Founded by Samuel Silverman in 1912, today jewelry chain Ben Bridge Jeweler operates more than 70 stores in a dozen mostly western states, including Alaska and Hawaii. The company sells platinum, 14- and 18-karat gold jewelry, diamonds, watches, and bridal and anniversary fare from its mall-based stores and Web site. Ben Bridge married Silverman's daughter in 1922, bought out his father-in-law, and renamed the company after himself. Still run by the Bridge family, the company became a subsidiary of billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway in 2000.

Aaron Brothers has its hand in custom-framing and crafting. Aaron Brothers, Inc. opened its first shop in Los Angeles in 1946; today it operates some 150 stores in about 10 states. Its stores are located mostly in Texas and in the western US, but also reach to Georgia and Virginia. Aaron Brothers stores offer ready-made frames and mattes, art supplies, and custom framing services. A subsidiary of big brother hobby-retailer Michaels Stores, Aaron Brothers stores average about 5,600 sq. ft. and offer its customers some 7,100 products. Parent company Michaels Stores was taken private in 2006 by a pair of private equity firms (Bain Capital Partners and The Blackstone Group).

Bromberg and Co. is a jeweler and high-end retailer that sells china, crystal, jewelry, and sterling flatware through four Bromberg's stores in Alabama. Its fine offerings come from such makers as David Yurman, Mikimoto, Rolex, and Wedgwood. The company also operates an online bridal registry. In 2004 brothers Billy and John Bromberg, formerly part of the company's management, sold their stake in Bromberg and Co. to other family members (including chairman Frank Bromberg Jr.) and left to form their own jewelry store. Bromberg and Co. was originally founded by the Bromberg family in 1836.

The year was 1899. Jardine Cycle & Carriage began its life in Kuala Lumpur as Federal Stores, a trader in nutmegs and other sundries, and it became Cycle & Carriage within the same year, selling everything from soap to writing paper and simple machine parts. We soon began to sell bicycles, motorcycles and cars, moving our headquarters to Singapore in 1926.The history of Jardine Cycle & Carriage is inextricably linked to the evolution of the motor car and the emergence of Singapore and Malaysia as independent modern states. Our story reveals fluctuating fortunes as the transportation industry was subject to economic cycles, two world wars and changing government policies.What has stood out through the years despite a rapidly changing environment is the resilience to adapt and grow though our unwavering commitment to achieve excellence in our products and services, and efficiency in our operations, which are still hallmarks of Jardine Cycle & Carriage till this day.

West Marine, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of boating supplies primarily in the United States. It operates in three segments: Stores, Port Supply, and Direct Sales. The Stores segment operates stores that principally offer hardware and other supplies needed for day-to-day boat maintenance and repairs. The Port Supply segment distributes marine supplies to domestic and international wholesale customers, including businesses involved in boat sales, boat building, boat commissioning and repair, yacht chartering, marina operations, and other boating-related activities. This segment also sells its products to government and industrial customers who use the company’s products for boating and non-boating purposes. The Direct Sales segment operates as an e-commerce website and virtual call center, which provides customers with access to a range of products, product advisor tips and technical information, and product videos and customer-submitted product reviews. As of January 2, 2010, West Marine offered its products through 335 company-operated stores in 38 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada, as well as through 2 franchised stores in Turkey. West Marine company also sells its products through its call center channel and on the Internet. West Marine was founded in 1976 and is based in Watsonville, California.

Founded in 1946 by Bill and Roberta Zimmer, the family-owned chain is run by CEO Alan Zimmer. Lovers wishing to express the sparkle in their relationships might consider consulting Reeds Jewelers. Operating about 90 jewelry stores mainly in malls in 18 states from Texas to Delaware, Reeds offers diamond rings and jewelry, gold jewelry and chains, gemstone rings, watches, and other baubles. Though most operate under the Reeds Jewelers name, in malls where Reeds has already staked a claim, stores are called Mills Jewelers; Reeds also sells products via its Web site and catalog. Diamonds (mostly up to one carat in weight) and gems account for almost 60% of the firm's sales.

Golfsmith International caters to country club sports fans. Through its catalogs, website, and more than 70 stores in about 20 states, the company sells golf and tennis equipment, apparel, and accessories from major makers (such as TaylorMade-adidas, Callaway, Mizuno, and Nike) and its own brands (Golfsmith, Clubmaker, Killer Bee, J.G. Hickory, Lynx, and ZTech, among others). It also teaches golfers to assemble their own clubs, and offers custom fitting and repair services for clubs and racquets. In addition to its retail operations, Golfsmith runs the Harvey Penick Golf Academy, an instructional school for golfers in Texas. The company was founded in 1967 as a mail-order seller of custom-made golf clubs.

ABS was founded in 1997 by president Craig Knouf. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ricoh Americas. When you think of business, what systems do you associate with it? Associated Business Systems (ABS) thinks of big gadgets. ABS sells and services high-tech office machines (such as printers, copiers, fax machines, and scanners) made by companies such as Ricoh, HP, and Kyocera Mita. Other products include archival and retrieval devices, network imaging systems, and supplies for all the machines on the sales floor. Associated Business Systems operates more than a dozen locations in Oregon and Washington, and it services about 35,000 copiers and printers in both states.

Founded in 1891, Texas-based Samuels Jewelers was acquired by India's Gitanjali Gems Ltd., a jewelry maker and retailer, in late 2006. In addition to diamonds and gemstones, Samuels Jewelers knows something about millstones -- the bankruptcy kind (it has been thrice drawn into bankruptcy court since the early 1990s). Samuels sells fine jewelry items through about 85 jewelry stores in California, Texas, and about 15 other states; stores are primarily located in regional shopping malls, power centers, and strip centers. Samuels also operates some stand-alone stores and sells jewelry online at SamuelsJewelers.com. Its stores operate under the Samuels Diamonds and Samuels Jewelers banners.

Premier Designs is a direct sales jewelry company founded in 1985 by Joan and Andy Horner in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. They created the company as a way to support ministries here and around the globe, as well as provide a home-based business opportunity established on biblical principles, such as integrity and unselfish service. Through our non-traditional approach of putting people first — before profits — Premier Designs has grown into a more than 350-million-dollar — debt-free — corporation with Independent Distributors (we call them Jewelers) in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Premier Designs Jewelers market quality high fashion jewelry to small groups through Home Shows. We are members of the Direct Selling Association, but our emphasis is on serving rather than selling.

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