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.

Kowalski's Markets is struggling to expand while it straps on its leather boxing mitts. The company, which operates about 10 supermarkets in the St. Paul and Minneapolis area of Minnesota, wants to be a heavyweight contender among high-end grocery stores there. However, stiff competition from other grocery chains and discounters have limited Kowalski's share of the Twin Cities market to just under 2%: an eighth-place ranking in the market. Indeed competition led the grocer to close a one-year-old store several years ago. Founded by husband and wife team James and Mary Anne Kowalski as a single supermarket in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1983, the regional grocery chain is still owned and run by the Kowalski family.

Robert Weed Plywood was founded in 1966 by Robert Weed. David Weed is the company's president and CEO. Robert Weed Plywood does business across the board. The company makes and distributes wood products, moldings, and laminated products for a variety of uses. Among the items distributed from the company's facilities in Indiana and Idaho are fir and pine plywood, fiberboard, hardboard, melamine and laminate panels, oriented strand board, particle board, and veneer and edge bandings. Customers include manufacturers of boats, furniture, kitchen and bath cabinets, recreational vehicles, and store fixtures.

Temperature Systems, Inc. company was founded in 1947 by the father and grandfather of CEO Steve Vaughn. The Frozen Tundra might have been a bit warmer if someone had called Temperature Systems. The company distributes heating and air conditioning equipment through two locations in Green Bay and Madison, Wisconsin, Temperature Systems distributes Bryant, Carrier, Payne, and Tempstar heating and cooling products. It also sells hydronics (heating or cooling by circulating liquid through a closed system of pipes) equipment from Caleffi, LAARS, and Myson. Temperature Systems offers training to its customers on everything from business basics to troubleshooting specific brands.

Louis Brockway and Fred Smith founded their namesake company in 1890. Brockway-Smith has found the right opening to success. Doing business as BROSCO, Brockway-Smith company is a wholesale distributor of millwork products throughout New England. Products, including doors, windows, and specialty millwork, as well as columns, mantels, moldings, posts, and stairs, are sold by a network of dealers in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Rhode Island. Brockway-Smith operates through four distribution centers in Massachusetts, New York, and Maine. Customers include architects, building materials dealers, and contractors.

Tastefully Simple boasts more than 28,000 sales representatives in all 50 US states, and it buys its products from specialty food vendors. Jill Blashack Strahan and Joani Nielson founded the company in 1995. CEO Blashack Strahan owns about 70% of Tastefully Simple.Taste buds get the Tupperware treatment at Tastefully Simple. The company promotes its line of gourmet soups, dips, desserts, and convenience foods through in-home parties where attendees can taste products among friends and family prior to purchasing them. Its standard food items range in price from about $5 for beer bread mix to more than $40 for large gift packs. Many items are ready-to-eat, while others require only one or two extra ingredients.

Founded in 1940 by Einer and Marie Jensen in Blue Jay, California, Jensen's was bought by longtime employee Gene Fulton in 1981 when the Jensens retired. The small grocery chain is owned and operated by the Fulton family.When in Palm Springs, customers check out the fine foods at Jensen's. Supermarket retailer Jensen's operates about 10 upscale grocery stores located in the mountains and deserts of Southern California. Each store specializes in offering gourmet items, as well as traditional supermarket fare including extensive selections of fresh produce, meats, and wines.

Laura Ashley Holdings, once famous for its fancy floral print fashions, Laura Ashley Holdings has turned to furniture, home accessories, and decor (about 78% of sales) to fill the till. Of the company's some 230 UK shops, less than half carry its traditional product line of women's and children's clothing. The company has repositioned itself as a lifestyle brand that is largely home furnishings, as it has shuttered apparel and accessories stores. Also, to efficiently sell off excess inventory, the company opened a few outlet stores and has implemented a selling strategy at its stores to maximize sales per square footage.

Norkus Enterprises was founded when Francis Norkus opened his first grocery store, called Table Talk, in Freehold, New Jersey in 1935. Today Norkus' three sons, Gerry (president), Mark (VP), and Stephen (VP), run the firm, which is a member of the Foodtown Supermarket cooperative.They sell pasta shells by the Jersey sea shore. Norkus Enterprises operates about half a dozen grocery stores under the Foodtown and Super Foodtown banners in Monmouth County and Ocean County, New Jersey. The regional grocery chain also offers online shopping and home delivery in some areas

Furniture.com sells furniture online through its partnership with major furniture retailers in North America, including RoomStore, The RoomPlace, and Leon's Furniture. Product lines include bedroom, dining room, and living room furniture, as well as entertainment centers, lighting, and bedding. Furniture.com also offers branded sites and other e-commerce services to retail partners. It is operated by Blueport Commerce, an e-commerce firm formed by Furniture.com's management. Furniture.com has been in business since 2002, when CEO Carl Prindle acquired the assets of the failed e-tailer by the same name.

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