Since its founding in 1889, the firm has developed the boysenberry along with varieties of peaches, oranges, roses, and the patented Hotbiscus Hibiscus and Wadda Tomato. In addition to its 100-acre nursery, the company has about 30 retail garden centers that operate under the Armstrong banner in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as about 15 Pike Nurseries locations in Atlanta and North Carolina. Its stores carry shrubs, flowering plants, fruit trees, and vegetables, as well as an assortment of dirt, planters, and garden tools. Company employees own 100% of Armstrong Garden Centers. It's strange to think that any company "invented" a fruit, but Armstrong Garden Centers does just that.

Brookstone is a nationwide specialty retailer offering an assortment of consumer products that are functional in purpose, distinctive in quality and design and not widely available from other retailers. Brookstone first introduced itself to the world in a small classified ad selling "hard-to-find tools" in Popular Mechanics Magazine. The year was 1965. From the beginning, quality of product, quality of service, and quality of people have been a hallmark of Brookstone. The first catalog consisted of 24 black-and-white pages, with detailed, no-nonsense information on features, capabilities, measurements, materials and anything that would help the customer with his or her buying decision. As Brookstone's catalog success grew, its operations expanded. In 1973, Brookstone opened its first retail store in Peterborough, New Hampshire, where an unsolicited walk-in trade quickly developed. Today, Brookstone manages operations through its headquarters in Merrimack, New Hampshire, and in its Distribution Center and Customer Service Department (web, mail and telephone orders) in Mexico, Missouri. Meanwhile, the Company currently operates more than 300 retail stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, primarily in premium shopping malls, lifestyle centers and the nation's busiest airports, and opens 10 to 15 new stores each year. Originally a catalog company, Brookstone today operates a multifaceted Direct-Marketing business that includes catalogs, e-mail and affiliate marketing, and an online site offering hundreds more products than are available in our retail and airport stores. From the start Brookstone created a fun, interactive shopping experience. At our stores customers are encouraged to try products out for true, hands-on shopping. Every visit to Brookstone is an opportunity to discover new and ingenious items of superior quality—all in a friendly environment of customer service and integrity that simply can't be found anywhere else.

Siam FamilyMart may be the second-largest convenience store chain in Thailand, but it still has a long way to go to catch up with #1: Seven-Eleven Japan. The fast-growing company operates more than 550 convenience stores throughout Thailand, about a tenth the number of its larger rival. The stores offer hot and cold snacks and beverages, sandwiches, rice balls, cigarettes, and other convenience items. Established in 1993, FamilyMart is a subsidiary of Japan's FamilyMart chain of convenience stores. The company franchises its individual stores and provides support in the form of managerial advice, training, advertising, promotions, store equipment, and the preparation of annual tax documents.

Kwik Trip operates about 350 Kwik Trip and Kwik Star convenience stores throughout Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The company also runs several Hearty Platter restaurants, about 40 Tobacco Outlet Plus (TOP) cigar stores, and car washes at some Kwik Trip store locations. All Kwik Trip stores built since 1990 are owned by Convenience Store Investments, a separate company, which leases the land and stores to Kwik Trip. Kwik Trip, which opened its first store in 1965 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is owned by the family of CEO Don Zietlow.

Connor Co. was founded as Kinsey & Mahler, a brass valve manufacturer, in 1850. It became Connor Co. in 1936. Goldilocks would like Connor Co. If it's too hot or too cold, the heating and A/C company can make it just right. Through about 20 locations in Illinois and one in St. Louis, the company distributes heating and air conditioning equipment along with boilers, fittings, furnaces, pipes, pumps, valves, wells, and other industrial equipment. Connor company also conducts its business online. Connor Co. boasts sheet metal fabrication and valve automation facilities and peddles Kohler products within its showrooms in many locations.

Schuh wants to spread its passion for all things shoe. With about 50 stores scattered about the UK and 20-plus concessions in Ireland (through a partnership there) and a retail web site, Schuh is the exclusive retailer of the Red or Dead label in the UK, in addition to such other brands as Scholl's, adidas, Nike, Dr. Marten's, and Clarks, as well as its own brands. In fact, Schuh Limited company, founded in 1981, is known for its extraordinary variety in footwear. In June 2004 Schuh Limited company underwent a management buyout from founder Sandy Alexander and private investor David Stevenson of Edinburgh Woollen Mill development.

Earth Fare stores offer about 26,000 natural and organic products, house cafes and juice bars, sell vitamins and herbs, and offer deli service and cooking classes. Earth Fare was founded in 1975 by Roger Derrough who owns it along with other investors.Shoppers looking to fill their carts with products containing high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial flavors, and synthetic growth hormones need not shop at Earth Fare. The regional organic and natural foods supermarket chain operates some 20 stores in Alabama, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee. Its stores are smaller than those of its conventional supermarket competitors and national natural foods chains like Whole Foods Market.

Since the first Fagen Pharmacy was opened in 1972, it has been the goal that each Fagen Pharmacy provides professional pharmaceutical services in a friendly and helpful environment. These are the principles present in each Fagen Pharmacy. Besides pharmaceutical services, Fagen Pharmacy has many locations that have a full retail offering, as well as other services including but not limited to: shipping, home health, postal services and delivery. Fagen also offers shingles and flu vaccinations and offers a very good uninsured program as well.

Dealers Supply Company (DSC) strives to keep cool during those long Southern summers. Through about 15 locations in Georgia and North Carolina, the company distributes air conditioning and heating products to residential customers, contractors, and small businesses. Products include air conditioners, heaters, motors, insulation, lifts, sealants, and other items from such brands as Airgas, Honeywell, RUUD, Trion, and WeatherKing. DSC sells the tools needed to install and maintain all the heating and cooling equipment it sells, and it offers classes and reference guides. The company's Web site includes an online catalog and searchable database of licensed conditioned air contractors.

The Crawford Group of Companies keeps things warm and flowing in the Great Lakes region. Through about 15 locations in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, the Crawford Group distributes heating and plumbing supplies to retailers and contractors. The company operates as Builders Heating Supply, Builders Plumbing Supply, Crawford Supply, Inland Supply, KDA of Wisconsin, and Plumbers Equipment Company. The Crawford Group's Web site allows customers to place orders, sign up for training, register for conferences, and access tools to help small businesses.

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