Founded in 1945 by German refugee Hans Stern, the company is owned today in equal shares by the Stern sons: Roberto, Ronaldo, Ricardo, and Rafael. H. Stern Com. & Ind., S.A. company is one of the fastest-growing high-end jewelry (a necklace worn by Angelina Jolie at the 2004 Oscars was valued at $10 million) manufacturers in the world. The company is known for turning its colored gemstones into luxury products. H. Stern runs about 160 stores in a dozen countries worldwide. The firm is rapidly expanding into the Middle East and Eastern Europe, where its rings and accessories are finding a mainstream audience. It also supplies jewelry to other retailers and sells it jewels on cruise ships.

Cynthia Rowley is doing just swell. Named for the designer of the same name, the company designs and sells apparel, footwear, a signature fragrance, and related accessories (handbags, hats, hosiery, jewelry). Rowley is also a co-founder of Swellco, which produces trendy home goods for discounter Target. Rowley's fashions are manufactured by third parties and sold in a handful of upscale Cynthia Rowley boutiques in the US. In Japan, where the firm has a licensing deal with ITOCHU, there are about 45 shops. Rowley's merchandise is also sold in high-end department (Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's) and specialty stores in the US and abroad, as well as online. The namesake company is owned by Cynthia Rowley.

Buffalo Rock is a leading bottling and distribution company that supplies soft drinks and other beverages from PepsiCo, including such brands as AquaFina, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, and Tropicana. The company also bottles beverages from Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Kraft Foods, as well as its own brands Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale and Dr. Wham. In addition to beverages, Buffalo Rock distributes food products and other supplies to customers in the foodservice industry, and it operates a food-vending distribution business. The family-owned company has more than a dozen distribution facilities serving customers in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.

Joseph and Stephanie Koret founded the firm in 1938. Koret was acquired by Kellwood in 1999. Koret of California, a Kellwood subsidiary, manufactures women's apparel under the City Blues, Koret, and Francisca brand names for distribution to department stores in the US. Koret of California, which operates within Kellwood's women's sportswear segment, generates a large portion of revenue for its parent. Koret's apparel is sold in major department stores, such as Beall's, Catherines, Dillard's, Gottschalk's, Federated, Old Pueblo Traders, and others. Its products are also sold online at shopkoret.com

BeneFit Cosmetics will make you look lovely, and it's for a good cause. BeneFit's products have a madcap glamour-girl sensibility. Clever names ("ooh la lift") and pin-up lasses are found on nearly every package. BeneFit sells its lines through more than 1,000 counters (called "Beauty Bars") in department store locations worldwide, at beauty specialty store Sephora, and about a dozen dedicated boutiques. BeneFit Cosmetics, whose celebrity-endorsed Benetint product brought the fledgling company into the mainstream, was founded in 1976 in San Francisco by sisters Jean Ann and Jane Ann Ford as The Face Place. Glamour leviathan LVMH holds a 70% stake.

Co-chairmen Chris Reyes and Jude Reyes founded the company in 1976. Reyes Holdings ompany is a leading food and beverage wholesale distributor serving customers throughout the US, Canada, and Latin America. Its The Martin-Brower Company is a leading supplier of both food and non-food products for the McDonald's restaurant chain. Its Reinhart FoodService is another top foodservice supplier with more than 20 locations. One of the top beer distributors in the US, Reyes Holdings operates about a dozen distribution facilities through subsidiaries Premium Distributors of Virginia, Chicago Beverage System, and California's Harbor Distributing.

Raani Corporation is a private label manufacturer and contract packaging firm that offers blending and filling services, research and development, and regulatory guidance to the personal care product industry. The company specializes in the production of hair care (including the ethnic hair care niche), skin care, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, household products, toiletries and bath care, baby care, and cosmetics. Raani's deodorants and assorted toiletries are sold by well known retailers including Kmart. CEO and president Rashid Chaudary started the business out of a garage in 1983.

Founded in 1947, the pet food maker offers a variety of cat and dog food products that not only meet the nutritional requirements of pets but are also specially formulated to help treat specific health needs. The company's AvoDerm brand dog food promotes better skin and coats, while its Active Care line promotes joint health in older dogs. Its Pinnacle line offers a holistic approach for canines and felines. Breeder's Choice other product lines include cat food, skin and hair care products, and dog treats. In 2006 Central Garden & Pet Company spent about $25 million in cash to acquire Breeder's Choice.

Essilor of America, Inc. company makes and distributes optical lenses under the Airwear, Crizal, DEFINITY, Transitions, and Varilux brand names, among others. Its Essilor Laboratories of America business, a wholesale laboratory network, provides services and a variety of lens brands to opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists across the US. Essilor of America is a subsidiary of Paris-based Essilor International, which operates about 250 prescription laboratories that manufacture corrective lenses worldwide. The company has been expanding its operations through acquisitions in recent years.

Wacoal America wants to fill your drawers with its drawers -- and bras, camisoles, slips, and shapewear. It designs and makes intimate apparel under its name and under license as DKNY Underwear and Donna Karan Intimates. Wacoal is known for its quality and fit and is a leader in intimate apparel in the US, Japan, Asia, and Europe. Its bras range in size from 32AA to 44DDD, and in styles from push-ups to minimizers. Its panties include everything from thongs to control briefs. Wacoal's products are sold in a number of upscale US retailers including Bloomingdales, Dillard's, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as UK retailers such as Brown Thomas, Fenwicks, and Harrods.

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