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.

Founded by William Pike in 1958, Pike Nurseries, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late 2007, blaming the worst drought in Georgia in a century, and put itself up for sale. After closing some of its nurseries, Pike's retail operation was sold to California-based Armstrong Garden Centers (AGC) for $5.2 million in a bankruptcy auction in March 2008. Pike's wholesale businesses were also sold off. Pike Nurseries helps keep thumbs green across Atlanta. Pike Nurseries, Inc. runs about 15 Pike Family Nurseries in the Atlanta area and a single nursery in North Carolina (down from about 20 locations in 2007). Stores sell plants, chemicals, tools, shrubs, trees, and garden furniture.

Lawtons Drugs' core values reflect the commitment and convictions of our parent company, Sobeys Inc., which have helped shape our company over the past 100 years. Lawtons Drugs is an integral part of the Sobeys business. Since our 1907 beginning as a small pharmacy in Halifax, Lawtons Drugs has portrayed integrity, commitment to its employees, and a desire to consistently exceed customer expectations in service, value and product selection. Lawtons Drugs has since grown to over 65 locations in Atlantic Canada with plans to expand even further. We have services though our PROfile programs to complement customers’ prescriptions and help them manage their family’s medication and health care needs. Lawtons Drugs has a full line of health care, beauty, convenience, and giftware products to suit everyone’s needs.MHCSI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lawtons Drugs. They are a leading benefit pharmacy provider to both small and large businesses. They offer savings on prescription drugs and health care products for plan sponsors and members. MHCSI programs include cost-effective plan administration, and pay-direct claims using preferred network solutions featuring mail order with Sobeys Pharmacy by Mail. They cover individualized health risk assessments, disease state management programs, nutrition consultation, medication management, and other pharmacy services to support member health outcomes. Visit MHCSI's website to discover the difference.

Walgreen Co., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of a chain of drugstores in the United States. The company’s drugstores sell prescription and non-prescription drugs, and general merchandise. Its general merchandise comprises household products, convenience foods, and seasonal items, as well as personal care, beauty care, candy, and photofinishing products. The company offers its products and services through drugstores, as well as through mail, telephone, and the Internet. As of August 31, 2010, it operated 8,046 locations in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Walgreen company also owns 37 strip shopping malls. Walgreen Co. was founded in 1901 and is based in Deerfield, Illinois.

Bison, a Stock Building Supply company, based in Houston, Texas, began modestly in 1962 as Roy W. Bierschwale's small retail store and lumber shed. Over the past four decades, Bison has grown into Texas' single largest independent supplier of lumber, full service millwork and other added value products. The city of Houston grew rapidly during the sixties, and much of this growth occurred to the north of town. Bison saw this as an opportunity to grow, also, and in 1967 the company opened its first facility seven miles south of Conroe, Texas. Bison broadened its offerings with the acquisition of Custom Craft Millwork Company in 1973.Today, Bison operates fourteen divisions in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and Florida providing construction packages ranging from form lumber to roof decking, as well as a wide range of commodity and custom doors, columns, cabinet doors, molding, plywood and stair parts, all delivered directly to our clients' jobsites. Proud of our past. Committed to our present. Excited about our future. Our innovation and vision enable us to remain the preeminent resource within the residential construction field, and the model that every competitor strives to emulate.

Japanese take the family to FamilyMart, the country's #3 convenience store chain behind market leader Seven-Eleven Japan and LAWSON. About half of the fast-growing company's 15,000 stores are in Japan. FamilyMart also operates shops in China, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the US. The chain opened its first store in Shanghai in 2004 and has grown to number about 220 stores in China. FamilyMart entered the US market in 2005 and now operates about 15 upscale convenience stores in the Los Angeles area under the Famima banner. Many more are planned. To further strengthen its retail network, FamilyMart in December 2009 acquired smaller rival am/pm Japan Co. from owner REX Holdings.

ACO Hardware, Inc. Founded in 1946 by Ted Traskos and his four brothers, ACO Hardware is still owned by the Traskos family. ACO Hardware can provide both the food and the supplies if you want to get your floor clean enough to eat off. The company's outlets sell automotive supplies, electrical goods, food and beverages, hardware, housewares, paint, lawn and garden necessities, patio furniture, and tools. It also rents equipment for carpet cleaning, plumbing, and home maintenance. ACO Hardware operates about 70 stores in southeastern Michigan, primarily in the Detroit area. Customers can view weekly specials and find hardware tips on the company's Web site.

US Airconditioning was founded in July 1990 when former Carrier employees John Staples and John Scarsi, now CEO and CFO respectively of US Airconditioning, bought Carrier Los Angeles. US Airconditioning Distributors ended its relationship with Carrier in 2007. US Airconditioning Distributors cools down (and heats up) the West. US Airconditioning Distributors distributes heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning products from such manufacturers as York, Coleman, MagicAire, and Siemens through about 70 locations in California, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, and Florida. HVAC products available from US Airconditioning Distributors run from single window units to heating and cooling systems for retailers and offices. It also sells parts and components.

It was founded in 1963 by Ben Deacon and Les Vail. In the cold, dark night, who will be a beacon when the pipes burst? Deacon Industrial Supply will. Through four locations in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, the company distributes pipes, valves, fittings, and other products for plumbing, HVAC, and waterworks projects. It stocks more than 35,000 items from manufacturers such as Cornerstone Valves, NIBCO, Sure Seal, and Victaulic. Deacon company also offers pipe fabrication, specialized gasket cutting, and emergency services. Deacon serves commercial contractors and professionals in a range of industries, including automotive, food processing, petrochemical, steel, and pharmaceutical.

Groupe Naf Naf, comic book slang for "woof woof," is always sniffing around for what's new and hot in the world of fashion. Its namesake chain offers young urban women's apparel in about 370 boutiques in Europe, including about 140 stores in France. It also sells urban men's and children's clothes under the Chevignon brand at some 190 location in Europe and another 120 shops worldwide. French clothing and shoe retailer Vivarte bought the company in January 2007 from the founding Pariente brothers, who opened their first store in Paris in 1973 and continue to run Groupe Naf Naf.

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