At Carphone Warehouse, "upward mobility" means calling someone while driving uphill. The firm has more than 2,400 stores in Europe that sell mobile phones, contracts, and services. It operates stores under the Carphone Warehouse banner in the UK and The Phone House in eight other European markets, including France and Spain. Carphone Warehouse also sells Internet access to homes in England and Europe and has begun selling laptops, touch phones, and other mobile devices at a new, larger store format called Wireless World. Founded in 1989 by CEO Charles Dunstone and former director David Ross, Carphone Warehouse sold 50% of its retail business in 2008 and spun off its TalkTalk telecom unit in 2010.

Max Mara Fashion Group is taking leading-edge apparel design to the max. Max Mara Fashion Group S.r.l. clothes some of the finest women in the world (including ESPN Monday Night Football's female reporters). It touts more than 20 labels, including the flagship Max Mara (high-end contemporary career, bridal, and sportswear); Marina Rinaldi (plus-sized fashions); and iBlues, Marella, and Penny Black (lower-priced lines). One of Italy's largest fashion firms, Max Mara Fashion Group S.r.l. company operates more than 2,300 boutiques in 90 countries worldwide, and it sells through such retailers as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Barneys. Started in the 1950s, Max Mara is owned and run by the family of founder Achille Maramotti, who died in 2005.

USG organized L&W Supply in 1971. At the construction job site A&W can supply the root beer, while L&W can deliver the gypsum wallboard and other building materials. L&W Supply distributes more than 40,000 building products made by its parent company, USG, and other manufacturers through nearly 200 locations in about 35 states. Besides wallboard (which accounts for about 30% of sales), L&W Supply's products include ceilings, insulation, joint treatment and texture products, metal framing, and roofing supplies. It also offers such services as delivery of less-than-truckload quantities, stocking, and lending. The company's customers are primarily builders and contractors.

While navigating the world of online storefronts, Hayneedle hopes to help its customers find a needle in all those virtual haystacks. Among the company's more than 220 Internet shopping domains are AdirondackChairs.com, Barstools.com, Hammocks.com, and PatioFurnitureUSA.com. Although an individual specialty store's scope of merchandise may be narrow, Hayneedle's ownership of multiple domains allows it to offer a vast range goods. Its products include home and patio furniture, kitchen appliances, outdoor decor, sporting goods, and toys and games. Hayneedle (formerly named NetShops) was formed in 2002 after its founders saw success with Hammocks.com. It is held by Sequioa Capital and Insight Venture Partners.

Grupo Gigante has the tiendas SuperPrecio discount convenience store format and largest retail brand, with more than 180 locations in central and northern Mexico. It also sells furniture at about half a dozen Home Store locations in Mexico and, through a long-term joint venture, Office Depot de Mexico, it offers office supplies at roughly 200 Office Depot stores in Mexico, Columbia, and Central America. Catering largely to families, Gigante runs more than 80 Toks casual dining restaurants and coffee shops. Gigante Grupo Inmobilario is the firm's real estate development arm.

Calhoun Enterprises operates a handful of supermarkets under the Calhoun Foods banner in central Alabama. The Alabama grocer locates its stores in buildings vacated by national chains, such as Winn-Dixie, and in areas the larger national chains avoid. The family-run company is one of the largest African-American-owned and -run businesses in the South. Calhoun Enterprises was founded by president and CEO Gregory Calhoun (who started his food industry career as a package clerk at a local supermarket when he was 14 years old) in 1984.Calhoun Enterprises also runs subsidiaries involved in telecommunications, warehousing, consulting, investments, and food brokering and distribution.

Audiophile Music Direct Inc. is owned by president Jim Davis. Audiophile Music Direct, which does business as Music Direct, brings the music to you. The company sells analog and digital music recordings, high-end stereo equipment, and related accessories through its catalog and online store. Brands include Audio-Technica, Avid, Godar Electronics, Marantz, RCA, and Sennheiser. Products range from SACDs by jazz masters and rock 'n' roll acts to amplifiers for more than $25,000. Music Direct also specializes in those hard-to-find items that only an audiophile would love, such as an antistatic gun for removing dust from vinyl records.

Piggly Wiggly Carolina was founded in 1947 when Joseph T. Newton purchased a Piggly Wiggly grocery franchise from the Piggly Wiggly Corp. Sister company Greenbax operates the Pig's Favorite Customer (PFC) loyalty card program for the company. Once the largest family-owned private company in South Carolina, Piggly Wiggly Carolina became 100% employee-owned in 2005.Piggly Wiggly Carolina Company operates more than 100 supermarkets throughout South Carolina and southeastern Georgia. About 10 South Carolina locations offer online shopping. In addition to traditional supermarket fare, the company offers in-store pharmacy departments and health screenings at some locations.

Founded in 1971 with a modest 800-sq.-ft. home furnishings showroom, City Furniture sells furniture, mattresses, rugs, and accessories through about 15 showrooms across the state of Florida (in Broward, Martin, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties). Half of the company's products are made in the US. Alongside countless others in its industry, City Furniture obtains 75% of its imported furniture from China; the balance comes from Vietnam and Indonesia. Its marketing in South Florida has the company exporting its products to the Caribbean and Latin America, as well.

Shop 'n Save began operating in 1979, with a commitment to provide St. Louis grocery customers TOTAL VALUE by offering a variety of quality products at lower prices. Over the years, our stores have been enhanced to include specialty departments including Deli, Seafood, Bakery, Pharmacy and more.Shop 'n Save is committed to the communities in which our customers and employees live and work. Each year, our associates participate in local programs, such as school reading programs and a winter coat drive for those in need. We support our troops through Operation Homefront. Shop 'n Save is a primary sponsor of the Special Olympics where our associates participate in fundraisers throughout the year. Please consider supporting Special Olympics by clicking on the link.

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