Midas, Inc. provides retail automotive services through franchised or company-operated shops primarily in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It sells Midas, SpeeDee, and Midas-SpeeDee co-branded franchises. Midas company’s retail shops offer automotive repair and maintenance services, such as exhaust, brake, suspension, air conditioning, tires, batteries, and various other maintenance services. As of January 2, 2010, it operated the Midas network of 1,602 shops located in the United States and 9 Canadian provinces; the SpeeDee network of franchised and company-operated shops consisting of 112 shops located in 12 states in the United States; and 776 Midas shops licensed in 14 other countries, and 57 licensed SpeeDee shops in Mexico. Midas, Inc. also involves in the real estate activities, including the development, ownership, and lease of Midas and SpeeDee shops in the United States and Canada; and supply chain activities comprising the provision of value-added merchandising services to franchisees. In addition, it owns, develops, sells, and leases automotive shop management software to Midas franchisees and other third-party automotive service providers. Midas, Inc. was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Itasca, Illinois.

Harry & David Holdings (HDH) wants customers to enjoy the fruits -- and flowers -- of its labors. Its Harry and David Direct Marketing catalogs and e-commerce unit offers gift baskets filled with gourmet foods, most notably its Royal Riviera pears, Moose Munch popcorn snacks, and Tower of Treats gifts. It also runs the Fruit-of-the-Month Club. Harry and David Stores sell fruit and flowers, gourmet specialties and wine at 125 factory outlet and specialty shops in more than 35 US states. The specialty food and gift retailer expanded its menu with the acquisition of the Wolferman's and Cushman brands in 2008. HDH is controlled by the New York investment firm Wasserstein Partners.

Internet Brands was founded in 1998 as CarsDirect.com. CarsDirect quickly gained popularity with consumers and advertisers, winning numerous industry awards, such as one of the "50 Best" websites in the world by Time Magazine, a "Top 100 Classic Website" by PC Magazine, and a "Top Site for Buying or Selling Anything" by PC World. But that success was only a seedling. In 2005, the company began an enormous transition - from a single vertical to a diversified, platform company that would scale much larger. In 2006, the company changed its name to Internet Brands and started to accelerate its diversification and growth. On November 16, 2007, Internet Brands became a public company, listing on the NASDAQ exchange with ticker symbol INET.In 2008 and 2009, the company continued to grow its EBITDA profitability and its "same store" revenue at double digits, despite the recession.

In 1959, William Jacobs started Columbus Fair Auto Auction based on excellent customer service and fairness. He recognized that auctions offered a solution to automobile dealers' needs for a source and marketplace for used motor vehicles.Obviously, the financial risk of leasing space at the Ohio State Fairgrounds to run a one-lane auction in 1959 was small, but significant for this startup entrepreneurial endeavor. It, however, pales in comparison to the present multi-million dollar investment in today's 85-acre facility in Obetz. However, the original strategy of offering a marketplace for used vehicles where buyers and sellers would congregate for the benefit of both continues today.

Bromberg and Co. is a jeweler and high-end retailer that sells china, crystal, jewelry, and sterling flatware through four Bromberg's stores in Alabama. Its fine offerings come from such makers as David Yurman, Mikimoto, Rolex, and Wedgwood. The company also operates an online bridal registry. In 2004 brothers Billy and John Bromberg, formerly part of the company's management, sold their stake in Bromberg and Co. to other family members (including chairman Frank Bromberg Jr.) and left to form their own jewelry store. Bromberg and Co. was originally founded by the Bromberg family in 1836.

Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) operates more than 15 Marine Corps Exchange (MCX) stores located on bases on the East and West Coast and in Hawaii and Japan. MCX outlets offer a full line of retail products to active duty Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, their family members, and retirees. Other services provided by the MCCS include restaurants, temporary lodging, golf courses, and travel services. A proposal made by the The Bush Administration to merge the Marine Corps Exchange with its sister service counterparts -- the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and the Navy Exchange Service Command -- has been scrapped.

Founded in 1956 by Harry Ritchie, today the regional jewelry chain is run by the third generation of the Ritchie family, including CEO Donald Ritchie. Despite the sound of its name, you don't have to be Mr. or Ms. "Money Bags" to shop at Harry Ritchie's. Harry Ritchie Jewelers offers discounted diamond and gemstone jewelry and specializes in men's and women's wedding sets at about 30 stores in shopping malls throughout the northwestern US (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and northern California). Harry Ritchie also features its jewelry collections in a monthly catalog distributed to its customers and sells its rings and things online.

Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., founded in 1982, also sells graphic novels and related collectibles to comic book stores and bookstores nationwide. Diamond promotes comic book reading by organizing, sponsoring, and supplying Free Comic Book Day when stores give away select comic books to all attendees. Industry mainstays DC Entertainment (Batman), Dark Horse Comics, and Marvel Publishing (Spider-Man) also participate. Diamond president Steve Geppi also owns comic book publisher Gemstone Publishing, publishes Baltimore Magazine, and is an investor in the Baltimore Orioles.

Paper is as good as gold for Gould Paper, one of the largest distributors of business and printing papers in North America. The paper merchant distributes and sells paper to multiple markets, including fine paper, commercial printing, lithography, newsprint, direct-mail, catalog, envelope, and specialty paper companies. Gould also supplies paperboard, which is used in packaging material for consumer and industrial products, and operates paper-converting operations. Touting sales of 2 million tons of paper products annually, Gould Paper Corporation company represents most major domestic and offshore mills. Founded in 1924, Gould Paper sold a majority stake in Gould Paper Corporation company to the US arm of Japan Pulp & Paper (JPP) in 2010.

bkm Total Office, founded in 1933, is a nationally recognized leader in providing “total office solutions” to meet evolving workplace needs in corporate, educational and healthcare environments through dedicated employees, meeting and exceeding customer expectations. Our approach is simple. We utilize our knowledge, products and services to leverage physical space into assets rather than expenses. We draw upon our expertise in smart buildings, sustainability, financial modeling, workplace analysis, product application, facilities management, project management, technology and ergonomics.

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