SOK is made up of about 35 independent regional cooperative societies that produce the group's services. Food and grocery account for half of SOK's overall business its market brands include ABC!, Alepa, Prisma, S Market, and Sale. The group was founded in 1904.Suomen Osuuskauppojen Keskuskunta (SOK Corporation) knows a thing or two (or 1,500) about retail. The Finnish group is active in grocery, combination convenience store/gas station, department store, specialty goods, hotel and restaurant, auto trade, and hardware services via 1,590 locations in its home country, throughout the Baltic nations, and Russia.

R.C. Willey Home Furnishings drives traffic by giving away some 600,000 hot dogs a year at about a dozen stores in California, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. Despite Sunday store closures and operations in only four states, R.C. Willey is one of the nation's largest furniture retailers. Its offerings include furniture (La-Z-Boy, Flexsteel), appliances (GE, Maytag), electronics (Sony, Panasonic), and flooring. The firm also sells mattresses (Serta, Spring Air, Simmons). In 1932 Rufus Call (R.C.) Willey sold appliances door-to-door; today the company he founded is run by his son-in-law, chairman Bill Child, and grandsons. Berkshire Hathaway purchased the company in 1995.

In 1978 a group of 13 pharmacists banded together to form what is now known as Value Drug Mart Associates Ltd. Their mission was clear—to provide quality healthcare and great products in community-minded, independently owned and operated stores. Today, the association consists of 35 member shareholder Value Drug Mart stores, 11 Apple Drugs member stores, 11 Rxellence Professional Dispensaries, and 300 affiliated stores. Our Central Office and Distribution Centre in Edmonton, AB is located in 85,000 square feet that is owned and operated by the member shareholders, under the direction of an elected Board of Directors. The original concept of the founding member shareholders was to provide the existing and future member shareholders with an organization designed to provide increased profitability to individual store owners rather than to create a wholesale profit centre. That direction remains to this day.

OrePac company was founded in 1977 by president Glenn Hart. What's best for OrePac is western home centers. The company distributes lumber and building materials to retail lumberyards, home improvement stores, and door and manufactured-home plants, primarily in the western US. OrePac operates about 10 branches in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. In addition, the company's distribution zone includes Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Products include finished lumber, millwork, molding, roofing, and siding. OrePac also exports lumber and specialty building products to international customers.

Claire's Accessories UK, like its US parent company Claire's Stores, sells costume jewelry, handbags, and hair accessories largely to the 7- to 14-year-old set through about 430 stores throughout England and Ireland. It also markets accessories to late teens and twenty-somethings through its Icing stores. The company's stores are primarily located in shopping malls and on high streets. Claire's Stores opened its first shop in the UK in 1996 and has since extended its reach to other European countries, including Austria, France, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland.

Milaeger's was founded in 1960 by Dan and Joan Milaeger. Milaeger's has the difficult task of keeping things green on the banks of Lake Michigan. The company operates two nurseries in Racine and Sturtevant, Wisconsin, selling seeds, soil, plants, mulch, as well as apparel, Christmas collectibles, figurines, folk art, outdoor furniture, and home decor. It also offers landscape services including lawn, tree, and shrub care along with design services. Milaeger's regularly hosts shows by collectibles merchants, local fashion shows, and gardening workshops. The company's Java Garden Cafe, onsite at both locations, offers hot and cold beverages, dessert, and light lunch and dinner items.

Rockler Companies, Inc. company was founded in 1954 as a mail-order supplier of woodworking materials. Rockler Companies, a nationwide retail chain specializing in woodworking supplies, operates about 30 Rockler stores in about 20 states under the Rockler Woodworking and Hardware banner. The stores sells hardware (hinges, drawer slides), hand and power tools, finishes, wood and supplies, and shop equipment -- primarily to do-it-yourselfer types. It also sells cabinets; closet, kitchen, bath, and TV organizers; and TV and computer mounting equipment. In addition, Rockler operates a catalog business, six Web sites (including one for women in woodworking), and distributes its products through more than 60 independent partner stores.

One man's corvette summer in 1974 turned into a lifelong business. Mid America Motorworks (MMA) is a large supplier of parts and accessories for Corvette, Volkswagen, and Porsche automobiles. Offering parts for every year the Corvette has been in production, Mid America Motorworks sells its products through catalogs, the Web, and, for those in the neighborhood, at its headquarters. It also installs custom interior and performance parts. MMA's annual Corvette Funfest lays claim to being one of the largest Corvette gatherings in the world. Mid America Motorworks also hosts biannual swap meets for Corvette and VW enthusiasts. MMA is owned and operated by Mike Yager, who started the business by selling Corvette parts and accessories.

Mar-Cone Appliance Parts Center was founded in 1932 by Harry Markow as a door-to-door rebuilt vacuum cleaner company. CEO Mitchell Markow is the founder's grandson. Marcone Appliance Parts Center helps keep your refrigerator, dishwasher, and air conditioner running. Mar-Cone Appliance Parts Center distributes appliance repair parts; it also sells HVAC and plumbing supplies. Marcone operates through more than 40 locations in the US, mostly in California and Florida. Mar-Cone Appliance Parts Center provides parts from vendors such as KitchenAid, Whirlpool, and Maytag. It also exports parts to clients in about 120 countries around the globe. Marcone has been growing through acquisitions while consolidating business operations.

Casual Living is a mid- to high-end outdoor and patio furniture retailer that boasts a handful of locations throughout the Dallas Metroplex and beyond. In addition to selling home furnishings, Casual Living sells fireplaces and complementary accessories. It specializes in selling top brands, such as Stoll, Hanamint, Mallin, Meadowcraft, Prestige, Tropitone, Treasure Garden, Hargrove, and Lloyd Flanders. The company got its start in Carrollton, Texas, in 1993.

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