Walter E. Smithe Furniture, more commonly referred to as Smithe Furniture, sells mid-priced to high-end home furnishings through about a dozen locations in Illinois and Indiana. The company also offers leather and fabric upholstery customization options, as well as furniture reupholstering. Brothers Walt (president and general manager), Tim (VP of sales), and Mark (general counsel) Smithe took the reins of the family-run company from their father, and today (thanks to their TV ad campaigns), the three are the faces of the furniture retailer. Smithe Furniture traces its founding back to 1945.

Boston Proper is a leading direct to consumer retailer of women's apparel and accessories based in Boca Raton, Florida. Boston Proper provides sensuous, distinctive fashions designed for today's independent, confident and active woman. Our brand focus is about creating a daring, modern style with a sensual feel. Our catalog and online site differentiate Boston Proper with exotic, provocative and inspirational creative that takes the customer away and creates an emotional connection with her individuality and femininity. At Boston Proper, we strive to develop lifetime relationships with our customers, and to deliver quality products and outstanding service.

Wolseley UK distributes building and plumbing equipment to construction customers from some 1,700 outlets throughout Great Britain. A subsidiary of global distributor Wolseley, the company operates through such trading companies and brands as Build Center, Drain Center, Pipe Center, and Plumb Center. Brandon Hire offers small and large tools and equipment for rent; Build Center Bulk provides supply chain management for construction firms in England and Wales. Wolseley UK also sells heating, shower, and repair and maintenance products. Wolseley UK was established in 2004 to house its parent company's assets in the UK and Ireland. (The Irish business was split off in 2007 to form Wolseley Ireland.)

Schnuck Markets founded in 1939, the company is owned by the Schnuck family and run by CEO Scott Schnuck and president and COO Todd Schnuck.If you'll meet me in St. Louis, then chances are there'll be a Schnucks in sight. The region's largest food chain, Schnuck Markets operates about 105 stores, mostly in the St. Louis area, but also in other parts of Missouri and in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. All stores offer a full line of groceries, and most have pharmacies, video rental outlets, in-store banking, and florist shops. Although most stores operate under the Schnucks banner, the company also runs about a half a dozen Logli supermarkets in Illinois and Wisconsin, and a specialty pharmacy.

SmartLabs brings high-tech comforts home with the push of a button. Its SmartLabs Technology unit creates electronic automation and remote control products for lighting, security systems, theater equipment, and other home management systems. The SmartLabs Design division designs and produces its INSTEON wireless technology line, as well as offers original equipment manufacturing services. Reaching consumers in some 130 countries, SmartLabs' Smarthome business markets more than 5,000 electronic home improvement products online, by phone, and through catalogs. President and CEO Joe Dada founded the company in 1992.

Roadking Travel Centres operates combination convenience stores, hotels, and restaurants in Calgary and Strathcona, Alberta. Its operations are located along well-traveled trade routes that run between Canada and Mexico and cater to travelers as well as transportation professionals.

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.

Artfulhome.com, an online and catalog retailer of fine art and gifts, is an offshoot of The Guild, an art publishing company founded in 1985 that represents more than 1,200 North American artists. The Web site and catalog, which feature fine art prints, paintings, photography, and sculpture, were launched in 1999. In addition Artfulhome.com sells nontraditional works of art (made of glass, fiber, metal, and wood), ceramics, home furnishings and lighting, tableware, jewelry, and books. Toni Sikes, a Madison entrepreneur, launched the company from a Wisconsin warehouse. The firm changed the name of its Web site from Guild.com to Artfulhome.com in 2008.

Connor Co. was founded as Kinsey & Mahler, a brass valve manufacturer, in 1850. It became Connor Co. in 1936. Goldilocks would like Connor Co. If it's too hot or too cold, the heating and A/C company can make it just right. Through about 20 locations in Illinois and one in St. Louis, the company distributes heating and air conditioning equipment along with boilers, fittings, furnaces, pipes, pumps, valves, wells, and other industrial equipment. Connor company also conducts its business online. Connor Co. boasts sheet metal fabrication and valve automation facilities and peddles Kohler products within its showrooms in many locations.

Chairman Max Gondon founded AMS in 1969. The company was acquired in 2007 by CRH, an Ireland-based building materials maker. Acoustical Material Services (AMS) sells the materials builders need to put a roof over your head -- not to mention hold your whole house together. The company provides acoustical ceiling products, lath and plaster, drywall, doors, and frames, as well as other construction supplies. Customers include large and small contractors, subcontractors, building owners, and dealers. AMS distributes products from about 20 locations in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah, as well as Mexico (via AMS De Mexico). It also exports to markets in Guam, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

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