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.

Sam Levitz Furniture Company Incorporated sells a variety of furniture through three showrooms and a clearance center in Tucson, Arizona. It stocks brand names such as Bassett, Broyhill, Lane, and Natuzzi. The company has been family-owned and -operated since it was founded by newspaper photographer Sam Levitz in 1953. Today the company is run by Sam's son, Sam R. Levitz. Sam Levitz Furniture in Arizona is not connected to the defunct national Levitz Furniture chain.

Joe and Mike Zeiden founded Z Gallerie in 1979, using their parents' garage for a warehouse and production facility. Initially Z Gallerie (later joined by sister Carole Malfatti) sold poster art, but in the 1980s the trio added home furnishings and accessories to the merchandising mix. Today Z Gallerie stores, which span some 10,000 sq. ft. on average, feature bedding and pillows, dinnerware, glassware, rugs, lamps, candleholders, clocks, frames and albums, games, and gifts. The firm's eclectic pieces are sold through its website and some 55 US retail locations in nearly 20 states. Z Gallerie exited Chapter 11 in fall 2009 after a six-month stint in bankruptcy.

Grafton Merchanting GB believes in building a solid store base for its customers. A subsidiary of the Grafton Group, the company is the umbrella organization of its parent's building supply retail operations in the UK, which include Buildbase, Jackson Building Centres, Hirebase, Civils & Lintels, Plumbase, PDM, L&G Forest Products, Hendricks Lovell, Acorn Insulation, and Keelsupply. Its network consists of more than 400 locations, which sell lumber, hardware, tools, plumbing and electrical supplies, gardening items, and other building materials, as well as offer hiring services. Grafton Merchanting also sells online. Formed in 2008, the firm brought together Buildbase with Grafton Group's other retail banners.

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.

Majestic Wine PLC allows customers to order in-store or through its website. It uses its own fleet of vans to offer free delivery throughout Britain. Majestic was founded in 1981.Majestic Wine lets even commoners drink like kings. The company sells mixed cases of wine to the public through about 150 warehouse stores across the UK and half a dozen locations on the French side of the English Channel. (The French stores cater primarily to Britons who take advantage of the shops' lower duty rates.) Majestic also sells spirits, beer, and nonalcoholic beverages

TAKKT AG wants office decor to have some tact. The mail-order company sells office furniture, equipment, fixtures, and supplies. TAKKT also peddles retail display cases and warehouse equipment, such as shelving, carts, containers, ladders, and conveyor belts. The company primarily operates through three divisions: KAISER + KRAFT EUROPA, K + K America, and TopdeQ. (K + K America owns C&H Distributors, Hubert, and National Business Furniture). TAKKT companies sell more than 130,000 products via online or printed catalogs. The company distributes more than 70 million catalogs in North America, Europe, and Asia each year. Franz Haniel & Cie. owns more than 70% of the company.

Tuesday Morning offers big discounts every day of the week, but not every week of the year. The closeout retailer sells discontinued merchandise from name-brand manufacturers at steep discounts. Its merchandise typically includes linens, china, cookware, rugs, and collectibles that are not seconds, irregulars, or factory rejects. Tuesday Morning's 850 stores, located in more than 40 states, operate only during monthly "sale events" (with the exception of January and July). The retailer keeps costs down by selling from low-rent locations and using seasonal help -- only about 20% of its workers are full-time employees. Its customers are primarily women from middle- and upper-income households.

Allied Refrigeration Inc. was founded in 1912 by L.B. Marsh and Frank Sarson. Marsh's nephew, Bob Nichols (chairman), and his sons, including CEO Rob, run and own Allied Refrigeration. What does it take to cool Southern California and Las Vegas? Allied Refrigeration probably knows. Through some 15 locations in California and Las Vegas, Allied Refrigeration distributes air conditioning, ventilation, heating, and refrigeration parts, equipment, and controls. Its 30,000-sq.-ft. warehouse in Long Beach keeps branches supplied with more than 9,000 items from major manufacturers, including Honeywell, Heatcraft, Maglite, Tyco Thermal Controls, and Fluke.

Fellow countryman John Scheepers founded the company in 1905; he made the tulip the symbol of spring and came to be known as The Tulip King. John Scheepers isn't sheepish about its specialty. The company sells more than 700 varieties of tulips, narcissi, lilies, amaryllis, and rare and unusual Dutch bulbs through catalogs and online. It also sells bulb food and offers tips and planting information on its Web site. Company president Jan Ohms owns John Scheepers and sister company Van Engelen, a bulb wholesaler. Ohms is a fourth generation bulb specialist from Holland.

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