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.

KaBloom was founded in 1997 by David Hartstein and former Staples CEO Thomas Sternberg. KaBloom.com can be found daisy chaining across the country and cyberspace. The floral chain owns or franchises about 30 retail shops that sell bouquets, cut flowers, and plants primarily in Massachusetts, and is test-marketing selling flowers through kiosks. It also offers national floral delivery through its toll-free number and Web site. Its business flower program arranges flower deliveries to office buildings with weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly schedules available. From about a dozen stores in the Boston area, KaBloom has spread its roots to about a dozen other states and the District of Columbia.

Edible Arrangements has about 940 franchised locations in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, the UK, the Middle East, Italy, Turkey, and Hong Kong. CEO Tariq Farid started Edible Arrangements in 1999 after doing software consulting for a similar business. "Please don't eat the daisies" simply doesn't apply here. Edible Arrangements creates bouquets of hand-sculpted fresh fruit that are blooming with flower-shaped pineapples, shoots of melon slices, sprigs of skewered grapes, and an assortment of apple wedges, bananas, oranges, and strawberries. Customers can also add chocolate-dipped fruit to their arrangements. In addition to bouquets, the company offers smoothies and fruit salads at some shops.

Timberlane, Inc. was founded in 1996. Customers shudder at the beauty of their shutters. Timberlane Woodcrafters manufactures custom-made exterior and interior wooden shutters. Its shutters are all crafted from western red cedar and come in authentic Cape Cod, Colonial, Federal, Greek, Mediterranean, and Victorian designs, to name a few. In an effort to ensure historical accuracy, the company employs blacksmiths to craft hand-forged, wrought iron hardware for use on their shutters. Timberlane sells directly to the individual consumers through catalogs and the company Web site, which also offers customers a shutter design tool and an online quote request form.

Noevir Holding of America operates Noevir USA and Noevir Canada, which distribute personal care products, such as cosmetics and skin care, formulated from natural ingredients. It also sells products for hair care, body care, and nutrition such as herbal teas and spirulina. Brand names include Noevir 505 and Noevir 99, which are sold by the company's independent sales consultants as well as in stores and online. Noevir's products are developed at about a dozen research centers in Japan and the US. The firm is a subsidiary of Japan's Noevir Co. Ltd., which imported aircraft parts when it was first founded in 1964. Noevir began operating in the US in 1979.

Founded in 1937 with a $35 investment, Stuckey's operated more than 350 stores at its zenith in the 1970s. The Stuckey family, including Bill Stuckey (chairman and son of the founder), is the company's majority owner. Once as integral to a road trip as the destination, Stuckey's owns or franchises about 175 stores located along interstates in some 20 US states, mostly in the Southeast. Its store concepts include the traditional blue-roofed stand-alone locations and Stuckey's Express, in which a Stuckey's outlet is located inside other convenience stores and travel centers. Stuckey's sells primarily candy (taffy, peanut brittle, and its famous pecan logs) and souvenirs (T-shirts, postcards, and trinkets).

Founded in 1978, Sierra Office Solutions is an authorized Xerox sales agent and an approved vender for the federal government. While the Sierra Club wants you to save a tree, Sierra Office Solutions (formerly Sierra Office Supply) wants you to buy one. The office products and furniture firm supplies businesses and home offices in Eastern Kern, Inyo, and Mono counties in California, and Nye and Esmeralda counties in Nevada, with the necessities of running a business. Products include office supplies, computer and printer supplies, furniture, janitorial and break room items, Xerox copiers and other business machines, business cards, custom stamps, and signs. It offers an online product catalog and free delivery.

Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) can prepare you for a life of climb. EMS sells a wide range of outdoor gear, apparel, footwear, and accessories from about 65 stores in a dozen East Coast states from Maine to Virginia and on its website. Outdoor enthusiasts can purchase or rent tents, sleeping bags, and other equipment -- choosing from brands such as Patagonia, Columbia, The North Face, and Teva. The retailer's own EMS branded products account for more than a third of sales. EMS offers outdoor skills clinics, provides guides for hire, and arranges day and overnight trips. It also operates climbing and kayaking schools. EMS was founded in 1967 by two New England rock climbers.

Connolly Music Company, Inc. imports and distributes strings for basses, cellos, guitars, mandolins, violas, and violins. It is the only US importer of Austria-made Thomastik-Infeld strings and rosin. Products include specialty strings for electric, acoustic, classical, and jazz guitars; acoustic and jazz basses; and custom sets as well as various cored strings for orchestral instruments. The company supports the American String Teachers Association, the Suzuki Association of America, and the Perlman Music Program. Connolly Music was founded in 1970 by John Connolly. His son Jake is president and owner.

Founded in 1924, Huffines Automotive Group is owned by the Huffines family and run by the third generation in the car business.Many North Texans leave home everyday in a Huffines. Huffines Auto Dealerships sell new and used cars and trucks about eight dealerships in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The auto brands Huffines sells include Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, and Subaru. Huffines dealerships, located in cities Lewisville, Plano, McKinney, and Denton, also provide financing, parts, service, and collision repair. Car shoppers can search for new and used cars on the dealerships' Web sites.

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