Beiersdorf is a master of soft sell. Its NIVEA line of skin care products (#1 in Europe) helped the company expand into color cosmetics and shaving products. Other body care brands include such items as Labello, 8x4, Florena, JUVENA, and la prairie. Beiersdorf also makes and markets bandages, surgical gloves, disinfectants, and dermatological skin care products (such as Hansaplast and Eucerin). Under the tesa name, it offers tapes and adhesives for home, office, and industrial settings. German insurer Allianz sold its 44% of Beiersdorf to coffee and cigarette firm Tchibo Holding, to add to Tchibo's 30%. Chairman Rolf Kunisch retired in May 2008; Thomas-Bernd Quaas replaced him.

Gerry Weber's prominence grew along with Steffi Graf's winnings. In 1986 the fashion retailer signed a sponsorship contract with the budding 17-year-old tennis star. It now operates about 500 shop-in-shops and some 25 House of Gerry Weber stores throughout Europe and the Middle East. The company sells three brands of women's clothing: Gerry Weber (mid-to-upper range), Taifun (junior), and Samoon (large sizes). Gerry Weber plans to open another 80-100 stores. The Gerry Weber brand was created in 1986, and the company changed its name to its popular label in 1989.

Boise Inc. manufactures packaging and paper products in North America. The company operates in two segments, Paper and Packaging. The Paper segment engages in the manufacture and sale of uncoated freesheet paper, including commodity and premium cut-size office papers; packaging papers, such as corrugating medium, label and release papers, and flexible packaging papers; commodity, and premium printing and converting papers comprising commercial printing papers, envelope papers, and form-related products; and market pulp. This segment markets its products to paper merchants, commercial and financial printers, paper converters, such as envelope and form manufacturers through its own sales personnel. The Packaging segment manufactures and sells containerboard, and corrugated containers and sheets, as well as newsprint. Its corrugated containers are used in the packaging of fresh fruit and vegetables, processed food, beverages, and other industrial and consumer products. This segment sells its products to agricultural producers, and food and beverage processors through its own sales personnel or brokers. The company is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.

Multi-Pack LLC company is a third-party contract manufacturer of disposable cleaning products, such as wet wipes. It offers a variety of packaging, such as individual packs and a variety of coreless canisters. Multi-Pack also offers product development, testing, and formulation services. The company, founded in 1999, was acquired by Span Packaging Services, a subsidiary of Cloud Packaging Solutions LLC, in late 2005. The deal gave Cloud a deeper offering in towelette and wipe technology and, for Multi-Pack, deeper pockets for investing in future growth.

West Coast Novelty Corp., founded in the 1920s, doesn't make concessions as one of the largest suppliers of licensed sports merchandise in the US. The firm has grown from its beginnings as a souvenir and concession operator to a nationwide distributor of licensed items, such as jerseys, T-shirts, and headwear. West Coast Novelty boasts a vast portfolio of team licenses based on its agreements with the NFL, MLB, NBA, WWF, and the Collegiate Licensing Company. To extend its reach into the Eastern and Southern US, the company operates a distribution center in Memphis, Tennessee, to supplement operations at its Alameda, California, facility.

Lafeber Company was founded in the late 1970s by Dr. T.J. Lafeber, a veterinarian who previously operated a pet bird hospital before he began developing bird food products. Lafeber has built a business catering to feathered friends. The firm makes food, toys, and vitamins for pet birds. Lafeber's products portfolio includes brand names Avi-Cakes, Nutri-Berries, Nutri-Start Baby Bird Food, and others. It also makes and markets hand-feeding formula for birds and sells food developed for macaws, lovebirds, cockatoos, and parakeets. The company sells its products through its Web site and in specialty pet and bird stores, such as Petco and Tomlinson, nationwide.

Founded in 1985, Tarrant is a leading provider of men's, women's and children's casual, private label apparel. The Company has strong relationships with specialty retail, mass merchants and national department stores. These include Chicos, Dillards, Macy*s, J.C. Penny, Kohl's, New York & Company, Sears, White House/Black Market, Mervyn's, Lane Bryant, Mother Works and Walmart. In addition, the Company produces finished garments for several international designer brands as well as its own brand, American RAG CIE. TAG sells to more than two dozen big-name retailers the likes of Kohl's, Chico's, New York & Company, Wal-Mart, Lane Bryant, and Charlotte Russe. It peddles its American Rag Cie brand to Macy's and Alain Weiz-labeled items through specialty and department stores.

NIKE, Inc. (NIKE) is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing of footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products. NIKE sells athletic footwear and athletic apparel. It sells its products to retail accounts, through NIKE-owned retail, including stores and Internet sales, and through a mix of independent distributors and licensees, in over 170 countries around the world. Running, training, basketball, soccer, sport-inspired casual shoes, and Kid’s shoes are its footwear categories. It also markets shoes designed for aquatic activities, baseball, cheerleading, football, golf, lacrosse, outdoor activities, skateboarding, tennis, volleyball, walking, wrestling, and other athletic and recreational uses. It sells a line of performance equipment under the NIKE brand name, including bags, socks, sport balls, eyewear, timepieces, electronic devices, bats, gloves, protective equipment, golf clubs, and other equipment designed for sports activities.

Sugartown Worldwide is the company that makes and distributes one of the best-loved styles of shift dresses ever made: the Lilly Pulitzer. Named for the social butterfly who once designed the iconic fabrics and dresses herself, Lilly Pulitzers (or just "Lillies," to adoring fans) are back in circulation by way of more than 70 signature shops, a catalog (available only at the Lilly Pulitzer shops), select department stores, and through the company's Web site. Jim Bradbeer and Scott Beaumont acquired the trademark in 1993 and are now the company's owners.

National Distributing Company provides the liquid bottoms-up stuff for those suffering from parched throats in Georgia and New Mexico. National offers libations from companies such as distiller Brown-Forman and winemaker E & J Gallo, along with most other major alcoholic beverage makers. Following the combination of most of National's operations with those of distributor Republic Beverage to form RNDC Texas, LLC (also known as the Republic National Distributing Company) in 2007, National Distributing Company remained in business, but with operations in Georgia and New Mexico only.

Inviting Real Estate Agents, Job Placements Agents, Educational Institutes, Software Service Providers, Real Estate Builders, Marriage Bureaus, Travel Agents, Restaurant Owners, Health & Fitness Centers and other Local Businesses to Post a FREE Classified Advertisement on Cootera.com Classifieds Website.