Founded in 1898 as a rubber stamp company, W.B. Mason is one of the largest private office products dealers in the US. It operates about 20 showrooms, including five Whatta Bargain locations that carry furniture and business equipment, in some 10 northeastern states. The company also sells via its online catalog to its base of small and midsized businesses. A well-known entity on the East Coast, the firm stokes its "company next-door" image with old-fashioned ads on TV and in prominent places, such as Fenway Park's manual scoreboard. W.B. Mason is owned by members of senior management, including chairman Steve Greene and CEO Leo Meehan.

Sabin Robbins founded Sabin Robbins LLC, originally a pharmacy supplier called Ross & Robbins Company, in 1884. It was purchased by Blackbird Capital Partners in 2008. Sabin Robbins isn't necessarily glossy-eyed, but it does keep its eye on plenty of glossy paper. Sabin Robbins LLC distributes sheets and rolls of paper, including glossy- and matte-coated, envelope stock, form bond, and uncoated paper for books, covers, and reply cards. It also buys paper from individuals and companies. Sabin Robbins, which takes excess stock from mills and converts it for sale to commercial printers, boasts converting operations in Mansfield, Ohio, and sales and distribution offices in Cleveland, Atlanta, and Chicago.

Founded in 1956 by Harry Ritchie, today the regional jewelry chain is run by the third generation of the Ritchie family, including CEO Donald Ritchie. Despite the sound of its name, you don't have to be Mr. or Ms. "Money Bags" to shop at Harry Ritchie's. Harry Ritchie Jewelers offers discounted diamond and gemstone jewelry and specializes in men's and women's wedding sets at about 30 stores in shopping malls throughout the northwestern US (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and northern California). Harry Ritchie also features its jewelry collections in a monthly catalog distributed to its customers and sells its rings and things online.

Hunter's Truck Sales & Service provides collision repair and other body work for commercial trucks at a facility that includes a DeVilbiss downdraft paint-baking booth able to accommodate 60-foot trucks. As its name implies, Hunter's Truck Sales & Service has some 150 service bays and offers 24-hour towing and emergency service.

Hobbico, which began in 1971 as Tower Hobbies, has grown to become one of the world's largest model hobby companies. For pilots who would rather fly their planes from the ground, Hobbico (dba Great Planes) makes and sells radio-controlled model aircraft -- as well as boats, cars, gliders, and related accessories. The company is the world's largest retail and wholesale distributor of radio-controlled hobby products. Hobbico makes some of its products and buys the rest from other manufacturers. It sells its fully-assembled models and kits in hobby stores throughout North America and some 45 countries worldwide. It also sells directly to hobbyists through its Web site and catalog.

LTD Commodities was founded in 1963 as a small mail-order business. You won't find soybeans or pork bellies, but you can buy a little silver (as in a pair of sterling silver earrings) from LTD Commodities. The company, which also does business under the ABC Distributing name, is a business-to-business supplier of apparel for women, men, and children, as well as home and garden accessories, jewelry, electronics, luggage, toys, furniture, gift items, and other general merchandise. LTD Commodities sells its products through numerous catalogs as well as the Internet. It ships only to US business addresses.

FMG was founded in 1981. Furniture Marketing Group (FMG) does what it says it does. Furniture Marketing Group, Inc. supplies businesses with desks, tables, seating, file cabinets, shelves, and other office interior products. In addition, FMG installs furniture and office systems, offers space planning and reconfiguration services, and project management. Furniture Marketing Group, Inc. serves clients in the biotechnology, health care, hospitality, education, and commercial markets, as well as government agencies. It operates three showrooms in Texas and has offices in the US, the UK, Australia, and India.

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.

The chain was acquired by Tiffany in 2002, but Tiffany sold Little Switzerland to NXP Corporation for $32.9 million in 2007. There's nothing neutral about Little Switzerland's definitively upscale stores. The company operates about 25 mostly duty-free stores that sell jewelry, watches, crystal, china, and other gift items priced from $20 to more than $10,000. Its stores, located on 11 Caribbean islands and in Key West, Florida, appeal to tourists (mostly from the US) looking to avoid the import taxes they would pay at home -- especially passengers on the cruise ship lines that ply the waters in those areas.

bkm Total Office, founded in 1933, is a nationally recognized leader in providing “total office solutions” to meet evolving workplace needs in corporate, educational and healthcare environments through dedicated employees, meeting and exceeding customer expectations. Our approach is simple. We utilize our knowledge, products and services to leverage physical space into assets rather than expenses. We draw upon our expertise in smart buildings, sustainability, financial modeling, workplace analysis, product application, facilities management, project management, technology and ergonomics.

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