Heineken was first imported into the US in 1880. The US operation offers Heineken, Amstel Light, Buckler (nonalcoholic), Murphy's Irish Stout, and Irish Amber. Not content with only a foam mustache, Heineken scored a hit with Amstel Light, one of the US's best-selling imported light beers; and as a result of its parent's 2008 acquisition (along with Carlsberg) of the former Scottish & Newcastle, Heineken USA owns the import rights for Newcastle Brown Ale. It is also the sole US importer and seller of FEMSA's beer brands, including Tecate, Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca, Bohemia.

The world's #1 luggage maker, Samsonite makes softside and hardside suitcases, garment bags, and business cases under brand names such as Samsonite and American Tourister. The company also licenses its name for non-luggage products and dabbles in designer clothing. Samsonite makes travel gear (backpacks, duffel bags, wheeled luggage) for Timberland through a licensing agreement. It sells its products in more than 100 countries and through about 200 stores. Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners owns a majority stake in the ailing luggage maker.

Dooney & Bourke makes high-end handbags and accessories, mostly for women but also for men. They're sold in department stores (such as Macy's and Nordstrom), online, and by catalog. The company operates about 10 of its own stores internationally, including seven locations in a handful of US states and a flagship shop in Manhattan. Best-known for its distinctive initial-covered purses, Dooney & Bourke also makes cell phone and iPod cases, as well as jewelry, luggage, apparel, shoes, totes, wallets, and assorted accessories.

The NeoStrata Company, founded in 1988 by two doctors who specialize in skin research, is a skin care firm dedicated to researching, developing, and marketing Alpha Hydroxyacid (AHA) skin products, as well as natural compounds using polyhydroxy acids (PHAs) and lactobionic acids. Some items are sold exclusively to dermatologists and plastic surgeons, while others sell in spas, salons, beauty stores, and department stores. Its brands include NeoStrata (anti-aging), Exuviance, CoverBlend (cosmetics), and NeoCeuticals (for specific skin conditions) that are sold in the US and more than 60 foreign countries.

H.H. Brown manufactures and distributes casual, work, and dress shoes and boots under more than a dozen brands, including Acme, Bøc, Børn, Brunswick, Carolina, Corcoran, Dexter, Double-H, Matterhorn, Nurse Mates, Quark, Ruhne, Sofft, and Softspots. Founded in 1883, H.H. Brown is named after Massachusetts shoemaker Henry H. Brown and is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. The company owns and sells through two Web sites (shoeline.com and supershoes.com); more than 50 of its own H.H. Brown SuperShoes stores; and through other retailers.

Goodier Cosmetics, Inc. company was founded in 1922 and is owned by president and CEO John Muller. Goodier Cosmetics is a contract manufacturer for private-label cosmetics and skin care products. It specializes in product development, packaging, product testing, and clinical studies at its manufacturing and distribution facilities in Dallas.

Gitanjali Gems doesn't do things the old fashioned way. In an industry known for tradition and family-owned firms like DeBeers, the Indian newcomer has set tradition at naught. It sources, machine cuts and sets, and retails diamond and gem jewelry offering a dozen brands (Gili, Asmi, D'Damas, Rivaaz) across several retail channels, instead of trying to build the prestige of one name. Gitanjali has production plants in India, Thailand, Vietnam, and China with marketing outposts in Europe, Japan, and the US. Retail outlets include Gitanjali Lifestyle stores (1,200+), Samuels and Rogers in the US, mass merchants, and catalogs. The company has also launched a designer apparel label under the Gitanjali name.

Davies Gate was founded by Ellen and Jack Davies in 1992. Davies Gate opens to a very fragrant garden. The personal care products manufacturer offers botanical bar soaps, bath and body products, skin care products, lotions, baby products, candles, and fragrances. Fragrance scents include rose, lavender, hyacinth, bergamot, sugar plum, citrus, and sea grass. Products are available through high-end retailers and through the company's Web site.

Prestige Cosmetics makes cosmetics under the Prestige and Prestige Studio Make-Up brand names, as well as under private labels for retailers. Its products include lipstick, cosmetic pencils, lip gloss, powder, eye shadow, blush, concealers, mascara, foundation, and nail polish. Prestige markets its products to mass merchandisers (including Sears and Wal-Mart), drugstores, and supermarkets in the US and about 45 other countries. It operates a plant in Florida and sells its products to distributors in Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, and South America. Co-founders and brothers Jacques and Gabriel Cohen own the company.

AptarGroup, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is based in Crystal Lake, Illinois. AptarGroup, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells product dispensing systems. It operates in three segments: Beauty & Home, Closures, and Pharma. The Beauty & Home segment primarily sells pumps and aerosol valves, and accessories to the personal care, household, and food/beverage markets; pumps and decorative components to the fragrance/cosmetic market; and fragrance/cosmetic and personal care fine mist spray pumps, personal care lotion pumps, and continuous spray aerosol valves. The Closures segment provides dispensing closures and non-dispensing closures primarily to the personal care, food/beverage, and household markets. The Pharma segment offers pumps and metered dose inhaler valves for allergy, cold, or flu treatments to the pharmaceutical market. The company sells and markets its products through sales force, independent representatives, and distributors in the United States, Europe, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and Thailand.

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