William Sinclair Holdings took hold in UK gardens more than 120 years ago when it was founded by William Sinclair. The company makes gardening products for commercial and home use, exfoliated vermiculite, and expanded perlite (products that are used in different forms of insulation). Brands include J Arthur Bower's, Silvaperl, and New Horizon. The firm exports horticultural products to more than 50 countries. Over the last few years, the company has pared down its operations and is focusing on innovating recycled green products for both industrial and horticultural clients. Its products are sold through wholesalers, catalogs, and the company's Web site.

In 1940 José Navarro, Sr. founded Navarro Discount Pharmacies in Havana, Cuba. The first store was located on Monte Street and had a large client base including the employees of the Power Company. Later a second store opened and together the two pharmacies were considered among the best on the Island, with great selection and low prices. Following radical political change in Cuba, in 1961 the new government confiscated the Navarro stores along with many other private companies, forcing the family to flee to the United States. Upon arriving in Miami, José Navarro, Sr. cashed an insurance policy and used the $4000 proceeds to open a pharmacy on S.W. 8th Street and 13th Avenue, in what would become the heart of Miami’s Little Havana sector.Navarro Discount Pharmacies continued to expand, eventually growing to 28 stores in Miami-Dade County. Navarro holds a 17% market share in South Florida with annual sales in excess of $320 million, making the company the most profitable performer on a sales-per-square foot basis than any other drug chain in recent years. Further expansion plans are firmly in place with new stores projected to open each year. In order to fuel expansion, in 2007 Navarro Discount Pharmacies partnered with MBF Healthcare Partners, a private equity firm headed by Mike Fernandez, who commands over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. This partnership has positioned Navarro to expand its presence in the market and achieve its vision of becoming the first choice pharmacy and discount drug chain store for families in each community we serve.

Payless also runs one of the world's largest shoe dying businesses, Dyelights. Payless parent Collective Brands also owns the children's shoe company Stride Rite. Payless ShoeSource helps footwear enthusiasts shop like Imelda Marcos. A unit of holding company Collective Brands, Payless is one of the top shoe retailers in the Western Hemisphere. It has some 4,470 self-service discount stores, mostly in the US, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Puerto Rico. Payless offers dress, athletic, and casual shoes; slippers; boots; and sandals for men, women, and kids. It targets women age 18 to 49. Its North American stores stock about 6,600 pairs of shoes in 500 styles.

Quality Food Centers stores offer more than just groceries: Seattle's Best Coffee and Cinnabon serve up goodies at some locations, and many stores offer services such as catering, video rental, in-store banking, pharmacies, floral departments, and film developing. With Kroger's acquisition of QFC's one-time parent, Fred Meyer, in 1999, QFC became a division of one of the nation's largest grocers.If you're sleepless -- and hungry -- in Seattle, consider Quality Food Centers (QFC). The grocery chain operates about 75 stores (most open 24 hours), primarily in the Puget Sound region of Washington (including Seattle), but also including about a half a dozen supermarkets in Portland, Oregon.

Protecting Ronald Reagan's papers and propping up the San Francisco art world would seem like a tall order, but Pacific Coast Building Products does both. The building materials manufacturer and distributor made roof tiles for Reagan's presidential library and concrete blocks for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Through its subsidiaries, Pacific Coast sells building products for residential, commercial, and industrial construction to builders and contractors in the western US, Hawaii, and Canada. It also provides installation and transportation services. The late Fred Anderson (father-in-law of president and CEO David Lucchetti) founded Pacific Coast Building Products, Inc. company as Anderson Lumber in 1953; his family owns the firm.

he regional grocery chain also operates about a half a dozen larger Smith's Marketplace stores (154,000 sq. ft. on average) in Utah that combine full-service grocery, pharmacy, and general merchandise departments. Smith's joined the Kroger family when Kroger, the 1 US grocer, bought its parent, Fred Meyer, in 1999.From a small grocery store founded by Ren Smith in Brigham City, Utah, Smith's Food & Drug Centers has grown into a regional powerhouse with supermarkets in Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, and four other western states. Most of its 130-plus stores are conventional supermarkets with in-store pharmacy departments and many offering bakeries, one-hour photo labs, and other services.

McNICHOLS Company is North America’s leading supplier and fabricator of perforated metal, expanded metal, wire mesh, architectural metals and a variety of gratings products. Founded in 1952 by the late Robert L. McNichols, the company was established on his Christian values, high ethical standards and strong commitment to customer satisfaction. With metals service centers strategically placed from coast-to-coast, McNichols has a dedicated staff and communication network in place that can supply worldwide service. McNICHOLS also offers a variety of Value Added Services where custom fabrication is a job requirement. From shearing, sawing, notching, banding, and welding to a variety of finishes including powder coating and galvanizing, we are experts with nearly six decades of custom fabrication experience. Trained CAD specialists are on staff to perform print takeoffs from customer-supplied drawings or spec blueprints to provide approval drawings or erection and field drawings.

Anaheim Patio & Fireside is a casual furniture retailer with three store locations in the state of California selling outdoor furniture (aluminum, wicker, wood), barbeque grills and accessories (briquettes, brushes), hearth products (gas logs, ranges, stoves), and related patio accessories (chair covers, chairs and rockers, swings). The company also offers related services such as installation of outdoor fire places and barbecue grills, as well as repair of patio items. General manager Bonnie Richins is the daughter of Anaheim Patio's founders.

Kohler Mira went from dreaming in the shower, to dreaming about the shower. Founded in the 1920s, Kohler Mira is a leading UK bathroom products company. The company's offerings, which include showers, faucets, enclosures, trays, and brassware, are sold through bath and housewares specialty retailers in more than 40 countries worldwide. Its names include Mira Platinum, Biocote, and Mira Eco. Mira developed the world's first thermostatic shower, which gained popularity in the 1960s. Then called Mira Showers Group (which included its Rada, Meynell, and Alstone brands), Kohler Mira Limited company was acquired by US-based Kohler Co. in 2001 and became Kohler Mira.

ARI Network Services helps the manliest of industries attract smart shoppers. The company markets software for creating electronic parts catalogs and e-commerce websites in industries such as outdoor power equipment, power sports, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, appliances, and agricultural equipment. More than 18,000 dealers, manufacturers, and distributors use its applications. Its PartSmart program allows companies to collect, organize, and maintain product information for their suppliers and dealers, who can access and search the database. In addition, the company's e-commerce and communication applications process orders, product registrations, and warranty claims and perform search engine optimization.

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.