Paul Fredrick is an apparel manufacturer and online retailer that does business best by cutting out the middle man. Paul Fredrick MenStyle designs classic men's apparel (dress shirts, pants, neckties, sportcoats, suits, formalwear) and sells direct to the consumer by mail-order catalog and the Internet. The company got its start as part of contract shirt manufacturer Fleetwood Shirt Company (a supplier to high-end department stores for about half a century). An ad in the Wall Street Journal offering dress shirts straight from the manufacturer gave Paul Fredrick its own start in 1986.

G & J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers, Inc. company is one of the larger Pepsi bottlers in the US, shipping the leading PepsiCo brands, including Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Slice, SoBe, and Aquafina to beverage retailers. The bottler was formerly named the Grandpop Bottling Co., and was under the management of Walter Gross and Isaac Jarson. The company's current chairman, Stanley Kaplan, was married to Jarson's daughter, Mickey, who died in 2003.

Women the world over know ESCADA for its bright fabrics, elaborate stitching, hand-beaded work, and tailored looks. The firm designs and sells upscale women's apparel (including evening wear, casual wear, and shoes), accessories, and fragrances in about 410 company-owned and franchised stores in some 60 countries. Apparel, handbags, shoes, and belts are designed in-house; eyewear, jewelry, watches, and scarves are licensed. It sold its Escada Beaut cosmetics division to Wella AG but remains a licensee. Unable to secure financing amid falling sales and earnings, the company in August 2009 filed for bankruptcy protection and is being sold.

DC Shoes was among the first to capitalize on the skateboard, snowboard, and adventure sports niche market. The company designs technical footwear for skateboarding and snowboarding, as well as casual apparel, accessories, and other sports gear. In addition to its standalone retail shops in New York and Los Angeles, DC Shoes markets its products online and through such retailers as Macy's and Pacific Sunwear. Co-founders Damon Way and Ken Block sold the firm to Quiksilver in 2004 to the tune of $87 million. Quiksilver, which had been under pressure to sell assets to help alleviate its debt, appears content to keep DC Shoes in its closet.

Neways, Inc. was established in 1992 by Tom and Dee Mower, veterans of the chemical industry. Neways helps consumers find new ways to live clean, healthy lives. The company designs and makes products that are free of harmful ingredients for wellness (nutritional supplements, weight management), beauty (cosmetics, hair treatments), and household care (automotive, laundry supplies). Its products are distributed to about 30 countries worldwide. Neways has corporate offices in Australia, Israel, Japan, and the US, among other countries. The Mowers eventually sold Neways to private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2006.

Lotto Sport Italia S.p.A. company was established in 1973 to produce tennis shoes and other sporty footwear for the Italian market. Still known best for its sneakers, the company has expanded into athletic wear and leisure wear for men, women, and children, as well as licensed lines that include eyewear, stationery, and underwear. Lotto Sports's products are available in about 80 countries. Lotto sponsors a number of professional sports players and teams, and has partnerships with the ATP, the WTA Tour, and Wimbledon. As part of a joint venture with US-based consulting and investment firm DCS Group, Lotto established Lotto North America, an outpost in the US.

Aubrey Organics makes and markets organic products (free of petrochemicals and synthetics) for the skin and hair -- for people and their pet counterparts. President and CEO Aubrey Hampton formulates each of the company's products, which are sold online and through specialty retailers nationwide, in small batches at the firm's manufacturing plant. The company's offerings include baby care items, bath products, fragrances, household goods, makeup, sun care formulas, and hair color products. Aubrey Organics was the first personal care company to be certified as an organic processor according to standards set by the Department of Agriculture.

Victory turns its consumers into winners -- or at least helps them look like winners. Victory Corporation, operating through its Virgin Cosmetics Company and Virgin Ware apparel outlet, distributes Virgin Vie cosmetics and toiletries. The company operates about 15 retail and outlet Virgin stores (some of which have in-house spa treatment facilities) in the UK. However, most sales are generated directly from its some 12,000 home-based sales consultants. Victory also operates a retail web site and catalog. Founded in 1997, the company launched its own clothing line in 2005. It was publicly traded on the London AIM until 2007, when it was delisted.

SATO A.E. company designs and manufactures home and office furniture, including cinema seats, desks, filing cabinets, shelving units, office chairs, sofas, and a variety of office accessories. SATO sells ethnic home furniture through its La Maison Coloniale brand. Other furniture brands include BoConcept, ENTOS, Leather Concept, and SATO. SATO was founded in 1973 from partnership company METALLONHELLAS, which was founded in 1964. The Theodoridis Group, chaired by SATO chairman Sotirios Theodoridis, owns more than 50% of SATO.

Wella brushes off much of its competition. One of the world's leading haircare companies, it sells professional and retail haircare products, cosmetics, and fragrances. Its Wella brand is its top seller; hair coloring products (Koleston, Wella Viva) are also leaders. Its Tondeo unit supplies professional products and appliances to salons. Wella's fragrances include Alfred Dunhill, Anna Sui, and Gucci, among others. Reluctantly for Wella at the time, Procter & Gamble acquired a majority stake in the firm in 2003 from four families (Ebert, Pohl, Sander, and Stroeher) that owned some 80% of Wella. Through a Domination Agreement transaction, P&G in November 2007 acquired the rest of its outstanding shares.

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