MarineMax, Inc. operates as a recreational boat dealer in the United States. It sells new and used recreational boats, including pleasure boats, such as sport boats, sport cruisers, sport yachts, and yachts; and fishing boats. MarineMax, Inc. also sells related marine products, including oils, lubricants, steering and control systems, corrosion control products, engine care, maintenance, and service products; accessories, such as propellers and instruments; and a line of boating accessories, including life jackets, inflatables, and water sports equipment, as well as novelty items, such as shirts, caps, and license plates. In addition, MarineMax arranges related boat financing, insurance, and extended service contracts; provides repair and maintenance services; offers yacht and boat brokerage services; and provides slip and storage accommodations. As of September 30, 2009, it operated through 55 retail locations in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas. MarineMax, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is based in Clearwater, Florida.

Founded by Samuel Silverman in 1912, today jewelry chain Ben Bridge Jeweler operates more than 70 stores in a dozen mostly western states, including Alaska and Hawaii. The company sells platinum, 14- and 18-karat gold jewelry, diamonds, watches, and bridal and anniversary fare from its mall-based stores and Web site. Ben Bridge married Silverman's daughter in 1922, bought out his father-in-law, and renamed the company after himself. Still run by the Bridge family, the company became a subsidiary of billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway in 2000.

Sweetwater Sound helps musicians and recording engineers make sweet music. The music technology retailer sells professional recording and live sound equipment, musical instruments (guitars, basses, keyboards, and drums), computers and software, and accessories through its website and catalogs. Manufacturers include Roland, Yamaha, and Kurzweil. The company was founded in 1979 by Chuck Surack as a four-track recording studio. The retail division grew out of Surack's need for a source for affordable, high-quality gear. Sweetwater Sound moved into its new corporate headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2006. The following year, it acquired music retailer Lentine's Music from GE Capital for $4.5 million.

Founded in 1898 as a rubber stamp company, W.B. Mason is one of the largest private office products dealers in the US. It operates about 20 showrooms, including five Whatta Bargain locations that carry furniture and business equipment, in some 10 northeastern states. The company also sells via its online catalog to its base of small and midsized businesses. A well-known entity on the East Coast, the firm stokes its "company next-door" image with old-fashioned ads on TV and in prominent places, such as Fenway Park's manual scoreboard. W.B. Mason is owned by members of senior management, including chairman Steve Greene and CEO Leo Meehan.

Dunham's Sports stores sell sporting goods through more than 160 locations in a dozen states in the Midwest and Northeast. Its stores, which average 30,000 sq. ft., offer gear for team sports, individual endeavors, and outdoor pursuits, as well as apparel, fan merchandise, electronics, and fitness machines (including ellipticals, pilates boards, rowers, steppers, treadmills). Dunham's also carries a full line of casual apparel, footwear, and eyewear for men, women, and children. The company began as Dunham's Bait and Tackle in 1937.

Helzberg Diamonds is into hard rocks. Helzberg Diamonds sells a wide selection of diamonds and precious gems -- mostly set into rings, but also set into other jewelry; Helzberg Diamond Shops also sells men's and women's watches. One of the largest national jewelry chains, Helzberg Diamonds operates about 235 stores nationwide. The mall-based chain also sells jewelry online. Helzberg Diamonds was founded in 1915 by Morris Helzberg and remained in his family until 1995, when it was acquired by investment guru Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (owner of jewelry chains Ben Bridge Jeweler and Borsheim's). Helzberg Diamonds offers a 60-day return or exchange option and free jewelry repairs for 12 months after purchase.

Fletcher Jones Management Group holds the title as the US's top Mercedes seller. It rolls out Benzes from a 225,000-sq.-ft. superstore in Las Vegas; a 186,000-sq-ft. store in Newport Beach, California; a dealership in Chicago; and another in Honolulu. Fletcher Jones also operates another dealership in Chicago, five more in Hawaii, an another two in California, two more in Las Vegas, and one in Reno, Nevada, selling cars from Audi, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen. The company is owned by president and CEO Fletcher Jones Jr., whose father started it in 1954 with one Los Angeles dealership.

Dancker, Sellew & Douglas (DS&D) is a furniture dealership serving the New York City metropolitan area, upstate New York and New Jersey. It specializes in providing furniture to businesses, with clients including AT&T and Coldwell Banker. DS&D offers chairs, desks, lighting, and storage from a variety of manufacturers, including Peter Pepper Products, Steelcase and Teknion. Dancker, Sellew & Douglas also offers furniture rental and warehousing, along with design consulting, inventory management, and refurbishment services. DS&D also caters to hospitals and universities, and provides lab furniture and equipment to pharmaceutical companies. The firm was founded in 1829 as the T.G. Seller Company, making roll-top desks.

Monsoon Commerce Solutions (MCS) helps online retailers and booksellers through its Marketplace Services and Selling Solutions divisions, providing retail management software, distribution assistance, and hosted store services. Its roster of more than 15,000 customers includes libraries, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers in about 50 countries. The Alibris Retail unit operates Alibris.com, an online marketplace for independent sellers of books, music, and movies. Founded in 1998, the firm acquired Monsoon in early 2010 and then reorganized and changed its name. MCS is owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners.

Levenger began when Lori Granger Leveen and her husband, Steve, said: "Let there be lighting!" The company, which got its start in 1987 by selling halogen lights for reading, has fashioned itself into the provider of "Tools for Serious Readers." The direct marketer offers an assortment of branded and private-label home and office accessories and furniture. Its products include bookcases, briefcases, leather armchairs, lap desks, inkwells, pens, pillows, stationery, and of course, lighting products. Levenger (which derives its name from combining Leveen and Granger) sells its merchandise through its catalog, website, and retail stores in Boston; Chicago; Boca Raton, Florida; and the Washington, DC, area.

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