Yak Pak was founded in 1996 by company president Stephen Holt; its first major product, the D-Jay bag, was made specifically for DJs to hold their music. Yak Pak company manufactures utilitarian (yet trendy) bags, backpacks, duffel bags, totes, and related accessories that are sold through specialty retailers nationwide (including Pacific Sunwear and Urban Outfitters), as well as online and through a retail store located in San Franciso. Under an exclusive licensing agreement, Yak Pak also designs, makes, and distributes bags under the Dickies brand.

Gunlocke has cared for some famous fannies. The maker of handcrafted wood office chairs boasts that eight US presidents have sat in a Gunlocke chair. Founded in 1902 by a small group of entrepreneurs led by William H. Gunlocke, the company makes and markets wood office furniture -- including chairs, desks, shelves, and conference tables. Its customers include accountants, consultants, and the legal, banking, brokerage, and insurance industries. The company operates showrooms in the US and Canada, including cities Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York City, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington, D.C., among others. Gunlocke is owned by HNI Corporation.

In the 1950's there were dozens of ballpoint models, and nearly every one took a different cartridge. In 1953 Paul Fisher invented the "Universal Refill" which could be used in most pens. It was a good seller, since stationery store owners could reduce their stock of assorted refills.Fisher Space Pen makes pens containing pressurized visco-elastic ink, which makes it possible to write upside down, underwater, in all temperatures, and in zero gravity. The company's pens have starred in space as the official pen of NASA and on TV in a "Seinfeld" sitcom episode. Urban legend has it that NASA spent millions to develop the pen.

HMU was founded by Dean Williams in 2001. HMU, LLC company makes remanufactured office work stations, focusing on the higher-end Herman Miller brand. It buys the cubicles from businesses, ships them to its facility, where the cubicles are dismantled and rebuilt. HMU's customers include colleges, hospitals, businesses, and government agencies. The company acquired Open Plan Systems, a remanufacturer of Herman Miller products, from The Supply Room Companies in 2008.

SOS Management has taken a bum rap and turned it into a real superstar. The company acquires slumping clothing labels and licenses the names to other companies. Its popular B.U.M. Equipment name is loaned to clothing, footwear, and accessories manufacturers who sell products through retail shops and department stores in the US and abroad. Wal-Mart licenses the brand in multiple overseas markets and owns the name exclusively in Canada. B.U.M. Equipment was once named one of the top 100 most recognizable brands by industry source Women's Wear Daily. SOS also manages the licenses for American Exchange, Gene Meyer, and Mark Montano. Co-chairmen Stephen Wayne and Steve Marra own SOS Management.

Johnson Brothers Liquor Company was founded in 1953 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Johnson Brothers Liquor is one of the country's top wine and liquor distributors. The company distributes mainly domestic brands of wines and distilled spirits throughout 13 US states, mostly in the Midwest and South, as well as in Nevada in the West, Rhode Island and New York in the East, and in Hawaii. Johnson Brothers is owned by the Johnson brothers -- CEO Lynn Johnson and president Mitchell Johnson. Its customers include beverage retailers, bars, and foodservice operators (restaurants).

Sexy Hair wants to take sexy from concept to reality. Named Sexy Hair Concepts, the company makes and distributes hair care products for sale in more than 60,000 US professional hair salons. Products include Fresh Concepts, its Sexy Hair line, Sex Symbol Aero Tan (self-tanning spray), and Formulas by Ecoly. The company in mid-2006 enlisted the help of American Idol finalist Katharine McPhee to serve as the face of the company in ads and promotional materials through 2007. Sexy Hair Concepts distributes its products in the US and internationally -- in more then 25 countries. Formerly named Formulas by Ecoly and founded by Michael O'Rourke, Sexy Hair Concepts hired Jim Morrison as its CEO in March 2006.

Jesse Owens and Muhammad Ali broke records in their adidas athletic shoes. The heart of the adidas product line is athletic shoes, but the three-stripe logo appears on apparel and other jock accoutrements. As the #2 maker of sporting goods worldwide, behind NIKE, it has inked deals with football and basketball athletes, as well as the New York Yankees, and it serves golfers through its TaylorMade-adidas Golf. The company, which has more than 1,150 retail locations, boasted sponsorship rights to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. adidas' purchase of Salomon, the French maker of ski and golf gear, was short-lived. The company sold the unit to Amer Sports Corporation and bought Reebok for some $3.8 billion.

Hugo Boss outfits inhabitants of (and aspirants to) the corner office with brands including BOSS, a line targeted at executives; trendy, casual HUGO; and the more uptrend BOSS Selection. Hugo Boss designs and licenses clothes, accessories, cosmetics, and fragrances sold through its 1,200 shops and other retailers in some 80 countries. Known for its menswear, Hugo Boss has also entered womenswear, footwear, and leather goods. The firm was founded by its namesake in 1923 to make work clothes. It moved into suits in the 1950s and expanded beyond business wear in the 1990s. Hugo Boss is part of the Valentino Fashion Group.

This Harveys wouldn't be caught dead in the same category as the other famous Harvey-named apparel retailer, the ever-tony Harvey Nichols. Harveys of Oldham makes industrial work wear, uniforms, and protective clothing for clients in many industries, including hospitality and healthcare. The company's garments include flame-retardant and high-visibility coveralls, overalls, lab coats, and chefs' wear. Its Harpoon and Civic brands are more than a half-century old and are manufactured to meet regulatory standards for the workers wearing them. Clothes are distributed wholesale through contracts and brochures, as well as via the company's retail Web site.

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