DirectGroup Bertelsmann GmbH runs book clubs especially popular in Europe and Asia under such brands as Der Club in Germany, France Loisirs in France, and Circulo de Lectores in Spain. Club members can access its products through mail-order catalogs, the Internet, or one of 800 retail stores worldwide. DirectGroup Bertelsmann boasts 35 million members worldwide and operates in more than 20 countries. The company is a division of German media firm Bertelsmann AG, which sold its faltering American book club operations in 2008 to focus on Europe and Asia.

Grody cars can be beautiful. Ken Grody Automotive Group sells new Ford cars and trucks at two dealerships in California -- one in Buena Park and the other in Carlsbad. For customers desiring some extra power, both locations offer high-performance Roush-engineered crate engines for its vehicles. Additionally, the company sells a wide variety of used cars and provides parts and service. Customers can use the company Website to browse for vehicles, get a quote and apply for credit. Founded in 1958, the group is now solely owned by president Ken Grody.

The Paradies Shops operates more than 500 shops in airports, hotels, and aquariums throughout the US and Canada. It serves more than a half billion passengers annually, with retail sites that include bookstores, gift shops, jewelry stores, ladies accessory shops, newsstands, sunglass stores, and western stores, among others. Paradies Shops is also the exclusive licensee of Brooks Brothers, CNBC, PGA Tour, and the New York Times. The firm operates several hotel properties and the retail program for the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. The company was founded by the Paradies family in 1960. In mid-2010 it sold a majority stake to Freeman Spogli & Co.

Adleta Corporation is a leading wholesale distributor of hard surface flooring, including ceramic, hardwood, and laminate products, to retailers and professional builders in the southwestern US. Adleta company supplies commercial and residential flooring (brands include Armstrong, Endura, and Kahrs, among others) and installation services to customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Adleta company operates a flooring installation training facility in Carrollton, Texas, and warehouses in Texas and Little Rock, Arkansas. Family-owned-and-operated Adleta was founded in 1920 as a cabinet and fixture manufacturer and entered the floor covering business in 1974.

Hobbico, which began in 1971 as Tower Hobbies, has grown to become one of the world's largest model hobby companies. For pilots who would rather fly their planes from the ground, Hobbico (dba Great Planes) makes and sells radio-controlled model aircraft -- as well as boats, cars, gliders, and related accessories. The company is the world's largest retail and wholesale distributor of radio-controlled hobby products. Hobbico makes some of its products and buys the rest from other manufacturers. It sells its fully-assembled models and kits in hobby stores throughout North America and some 45 countries worldwide. It also sells directly to hobbyists through its Web site and catalog.

Target Commercial Interiors (TCI) is a leading provider of contemporary furnishings for large, small, and medium-sized businesses, with more than a dozen retail showrooms in Arizona, Illinois, Minnesota, Washington, and Wisconsin. Its product selection includes chairs, desks, and tables, as well as floor coverings, lighting, and window treatments. The company is a leading Steelcase dealer. TCI also provides such services as interior planning and design, installation, and project management. In addition to its showrooms, the company sells office products online. TCI is a subsidiary of the nation's #2 discount retailer Target. This business has office decor in its cross hairs.

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.

iParty Corp. engages in the sale of party goods and services through its retail stores in New England and Florida, the United States. Its stores feature approximately 20,000 products comprising paper party goods, Halloween costumes, greeting cards, and balloons, as well as merchandise, such as pinatas, tiny toys, masquerade, and Hawaiian Luau items. iParty Corp. also offers party planning advice and relevant information services, as well as licenses the name iParty.com to a third party. As of December 26, 2009, it operated 26 stores in Massachusetts, 7 in Connecticut, 6 in New Hampshire, 3 in Rhode Island, 3 in Maine, 1 in Vermont, and 5 stores in Florida. iParty Corp. was founded in 1998 and is based in Dedham, Massachusetts.

CD Warehouse franchises (mostly) and owns music stores that sell, trade, and buy new and used CDs. The company sells through about 150 CD Warehouse, CD Exchange, Music Trader, and Disc Go Round stores located in more than 35 states. The company also has stores in Canada, Guatemala, France, Thailand, the UK, and Venezuela. Most stores are in strip shopping centers and offer between 10,000 and 16,000 CDs. The majority of sales are from used CDs; the company also sells DVDs, posters, and T-shirts. CD Warehouse is owned by Magnolia Entertainment.

Recreation is serious business for Affinity Group. The direct marketing firm sells goods and services through its membership and discount buyers clubs, such as Good Sam, Coast to Coast Resorts, Camp Club USA, and President's Club. It offers RV products (including air conditioners, sanitation systems, furnishings) not usually found in general merchandise stores at about 80 Camping World specialty shops across the US, as well as via catalog and online. Affinity also publishes magazines and travel guides, from which it derives subscription fees and ad sales revenue. Chairman Steve Adams is the majority owner of both Affinity and, through another entity, RV retailer FreedomRoads.

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