Extex was founded in 1985. Extex can help kids to walk taller, bounce higher, and get wetter while playing. Extex, Inc. makes athletic equipment and outdoor toys for children. Products include anti-gravity boots, balls, inflatable bouncers, stilts, water guns, and zip lines. In addition to its own brand-name items, Extex features toys from such makers as Plasmart, Radica, and Radio Flyer. Extex, Inc. sells products through its website and ships across the continental US from its distribution center in California.

Sam Ash Music has been instrumental in many a musician's livelihood. The #2 musical instrument retailer in the US (behind Guitar Center), Sam Ash Music (SAM) operates about 45 stores in more than 15 states including California, New York, and Texas. Besides instruments, SAM sells sheet music, recording equipment, lighting, computers, and music software. It also sells online. SAM also sells vintage guitars, offers custom-built instruments and music clinics, and buys used musical instruments. It also runs a pro services and parts division, Sam Ash Professional, and an Educational Division serving schools. The company was founded in 1924 by Sam and Rose Ashkynase, whose descendants still own and run the company.

Luxottica Group S.p.A. and its subsidiaries design, manufacture, and distribute luxury, fashion, and sport/performance eyewear worldwide. It operates in two segments: Manufacturing and Wholesale Distribution, and Retail Distribution. The Manufacturing and Wholesale Distribution segment engages in the design, manufacture, wholesale distribution, and marketing of house and designer lines prescription frames and sunglasses. It offers performance optics products, including sun and prescription eyewear, ski goggles, and electronically-enabled eyewear, as well as apparel, footwear, watches, and accessories. This segment offers its products under various brands, including house brands, such as Ray-Ban, Oakley, Arnette, Eye Safety Systems, K&L, Luxottica, Mosley Tribes, Oliver Peoples, Persol, Revo, Sferoflex, and Vogue; and licensed designer brands comprising Anne Klein, Brooks Brothers, Bvlgari, Burberry, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, D&G, Donna Karan, DKNY, Fox, Miu Miu, Paul Smith, Polo Ralph Lauren, Chaps, Club Monaco, POLO, RALPH, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, PRADA, Salvatore Ferragamo, Stella McCartney, Tiffany & Co., Tory Burch, Versace, and Versus. It serves retailers of mid to premium-priced eyewear, such as independent opticians, optical retail chains, specialty sun retailers, and duty-free shops, as well as independent optometrists and ophthalmologists, and department stores. The Retail Distribution segment operates optical and sun glass stores under the LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, Pearle Vision, ILORI, The Optical Shop of Aspen, OPSM, Laubman & Pank, Budget Eyewear, Bright Eyes, Oakley ‘O’ Stores and Vaults, and David Clulow names, as well as licensed brands, such as the Sears Optical and Target Optical. As of March 31, 2010, this segment operated 5,809 corporate stores and 536 franchised or licensed locations. Luxottica Group S.p.A. has a strategic alliance with Drugstore.com Inc. Luxottica Group was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy.

Central States Bus Sales sells new and used school and commercial buses to education, transit, and corporate entities. The largest distributor of Blue Bird buses in the nation, it has four sales and service facilities serving Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. In addition to Blue Bird, the company also offers new and used Girardin and Trans Tech school buses and six brands of new and used commercial buses. Central States sells bus parts, including seat belt and monitoring systems, and conducts training classes on specific bus models. The company was formed in 1975 by bus salesman Steve Rustman.The wheels on the bus go round and round and Central States Bus Sales plans to keep it that way.

Altrec Inc. online retailer, which does business as Altrec.com, offers equipment, apparel, and accessories for camping, backpacking, hiking, running, winter sports, and other outdoor activities. Its website, which aims to inspire, offers live online shopping assistance and product suggestions to promote life in the wild. Altrec.com fulfills customer orders from warehouse supplies and through manufacturer-direct shipments. It is the retail arm of sister company Greatoutdoors.com, a provider of adventure articles and outdoor news.

West Marine, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of boating supplies primarily in the United States. It operates in three segments: Stores, Port Supply, and Direct Sales. The Stores segment operates stores that principally offer hardware and other supplies needed for day-to-day boat maintenance and repairs. The Port Supply segment distributes marine supplies to domestic and international wholesale customers, including businesses involved in boat sales, boat building, boat commissioning and repair, yacht chartering, marina operations, and other boating-related activities. This segment also sells its products to government and industrial customers who use the company’s products for boating and non-boating purposes. The Direct Sales segment operates as an e-commerce website and virtual call center, which provides customers with access to a range of products, product advisor tips and technical information, and product videos and customer-submitted product reviews. As of January 2, 2010, West Marine offered its products through 335 company-operated stores in 38 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada, as well as through 2 franchised stores in Turkey. West Marine company also sells its products through its call center channel and on the Internet. West Marine was founded in 1976 and is based in Watsonville, California.

Safeguard Business Systems wants to make sure small businesses get the supplies they need to stay in business -- and maybe even become less small. Safeguard Business Systems oversees the distribution of printed products (business cards, forms), office supplies (toner cartridges, file folders), and logo-branded apparel and promotional items (pens, bags) to more than 600,000 customers throughout the US and Canada. It operates through a network of about 360 local distributors. Safeguard Business Systems is a subsidiary of small business services provider and check printer Deluxe. Safeguard Business Systems was founded in 1956.

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.

Business is "floor"ishing at CCA Global Partners. Formerly named Carpet Co-op, the company operates more than a dozen independent businesses and more than 2,700 locations in North America and abroad. Its largest units are flooring retailers Carpet One, with more than 1,000 locations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US, and Flooring America, with about 550 stores in the US and Canada. CCA Global's other specialty retail operations include The Bike Cooperative, with some 300 memeber stores, and lighting products seller Lighting One. In addition to its retail lines, the company provides mortgage banking and business services. Chairman Howard Brodsky and Alan Greenberg founded the co-op in 1984.

Jerry Biggers Chevrolet (dba Biggers Chevy Heaven) certainly enjoys its size. The company, which has been in business for more than 40 years, sells Chevy Camaros, Corvettes, Impalas, and Yukons along with Isuzu Rodeos, Ascenders, and Amigos at a dealership in Elgin, Illinois. It also offers a variety of used car models. In addition to cars, Biggers Chevrolet sells aftermarket accessories like DVD players and truck bed liners and offers parts, service, and fleet sales. Its Web site allows customers to apply for financing, search new and used inventory, and schedule service. Help is available in English, Spanish, and Polish. The big dog at Biggers is owner Jim Leichter.

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.