Spanx, Inc. makes footless and footed hosiery, tights, and body shapers to give its customers a slim and smooth look with any style shoe. Spanx also sells bras (Bra-llelujah!), slips (Hide & Sleek), panties (Power Panties), and lined apparel (Bod-a-Bing!). The firm's products are sold at such retailers as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, and Bloomingdale's. Discounter Target developed ASSETS (bodyshaping hosiery) with Spanx in 2006; they're also sold at www.loveassets.com. Company founder Sara Blakely is credited with inventing footless pantyhose. In 1998, she founded Spanx with $5,000 of her own savings and patented her footless body-shaping pantyhose.

The personal care products company makes soap, lotions, and creams, as well as more specialized products such as acne treatments. Dermalogica's products are not sold directly to the public, but through dealers or "qualified skin care professionals" in more than 40 countries worldwide. These vendors can provide clients with Dermalogica's face mapping consultation, thermal back treatment, and touch therapies. Dermalogica was founded in 1986 by Jane Wurwand.

3M is fundamentally a science-based company. They produce thousands of imaginative products, and they're a leader in scores of markets - from health care and highway safety to office products and abrasives and adhesives. Their success begins with their ability to apply their technologies - often in combination - to an endless array of real-world customer needs. Of course, all of this is made possible by the people of 3M and their singular commitment to make life easier and better for people around the world.The diversified company makes products through six operating segments: consumer and office; display and graphics; electro and communications; health care (through 3M Health Care); industrial and transportation; and safety, security, and protection services. Well-known brands include Post-it Notes, Scotch tapes, Scotchgard fabric protectors, Scotch-Brite scouring pads, and Filtrete home air filters. 3M has operations in more than 60 countries. About two-thirds of its sales are made outside of the US. It sells products directly to users and through numerous wholesalers, retailers, distributors, and dealers worldwide.

Acorn Powell Limited specialise in the manufacture and supply of Stainless Steel products. Their expertise covers a broad spectrum of building technologies, regulations and applications. Recent major projects have included washroom facilities for numerous schools, supermarket plumbing systems for Waitrose, fitting out a major shipyard in the Middle East and facilities for an army barracks complex.Acorn Powell equips everything from prisons to high-end hotels with its wide range of stainless steel appliances and fixtures. Its sinks, urinals, toilets, drinking fountains, kitchenettes, wash basins, and other plumbing systems are used in in commercial, residential, and institutional applications. The company distributes seven lines: Apinox Range, Neo-Metro, Whitehall Manufacturing, Acorn Aqua, Murdock Drinking Fountains, AcornVac, and Intra. Acorn Powell does business online and though mail order, but it also has a showroom at its Gloucester offices.

Crane Co. is a diversified manufacturer of highly engineered industrial products with a substantial presence in a number of focused niche markets. With approximately 12,000 employees working together in five business segments across 25 countries, Crane generated 2008 net sales of $2.6 billion.Crane is committed to the highest standards of business conduct. Within that framework, their objective is to grow Economic Value Added (EVA) by continuing to transition to a more integrated operating company. They strive to create value for all their stakeholders with a highly disciplined approach to materially strengthening our businesses through successful implementation of the Crane Business System, through strategic linkages among their businesses, and through utilization of strong free cash flow for strategic acquisitions.

GE has a strong set of global businesses in infrastructure, finance and media aligned to meet today’s needs, including the demand for global infrastructure; growing and changing demographics that need access to healthcare, finance, and information and entertainment; and environmental technologies.The company produces aircraft engines, locomotives and other transportation equipment, kitchen and laundry appliances, lighting, electric distribution and control equipment, generators and turbines, and medical imaging equipment. GE is also one of the preeminent financial services companies in the US. General Electric Capital, comprising commercial finance, consumer finance, aircraft leasing, real estate, and energy financial services, is its largest segment. Other operations include the NBC television network.

Watkins Incorporated manufactures more than 350 natural products, including body lotions and bath salts, organic dish soaps and bathroom cleaners, and organic black pepper and vanilla extracts. Watkins, which distributes its products in the US, Canada, the UK, and the Philippines, sells through retailers such as Target, Wal-Mart, and Whole Foods, as well as through its e-commerce Web site. Owned by chairman Irwin L. Jacobs since 1978, Watkins' roots go back to the 1860s.

PPG Industries is a leader in its markets; is a streamlined, efficient manufacturer; and operates on the leading edge of new technologies and solutions. It is their vision to continue being the world’s leading coatings and specialty products and services company, serving customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. PPG has manufacturing facilities and equity affiliates in more than 60 countries around the globe.Coatings -- such as paints (sold under the Pittsburgh Paints, Lucite, and Monarch brands), stains (Olympic), and sealants that help protect surfaces -- account for most of its sales; the remainder comes from glass and chemicals. PPG's glass offerings include flat glass for buildings, fabricated glass, and continuous-strand fiberglass used in aircraft and buildings. PPG's chemicals segment makes chlor-alkali chemicals. The company operates more than 130 manufacturing facilities worldwide; it also operates 450 retail centers in the US. PPG greatly enhanced its European operations in 2008 by buying SigmaKalon from Bain Capital for $3 billion.

Hilasal makes and sells cotton towels and robes for all manner of uses including bath and beach towels, sports and kitchen towels, promotional and printed towels, as well as making robes for adults and children. The company sells its products through a variety of retailers including department stores, discount stores, and boutiques including Wal-Mart, Gigante, JC Penny's, Marshall's, and TJ Maxx. Hilasal exports just over one-third of it products to the US for sale.

Cherokee Inc. markets, licenses and manages their owned brands, which include Cherokee, Sideout, Carole Little, Chorus Line, Saint Tropez West and All That Jazz brands, as well as represents other brands in various consumer product categories such as apparel, home, food, fashion accessories and footwear and recreational products. The brands that Cherokee owns and represent generate over $4 billion in annual retail sales worldwide. The Company’s principal focus is global “retail direct” licensing. The Company has partnered with many well-known retailers throughout the world to provide consumers with well-known brands at affordable prices. These global retailers include Target Stores, Wal-Mart Stores, TJX Companies, Tesco Plc, Zellers (Hudson Bay Company), Grupo Eroski, Comercial Mexicana, Pao de Acucar, Tottus Stores (Falabella), Arvind Mills, Shufersal, Geant (Al Hokair) and Pick ’n Pay. The Company’s retail licensing partners license these well-known brands, and receive the exclusive right to sell branded merchandise in their geographic areas.The Cherokee brand, which began as a footwear brand in 1973, is one of the preeminent global family lifestyle brands with annual retail sales approaching $3.0 Billion worldwide. Sideout is a young active lifestyle brand, which was acquired by the Company in the late 1990’s. In addition, in 2002 the Company acquired the trademarks for Carole Little, a well-regarded women’s wear brand, and Chorus Line, All that Jazz and Saint Tropez West, three women’s sportswear brands. The Company seeks to develop relationships and strategies that benefit its retail and wholesale partners through licensing arrangements both in the U.S. as well as throughout the world.

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