The furniture company was founded in 1948 by brothers Russ and Edward Petrick, who named Bretford by combining their wives' maiden names (Brett and Crawford). Bretford makes and markets furniture for offices, schools and universities, the audio-visual market, healthcare, hospitality, government, and other contract markets. The modern look of its furniture conforms to the liquid workspace ideal that the company promotes, and its line of mobile chairs, tables, and partitions keep office spaces flexible. Bretford boasts more than 240 furniture models that are GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Certified by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.

M. Hidary & Co., Inc. company, founded in 1948 by Max and Moe Hidary, operates under The Hidary Group, an investor group that has holdings in consumer products, real estate, technology, and financial services. M. Hidary & Co., Inc. company makes apparel for men and children under numerous brand names, including Bon Bebe, Russell, Everlast, Amy Byer, Maui & Sons, and Pacific Trail. M. Hidary also makes licensed items under a dozen agreements for Marvel Entertainment and Disney, as well as apparel under private label. It sells its products through big box chains (Wal-Mart, Target), specialty stores (Sports Authority), national retailers (Sears), and catalogs (Global Sports Interactive).

Credited with the popularization of the banquet chair in 1959, Shelby Williams has maintained the #1 market position for hospitality in seating worldwide. It became top of mind with interior designers that specify furniture products for hospitality installations such as hotels, restaurants, casinos and country clubs. Because Shelby offer the broadest product offering and highest quality in the industry, it is close to impossible to open the Shelby Williams catalog and not find a design that conveys the proper image for a facility. In addition, Shelby offer custom-designed products around Shelby client’s unique design and function requirements, with the manufacturing capacity to supply very large projects with relatively short lead times.

Sauder focuses on furniture for the home and house of worship. It makes ready-to-assemble (RTA) and other furniture for residences, churches, schools, and healthcare institutions. It distributes its products to retailers, such as Target, Wal-Mart, and Office Depot, as well as to specialized markets (courtrooms, universities, healthcare facilities, and libraries). Its Wieland unit provides acute healthcare seating and tables. Its worship furniture includes pews and upholstered wood chairs, among other items. Sauder sells its RTA furniture through three subsidiaries, including Progressive Furniture (consumer), Sauder Manufacturing Company (church and institutional), and Studio RTA (an importer and distributor).

Founded in 1882 by William Hayes and James Finch, the company is still owned by the Finch family. Hayes & Finch company manufactures and sells items belonging inside a church (besides the willing souls and the people attached to them): altars, altar linens, altar breads, baptismal fonts, candles, candlesticks, cassocks, clerical garments, crucifixes, cottas, funeral palls, hymn boards, incenses, kneelers, lecterns, pews, pulpits, stoles, surplices, vestments, wines, even collection plates. Merchandise is sold through the company's catalog, web site, and through six retail outlets.

The world's #1 luggage maker, Samsonite makes softside and hardside suitcases, garment bags, and business cases under brand names such as Samsonite and American Tourister. The company also licenses its name for non-luggage products and dabbles in designer clothing. Samsonite makes travel gear (backpacks, duffel bags, wheeled luggage) for Timberland through a licensing agreement. It sells its products in more than 100 countries and through about 200 stores. Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners owns a majority stake in the ailing luggage maker.

L'Oreal's success is built on a strong foundation. The world's largest beauty products company, it creates makeup, perfume, and hair and skin care items. Its brands include L'Oreal and Maybelline (mass-market), Lanceme (upscale), and Redken and SoftSheen/Carson (retail and salon). L'Oreal, which owns Dallas-based SkinCeuticals, also conducts cosmetology and dermatology research. With about half of its sales generated outside of Europe, L'Oreal has focused on acquiring brands in those markets. L'Oreal also owns the UK-based natural cosmetics retailer The Body Shop International, which numbers more than 2,550 stores worldwide. The firm's dermatology branch Galderma is a joint venture between L'Oreal and Nestle.

Founded in 1987, Mity-Lite, Inc. is a global manufacturer of market-leading furniture systems including lightweight folding tables, stacking and folding chairs, portable dance floors and staging. MITY world-famous products efficiently meet business-to-business customer needs across multiple markets, including hospitality, higher education, worship facilities, government, parks and recreation, public assembly, and healthcare, among others. Mity-Lite’s dedicated personal service and durable yet lightweight products result in an overall lower cost of ownership and complete customer satisfaction.

B.J. Vines, aka Betsey Johnson, is a perennial favorite among women who are funky and consider themselves eclectic, and after some 30 years in the business, the eccentric designer and her company namesake are still going strong. Betsey Johnson clothes, shoes, fragrance, makeup, lingerie, legwear, and accessories are distributed through about 50 specialty stores of the same name and department stores worldwide. B.J. Vines has expanded its product offerings and operations through about a dozen licensing agreements. Having owned a majority of the firm, Johnson sold a controlling stake to Boston-based private equity firm Castanea Partners in August 2007.

Founded in 1926, Haggar was publicly held until it was sold to the private investment firm Infinity Associates LLC in 2005. Haggar is hooked on classics. A leading maker and marketer of men's casual and dress apparel, the company's products include pants, sport coats, suits, shirts, and shorts. Haggar's clothes (including its "wrinkle-free" shirts and tab-waist expandable pants) are sold through about 10,000 stores in the US, Canada, Mexico, and the UK. Its Haggar brand is sold in department stores, such as J. C. Penney, Kohl's, and Sears, and at more than 70 Haggar outlet stores. The company makes lower-priced brands for mass merchandisers and offers private-label clothing.

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