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.

C. N. Brown company operates about 90 convenience stores under the Big Apple Food Stores banner, mostly in Maine but also in New Hampshire. The company provides heating oil, K-1, propane, and diesel gasoline through subsidiary Red Shield Heating Oil's more than 30 locations in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. C. N. Brown also operates a handful of car washes in Maine. The family-owned and -operated company was founded in 1948 by Carlton Brown.

Harrow Stores sells outdoor home furniture, above ground swimming pools and spas, backyard accessories, and seasonal items (it is particularly known for its Christmas decorations) through several stores in New York and a single location in New Jersey. Harrow's, owned by Ken Ehrlich, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late 2007.

The Pantry merchandise products include tobacco products, packaged beverages, beer and wine, general merchandise, health and beauty care products, self-service fast foods and beverages, salty snacks, fast food service, candy, dairy products, bread and cakes, grocery and other merchandise, and newspapers and magazines. As of December 14, 2010, the company operated 1,672 stores in 13 states under select banners, including Kangaroo Express, its primary operating banner. The Pantry was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina.The Pantry, Inc. operates a convenience store chain in the southeastern United States. Its stores offer a selection of merchandise, gasoline, and ancillary products and services.

The company sells mattresses, bed bases, and other bedroom furnishings through a number of retail chains in Europe. The company operates some 960 stores located across Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. Beter Bed's retail brands include Matrazen Concord, Beter Bed, DBC, El Gigante del Colchón, and Slaapgenoten/Dormaël Slaapkamers. Each chain maintains its own unique retail concept, from discount furnishings to high-end bedroom accoutrements. The company acquired Spanish retailer El Gigante Del Colchón in 2005.

Lehman Hardware & Appliances has all you need to live life unplugged. The company sells appliances and other items, such as toys and tools, which require little or no electricity. It has long served the Amish at its store in Kidron, Ohio, but the company also fills orders through a toll-free number and its Web site, and sells many Amish-made items. Lehman Hardware's traditional products include grain mills, oil lamps, treadle sewing machines, wagons, wood ovens, and weathervanes. It also sells equipment to harness solar energy as well as efficient electric appliances. National anxiety about terrorism has benefited Lehman Hardware's sales. Owner and retired president Jay Lehman founded Lehman Hardware and Appliances, Inc. in 1955.

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.

Formerly named Hardware Wholesalers, Do it Best was founded in 1945. If you're building a house or fixing one up, you might as well Do it Best -- at least that's the hope of one of the hardware industry's largest cooperatives. Do it Best boasts more than 4,100 member-owned stores in 45-plus countries worldwide, but primarily the US. Besides the usual tools and building materials, merchandise includes automotive items, bicycles, camping gear, housewares, office supplies, and small appliances. Customers can also have products specially shipped to their local stores through Do it Best's e-commerce site. The co-op's buying power enables members to offer items at competitive prices.

With two locations, Gallery Furniture has evolved into a leading regional furniture retailer, accounting for about 20% of Houston's market share. Gallery Furniture also ranks as one of the nation's top sellers in terms of sales per square foot. In addition to mattresses (Simmons Beautyrest and Tempur-Pedic brands), it sells bedroom, dining room, home office, and living room furniture. The firm was founded in 1981. A fire in May 2009 destroyed its 100,000-sq.-ft. warehouse and damaged its North Freeway showroom.

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.