Old Time Pottery a chain of about 30 stores in about 10 states in the South and Midwest selling discounted closeout and overstock housewares, silk flowers, framed art, linens, rugs, craft supplies, seasonal merchandise, and more. The company gets its inventory, which it displays in a warehouse-type setting, from the canceled orders and excess stock of manufacturers. And it needs lots of inventory, as stores average about 2 acres in size. Founded in 1986, Old Time Pottery is controlled by the Peterson family. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August 2009 and exited it in August 2010.

Agri-Starts was founded in 1984 by owners Randall Strode and Gerri Abner. Agri-Starts produces and wholesales tissue culture liners and micro cuttings. Put more simply, the company clones plants. The cloning process begins with a single growing tip cut from a plant. From this cut thousands of small plants are grown on a gelled nutrient-rich medium with growth regulators in a temperature- and light-controlled environment. Once the plants are large enough to harvest, Agri-Starts sells them as liners in cell packs to nurseries worldwide. The company maintains about 1,300 plant varieties, and its specialties include elephant ears, bananas, blueberries, and coleus plants.

Gordmans, Inc. operates as a low price retailer. It offers home fashion products, such as wall decors, frames, candles, luggage, bath and bedding products, furniture, home accents, and kitchen products. The company also provides accessories, including fragrances, handbags and wallets, sleepwear, intimate apparels, jewelry, belts, and scarves and hats. In addition, it offers shorts and capris, dresses, tops and blouses, skirts, swim shops, knit tops, sportswear, casuals, socks, polos, and outerwear. The company was formerly known as Richman Gordman ½ Price Stores, Inc. and changed its name to Gordmans, Inc. in 1996. Gordmans, Inc. was founded in 1915 and is based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company has store locations in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

Le Chateau has repositioned itself to appeal to trend seekers of no particular age and has begun expanding into secondary markets. Le Chateau, which had hired Genuity Capital Markets in 2006 to explore a possible sale, took itself off the block in 2007. Le Chateau wants its customers to bring down the house with their fashion flair. The firm sells its own brand of clothing in more than 220 contemporary clothing stores in Canada, a handful of shops in the New York City area, and about 10 locations in the Middle East. The retailer sells apparel, footwear, and accessories to fashion-conscious men and women. About 40% of its apparel is made in Canada, allowing Le Chateau Inc. to respond quickly to changing trends.

Founded in 1952 by namesake -- the late Jack Fruth -- the company is family owned and operated. Fruth Pharmacy operates about 25 drugstores in southern Ohio and West Virginia. While prescriptions account for the majority of sales, Fruth pharmacies also sell gift items and computer supplies, and have floral departments and digital printing. The regional drugstore chain competes by constantly trying new things, such as participating in the Face2Face diabetes program and testing in-store dollar departments. It is countering Wal-Mart Stores's $4 generic offering with a discount generic drug program created by Cardinal Health.

Holland Southwest International, Inc. was founded by Gus Gillebaard, an immigrant from Holland, as a small import company in 1953. Distributor Holland Southwest International supplies forest products from vendors throughout the world. The company boasts inventory facilities about a dozen locations in North America, such as Baltimore, El Paso, Houston, San Antonio, Memphis, Oklahoma City, and Mexico City. It ships directly to vendors in China, Russia, the UK, and several other countries. The wood-products firm also includes Holland Southwest among its holdings, which has interests in plants that manufacture prefinished wall paneling and bathroom wallboard.

EmbroidMe is on the fast track. As a franchise operation, EmbroidMe.com Inc. offers custom embroidery, screen printing, and promotional products through about 350 shops in nearly 10 countries (including Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US). Stores specialize in emblazoning custom designs on items such as golf shirts, ball caps, towels, uniforms, jackets, and bags, as well as promotional fare (pens, mouse pads, and mugs). EmbroidMe outlets feature brand-name apparel (such as adidas, Liz Claiborne, and Nike Golf) and its own private-label products. EmbroidMe.com Inc. is part of United Franchise Group. It was founded in 2000 by Ray Titus, the group's CEO.

Fletcher Building is a supplier to many a Kiwi home. The company makes and distributes concrete, steel, fiberglass insulation, roofing, and panel products for the residential and commercial construction markets worldwide. It runs more than 30 businesses through five divisions: building products, distribution, infrastructure, laminates and panels, and steel. Included in its network are AHI Group (the world's largest maker of stone chip-coated metal roof tiles), The Laminex Group (top producer of decorative surfaces in Australia and New Zealand), and Formica Corporation (manufacturer of the eponymous high-pressure laminate products). Fletcher's operations span North America, Europe, and the Asia/Pacific region.

Keller Supply was founded by Howard Keller in 1945 and is still owned and run by the Keller family, including CEO Nick Keller. If you're building a house in the Pacific Northwest, Keller has the supplies you need. Through about 55 locations in Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, Keller Supply distributes residential and commercial HVAC, plumbing, and pool and spa products from more than 1,000 manufacturers including Kohler, Honeywell International, Rheem, Porter-Cable, and Pentair . Customers include contractors and home improvement retailers as well as international customers in Canada and farther afield.

Stock Building Supply is a leading building materials and solutions company for professional homebuilders and contractors in the United States. We are committed to providing an exceptional customer experience for builders and contractors who are engaged in single- and multi-family residential, repair and remodel and light commercial construction.As a leading building materials and solutions company, we have learned a great deal about creating and sustaining customer relationships. We serve many markets throughout the United States and leverage our national presence to offer the products that homeowners demand, delivered with our “customer-focused, associate-driven” spirit. We appreciate your partnering with us.

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