In November 1984 Fortnum's made the national news when staff requested they sell the the "Do They Know It's Christmas?" single in Piccadilly. As no-one is in any doubt when it's Christmas at Fortnum's, the company took up the idea with gusto - helping spread the charitable message far beyond its traditional audience.

Louis Brockway and Fred Smith founded their namesake company in 1890. Brockway-Smith has found the right opening to success. Doing business as BROSCO, Brockway-Smith company is a wholesale distributor of millwork products throughout New England. Products, including doors, windows, and specialty millwork, as well as columns, mantels, moldings, posts, and stairs, are sold by a network of dealers in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Rhode Island. Brockway-Smith operates through four distribution centers in Massachusetts, New York, and Maine. Customers include architects, building materials dealers, and contractors.

E & S International Enterprises, Inc was founded in 1945 as an electronics distributor. E & S International Enterprises (also known as ESI) has its fingers in a lot of pies. E & S International Enterprises, Inc manufactures and sells a variety of consumer products through its subsidiaries. Once a consumer electronics distributor, the company has expanded its product line to include such items as sporting goods, mobile phone batteries, and appliances. It also acts a broker between manufacturers and retailers, sometimes handling warranty and support functions for the makers. ESI is also in the business of acquiring commercial and residential real estate.

eXpansys UK Limited began trading on the London-based AIM exchange in 2007. Though the universe may be in constant expansion, eXpansys believes one's collection of gadgets should also be in a state of constant growth. eXpansys UK Limited is an online retailer of wireless technology (PDAs, mobile and wireless phones, iPods, MP3 players, laptop computers). The company has distribution centers in Australia, France, Germany, and the US; its products are sold worldwide through retail divisions in more than 20 countries. eXpansys investors have included 3i Group, Elderstreet Downing, Elderstreet Investments, Triven, and The Wireless Warehouse.

1800Mattress.com offers mattresses from Sealy, Serta, Simmons, King Koil, and Tempur-Pedic, as well as its own private-label brand. Customers can order over the phone or on the Internet, 24 hours a day. Those who prefer to feel the merchandise before buying, however, can visit 1800Mattress.com's more than 100 showrooms in California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. It also ships products throughout the US and internationally. Founded in 1976, the company was originally named Dial-A-Mattress. In 2009 rival retailer Sleepy's acquired 1800Mattress.com out of bankruptcy for $25 million.

Young Supply, founded in 1935, is owned and run by the Vallan family. Young Supply is an old hand in the HVAC-supply business. The company has more than 15 locations in Michigan and Ohio that sell air-conditioning, ventilation, food-service, heating, and refrigeration equipment and components. Brands include Friedrich, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, and many others. Young also sells tools and measurement instruments along with controls and motors. Visitors to the company Web site can check inventory, apply for credit, and use the company's interactive area, energy to work, length, mass, and pressure HVAC conversion tables.

Dickson Concepts (International) aims to satisfy the Asian market's hunger for luxury goods. The company operates about 500 stores (some through joint ventures) in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan. (Hong Kong and China account for about 75% of sales.) The company operates single-brand luxury retailers, including ones selling Bertolucci, Chopard, Brooks Brothers, and Tommy Hilfiger. Dickson Concepts also operates stores under various luxury names, including Harvey Nichols and three Seibu department stores in Hong Kong. Sales are split between locals and tourists. Group executive chairman Dickson Poon owns 40% of Dickson Concepts.

Ritz Camera & Image (RCI) is updating its image to adapt to changing times. The company, whose chain of about 300 stores has roots reaching back to 1918 as a one-man portrait studio, has expanded beyond cameras to appeal to the digital generation. Operating under the Ritz, Wolf, Kits, Inkley's, and Camera Shop banners, it offers TVs, laptops, MP3 players, cell phones, and other electronic gadgets, as well as cameras and optical supplies and services. RCI acquired the assets of Ritz Camera Centers, which had collapsed into bankruptcy in February 2009 amid the shift to digital cameras. The business emerged later that year, under the leadership of CEO David Ritz, with a smaller footprint and new retail strategy.

The Robert Allen Group is a leading designer and marketer of fabrics and home furnishings under numerous brand names, including Robert Allen, Robert Allen @ Home, Ametex, and Beacon Hill. Each line serves a particular price point and market niche. Also, the Robert Allen Contract division works to customize fabrics and designs for corporate, hospitality, and healthcare customers. In 2002 The Robert Allen Group was acquired by family-owned Decor Holdings.

Dave's Supermarkets was founded in the late 1920's when Alex Saltzman, the first of four generations of grocers, hung up reins in his horse drawn produce wagon and opened the first corner family store at 33rd and Payne Avenue in Cleveland. The store was named for Alex's son, Dave who succeeded his father in the business. Following in Dave's footstep was his son Burton who recognized that the store needed to address the growing needs of their customers. Over the years, Burton along with his two sons, Dan and Steve Saltzman, have expanded upon the company's original vision and continue to grow the chain. Dave's is the only retail food store to invest significantly in Cleveland in recent years. New and exciting developments at Dave's included the acquisition of four new locations in 2007 as well as the launch of Dave's Mercado at the Ridge Road location. The Mercado provides the largest selection of hispanic foods in the Cleveland area. The Saltzman Family is proud to have stores serving 13 local neighborhoods.

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