminshoppe.com. Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. sells its products under its Vitamin Shoppe, BodyTech, and MD Select brand names, including Ultimate Man, Ultimate Woman, and Whey Tech, as well as under national brands, which include Solgar, Twinlab, EAS, and Nature’s Way. As of March 9, 2010, it operated 447 stores in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. was formerly known as VS Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. in November 2009. Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in North Bergen, New Jersey.

Mikimoto opened its first freestanding store on New York City's famous Fifth Avenue in 1975. In addition to its Fifth Avenue location, Mikimoto operates retail stores in Beverly Hills and Costa Mesa, California, as well as in Las Vegas. The jeweler also operates an online store. Mikimoto company also distributes non-Mikimoto brand pearls to jewelry chains including Fred Meyer Jewelers, Kay Jewelers, and Zales. Kokichi Mikimoto was among the pioneers of the cultured-pearl industry. While a diamond may be "forever," a Mikimoto pearl is nothing to sneeze at. Mikimoto (America) is the US arm of Japanese pearl manufacturer, K. Mikimoto & Co., a leading creator of cultured pearl jewelry that is sold worldwide.

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.

MasterTile distributes the finest selection of floor and wall tile, swimming pool tile, decorative tile, quarry tile, porcelain tile, natural stone, and setting materials. We cater to both the residential and commercial markets with the kind of prompt and personal service that our customers require and deserve. We attribute our success to understanding our customers' needs. We answer those needs by stocking innovative products at a variety of price points and providing a level of customer service that is second to none, both in our stores and in the field. We select our suppliers based on two things — the quality and design of their products and their ability to deliver their products in a timely manner. The MasterTile product line ranges from basic ceramic tiles in the affordable price range targeted at the first-time homebuyer to the most superb high-end decorative products available in the world. MasterTile is represented at all of the world's major tile shows, including the Coverings and Surfaces shows here in the United States, as well as Cersaie in Italy and Cevisama in Spain.MasterTile's sales staff services homebuilders, tile contractors, interior designers, architects, general contractors, and flooring dealers. We feel that by focusing on the building and remodeling industries and by directing the retail customers to one of our dealers we can offer better service to our wholesale customers. MasterTile's salespeople are trained to custom design tile packages to suit the needs of homebuilders depending on style and price. Our professional salespeople take a "hands-on" approach to helping their customers choose tile and delivering them to their showrooms. Additionally, they offer assistance in setting up design centers and keeping these centers stocked with samples. MasterTile offers a fresh, contemporary product mix to the residential, commercial, and pool & spa segments of the market. With the right products, the well trained staff of inside and outside salespeople, and locations throughout the Sun Belt, MasterTile is ready to serve the needs of the U.S. tile industry.

Dive N' Surf outfits its patrons to catch the waves. Specializing in diving equipment and training, as well as surf boards, surfing gear and apparel, the company sells products through its own retail store in Redondo Beach, California, and its website. Brands include Billabong, Lost, UGG, and Volcom, among others. In addition to these, Dive N' Surf markets its Body Glove brand of high-tech surf gear. The family of the founding twin brothers Bob and Bill Meistrell own Dive N' Surf, which opened for business in 1953.

Big 5 Sporting Goods has outgrown its name. The company, which started out with five army surplus shops in California in 1955, is a leading sporting goods retailer with about 385 stores in a dozen mostly Western states, including California, Washington, and Arizona. The company sells brand-name (adidas, Coleman, Easton) and private-label equipment, apparel, and footwear for indoor and outdoor activities such as camping, hunting, fishing, tennis, golf, and snowboarding. Big 5 has stuck with a neighborhood-store format (averaging approximately 11,000 square feet) instead of opening massive superstores. Big 5 Sporting Goods is run by its chairman and CEO Steven Miller, the son of company co-founder Robert Miller.

Creative Office Interiors was founded in 1986. The artists at Creative Office Interiors use office furniture, cubicles, and filing cabinets as their medium. The company, commonly known as Creative Office Pavilion (COP), is a furniture and flooring dealer servicing the New England area from about 10 offices in five states. It offers a large line of desks, walls, seating options, and floor coverings from Herman Miller, Falcon, La-Z-Boy, and Armstrong, among others. COP also provides furniture reconditioning, interior design services, delivery, and installation. Visitors to the company's Web site can use its online tools to estimate a project's time and budget requirements.

Blackwell UK (known as Blackwell's) operates about 50 bookshops throughout the UK under the Blackwell's and Heffers names, as well as Blackwell's Online Bookshop. Blackwell's Book Services (headquartered in the US, with offices in the UK) supplies books and bibliographic products to some 3,500 research, academic, and specialty libraries around the world. The original B.H. Blackwell's store was opened in Oxford on New Year's Day 1879, and today it is one of the company's flagship locations. The Blackwell family still owns and runs Blackwell's. The family also owns academic publisher Blackwell Publishing.

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.