Founded in 1891, Texas-based Samuels Jewelers was acquired by India's Gitanjali Gems Ltd., a jewelry maker and retailer, in late 2006. In addition to diamonds and gemstones, Samuels Jewelers knows something about millstones -- the bankruptcy kind (it has been thrice drawn into bankruptcy court since the early 1990s). Samuels sells fine jewelry items through about 85 jewelry stores in California, Texas, and about 15 other states; stores are primarily located in regional shopping malls, power centers, and strip centers. Samuels also operates some stand-alone stores and sells jewelry online at SamuelsJewelers.com. Its stores operate under the Samuels Diamonds and Samuels Jewelers banners.

Follett Higher Education Group, in existence for well over a century, is the leading operator of campus bookstores in the US, supplying students and faculty with textbooks and other course materials through more than 800 stores. FHEG also provides about 1,600 individually managed stores with wholesale books and related services such as point of sale management systems, buyback services, and store design and consulting services. It offers apparel, software, textbooks, and more through its websites, including efollett.com, follettbooks.com, and cafescribe.com. The company is a subsidiary of educational materials wholesaler Follett Corporation.

VOW Europe pledges to be the UK and Ireland's one-stop shop for workplace essentials. VOW Europe Ltd. is a wholesale distributor of office supplies to dealers and resellers. Its offerings total more than 20,000 products, including stationery, toner, planners, business machines (calculators, printers), office furniture, and break room supplies. Besides brand-name office necessities, VOW Europe Ltd. markets supplies from Q Connect, a brand of the InterACTION distributors alliance in Europe; VOW is a member of the alliance. Chairman Richard Martin led a buyout of the firm, formerly known as Kingfield Heath, in 2007. It was merged with ISA Wholesale to form VOW. VOW Europe Ltd. is a unit of the Vasanta Group.

Amscan Holdings caters to the party animal in all of us. The company makes party goods (such as balloons, invitations, pinatas, stationery, and tableware) and supplies party superstores and other retailers worldwide. It operates production and distribution facilities in North America, Europe, and the Asia/Pacific region. Amscan also markets its products through about 850 company-owned and franchised stores in the US, Puerto Rico, and the United Arab Emirates. Shops operate under the banners of Party City, Party America, Factory Card & Party Outlet, Halloween USA, and Party Factory. Amscan is a subsidiary of AAH Holdings, which is controlled by Berkshire Partners, Advent International, and Weston Presidio.

The Booksource Inc. company sells new hardcover and paperback books to school libraries and classrooms across the US. It's part of a growing trend to place small libraries in classrooms to encourage kids to pick up a book and read. Booksource also owns San Val, which operates two binderies that turn paperback books into hardcovers for use in schools and public libraries. Its Peaceable Kingdom Press makes cards, calendars, posters, and other paper products for kids that are sold in book and toy stores worldwide. The firm is owned by founder Sandy Jaffe and his children Neil (president), Gary (COO), and Donna (head of Peaceable Kingdom).

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.

Uline is a bubble-wrap popper's dream come true. Its sales catalog features more than 20,000 packaging and shipping supplies (such as bubble wrap, corrugated boxes, envelopes, tape), janitorial products (brooms, cleaning supplies, trash cans), and other items (bags, merchandise tags, pricing devices). The company also markets products through its website. Uline operates distribution centers in California, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Texas. International locations include facilities in Canada and Mexico. Started in 1980 in the founder's basement, the company is owned and operated by the Uihlein family. Uline relocated its headquarters to Wisconsin in 2010.

Tiffany & Co., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and retail of fine jewelry. Its jewelry products include gemstone jewelry, gemstone band rings, diamond rings, wedding bands for brides and grooms, non-gemstone, gold or platinum jewelry, and sterling silver jewelry. The company also offers TIFFANY & CO. brand merchandise, including timepieces and clocks; sterling silver merchandise, including flatware, hollowware, trophies, key holders, picture frames, and desk accessories; crystal, glassware, china, and other tableware; custom engraved stationery; writing instruments; eyewear; leather goods; and fashion accessories. In addition, it provides fragrance products sold under the trademarks, including TIFFANY, PURE TIFFANY, and TIFFANY FOR MEN. The company serves its customers through retail sales, Internet and catalog sales, business to business sales, and wholesale distribution primarily in the Americas, the Asia-Pacific, and Europe. It also sells its products through TIFFANY & CO. stores, as well as through department store boutiques in Japan. As of January 31, 2010, Tiffany & Co. operated approximately 220 retail stores worldwide. Tiffany & Co. was founded in 1837 and is based in New York, New York.

Blackwell UK (known as Blackwell's) operates about 50 bookshops throughout the UK under the Blackwell's and Heffers names, as well as Blackwell's Online Bookshop. Blackwell's Book Services (headquartered in the US, with offices in the UK) supplies books and bibliographic products to some 3,500 research, academic, and specialty libraries around the world. The original B.H. Blackwell's store was opened in Oxford on New Year's Day 1879, and today it is one of the company's flagship locations. The Blackwell family still owns and runs Blackwell's. The family also owns academic publisher Blackwell Publishing.

Beauty Brands, Inc. was founded in 1995 by Bob Bernstein, who remains CEO of the Beauty Brands organization. Beauty Brands has built a business that offers its customers one-stop shopping and nonstop primping. The company combines its retail superstores (which measure between 5,000 and 9,000 sq. ft.) with full-service salons and spas. Beauty Brands operates more than 50 locations in about a dozen US states. In addition to selling more than 10,000 top salon products, Beauty Brands offers some 30 services including facials, haircuts and highlights, hair removal, manicures and pedicures, special occasion makeup and hair styling, children's hair cuts, and massage therapy.

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