Mikimoto opened its first freestanding store on New York City's famous Fifth Avenue in 1975. In addition to its Fifth Avenue location, Mikimoto operates retail stores in Beverly Hills and Costa Mesa, California, as well as in Las Vegas. The jeweler also operates an online store. Mikimoto company also distributes non-Mikimoto brand pearls to jewelry chains including Fred Meyer Jewelers, Kay Jewelers, and Zales. Kokichi Mikimoto was among the pioneers of the cultured-pearl industry. While a diamond may be "forever," a Mikimoto pearl is nothing to sneeze at. Mikimoto (America) is the US arm of Japanese pearl manufacturer, K. Mikimoto & Co., a leading creator of cultured pearl jewelry that is sold worldwide.

Organic Bouquet was founded in 2001 by organic produce pioneer Gerald Prolman. It bought the Organic Style trademark and brand from Rodale in 2007. Organic Bouquet has cultivated a natural niche in organic blooms, magazines, and products. The floral and fruit provider offers fresh organic tulips, lavender, sunflowers, country bouquets, roses, and its namesake bouquets through upscale natural retailers such as Whole Foods. It sells directly to consumers through its Web site, which peddles organic fruit boxes and gift baskets. The company also sells flowers grown under other certifications, including biodynamic and wildcrafted, and works with growers to protect worker safety.

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.

Spicers is nothing to sneeze at -- the company is a leading office products and equipment wholesaler in the UK and France, where most of its 20-plus distribution centers are located; it also holds strong market positions in Ireland, France, and the Benelux countries, and is developing its business in Germany, Italy, and Spain. The company's 18,000 products, which are sold to office products dealers via its numerous catalogs and Web site, include office equipment, furniture, and janitorial supplies sold under major manufacturers' brands as well as its own brand, 5 Star. Spicers accounts for about one-third of the revenues of its packaging and paper parent company, DS Smith.

YBP Library Services helps academic, community, and research libraries find all kinds of books, including electronic books. The company offers a Web-based tool called GOBI (Global Online Bibliographic Information) that provides its customers with a wide array of acquisitions and collection management services connected to a database some 2 million English-language titles. Founded in 1971, YBP works closely with its parent company, Baker & Taylor Corporation (the top wholesale book distributor in the US), and benefits from B&T's large inventory. YBP's UK-based Lindsay and Croft subsidiary offers similar services to the worldwide academic and research library market.

Snow & Rock are two key words constantly rolling in the back of the minds of adrenaline junkies, as well as the name of one of the suppliers of the equipment to satisfy the urge to plunge, climb, or swoop. The company, founded in 1982 by former managing director Mike Browne, operates more than 15 retail stores in the Central and Southern areas of the UK. Snow & Rock's stores specialize in apparel and equipment for skiing, snowboarding, climbing, and alpine hiking. The company peddles several top brands, including Salomon and The North Face. Snow & Rock also sells its products through a pair of catalogs and the Internet. Andrew Browsword, an entrepreneur, bought the company from Mike Browne in 2004.

Founded in 1938, Office Concepts provides workspace solutions, quality manufacturers, and local as well as national service support capabilities to help customers achieve their business goals. Office Concepts is located at 965 West Chicago Ave. in Chicago, IL and at 13820 W. Business Center Drive in Lake Forest, IL. Representing Steelcase, the largest and most respected name in the industry, we are a leading dealer in the Chicagoland area and among Steelcase’s top dealers nationally. Office Concepts was awarded the prestigious Steelcase Exemplary Performance Award, the highest award a dealer can achieve through world class performance. Patterned after the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award guidelines, this award symbolizes the pinnacle of achievement in customer service, satisfaction and sound business practices. Office Concepts is the only Chicagoland Steelcase dealer to ever qualify and win this most prestigious award.We also represent a wide array of other furniture manufacturers including Coalesse as well as specialty manufacturers including National, Gianni, and Global among many others. Office Concepts provides workplace consultation, planning, procurement, service, and ongoing maintenance capabilities to assist customers of all types and sizes with interior furnishing needs. We offer a full range of steel and wood furniture products for private offices, workstations, conference rooms, reception areas, lounge areas, cafeterias, and home offices. We also carry artwork, floor covering, lighting, plants, signage, wall covering, window treatments, and work tools.

Current USA is a leading direct marketer of greeting cards and gift wrap, scrapbooking supplies, stationery, and home decorating items. It sells under the brands Times to Cherish (scrapbooking supplies), Colorful Images (personalized address labels and other paper products), Lillian Vernon (gifts and home decor), and, of course, Current. The company also operates an outlet store in Colorado and a fundraising business that lets not-for-profit groups sell its products and share the proceeds. Founded in the 1950s, Current USA was initially run out of the basement of founders Orin and Miriam Loo. The company, which was family owned and operated until 1986, is a subsidiary of printing giant Taylor.

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.

Storr, which was founded in 1914, offers more than 200 products include brands such as Peter Pepper and Steelcase. Change the way you store your employees with the help of Storr Office Environments. The firm is an office furniture supplier to companies in the southeastern US that also provides professional space planning, facility management, and installation services for its clients. Storr operates a warehouse, showroom, and distribution center in North Carolina. It also boasts offices in Florida to extend its reach there. The company provides the usual desks and seating, as well as interior architecture, office technology, and floor coverings.

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